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Emerging technologies are expected to alter our lives and environments in substantial ways. One example of an emerging technology is synthetic biology. This new engineering science of life moves beyond “reading” and “writing” DNA to the design and synthesis of complete living cells and biological systems with functions that do not exist in nature. Synthetic biology holds great promise for innovation in fields as diverse as healthcare, sustainable energy, sustainable production, ecological services. Simultaneously, it may proliferate risks for humans, animals and the environment, and invoke dilemmas with respect to issues such as equality, autonomy and identity. Synthetic biology may more and more become a subject of public controversy.
Societal impact
The question is how to deal with this potential variety of impacts as a society. Synthetic biology does not merely happen to us—it is a technology in the making. This requires reflection and dialogue, aimed at mutual learning about future scenarios, and about values and viewpoints amongst the actors involved and society as a whole. The European Commission decided to fund a Mobilisation and Mutual Learning Action Program aimed at further developing the European dialogue: the SYNENERGENE project. Within the context of this project, a team from the Athena Institute collaborated with over 20 EU partners to develop reflection tools, processes and platforms, and carry out a range of reflection and dialogue activities throughout Europe.
Methods
Several reflection and dialogue tools were developed, tested and applied for a variety of target groups. The tools in themselves can be perceived as generating societal valorization. The set of tools includes:
- iGEM Guide to the Future. Canvas that helps young synthetic biology students to anticipate future impacts, reflect on ethical and societal issues and orient their project work in the famous international Synbio competition iGEM to societal valorization (developed and applied in 16 teams, together with the Rathenau Institute; available here.
- Frame Reflection Lab. Hybrid learning environment that helps diverse social actors such as scientists, policymakers, citizens to become aware of their own value perspective in relation to those of others (developed and applied in five workshops with researchers, two workshops with general citizens, six workshops with students, six workshops with secondary school students; available here
- Theatrical Debate. Semi-improvised participatory theatre format that enables the audience to become spect-actors in experimenting with the societal future of synthetic biology on stage (developed and applied in six public performances).
The iGEM guide has become one of the main resources for human practices. The Frame Reflection Lab and the Theatrical Debate were presented at a variety of conferences bringing together professionals from science education, science centers and museums, and public engagement in science. The Frame Reflection Lab is enlisted in a virtual learning catalogue for resources and activities on synthetic biology. The theatrical debate is more difficult to practice yourself, because it requires advanced participatory theatre skills. However, the performance can still be hired from the involved theatre company, Mens in de Maak.
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https://www.science.vu.nl/en/research/athena-institute/projects/synenergene/index.aspx
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International Monetary Fund (IMF) Published this Tuesday recipes against inflation and, in particular, fiscal policy guidelines that governments must follow to counteract the effects of price increases energy And this Foods in economy and society. Its recommendations are a far cry from the measures approved in Spain to this day and, in many cases, they even go in the opposite direction.
“The Treasury policy have an important role to play Minimizing the impact on the most vulnerable families. Governments must strike a balance between ensuring access to energy and food, normalize your fiscal policy After the unprecedented expansion in 2020 and promoting green transition“, indicates the institution giving instructions Kristalina Georgieva.
Although it considers circumstances specific to each country, it includes councils in three groups based on the level of development and coverage of its social security system.
Spain a. will be placed between the passes with strong social safety netwhich the IMF recommends five guidelines Concrete which is not found in our country. First, they ask you to pass them let the prices go up And that the growth in the international market is transferred to the domestic market. This means, in practice, that The fund does not recommend approving value limitsas the executive intends to implement in our country at the cost of gas,
“Countries must allow the increase in international fuel prices to be fully transmitted to national users. Price signals are important To induce demand responses. In the case of energy, the demand response can be considerable (…) Conversely, food is a basic good that takes up a substantial portion of the income of the poor and can be less price elastic. So, Priority should be given to ensuring affordable access to basic food items. Especially when food security is a concern,” he explains.
In his opinion, higher energy prices encourage “more efficient use” And a increased investment in renewable energyBoth desirable things. “Measures aimed at preventing domestic prices from adjusting are costly, displace producer spending and reduce incentives for producers,” he says.
Second, he believes that countries should give direct assistancetemporarily, in the form of transfers for the most vulnerable families, a petition that is in line with others that have been launched by organizations such as the Economic and Social Council. At present, the government has not announced any such subsidy to reduce the impact of inflation on the most vulnerable households.
“Countries with strong social safety nets can use Exclusive and temporary cash transfers to reduce the impact on vulnerable and low income groups, They can identify families that meet needs in order to better target aid and provide it efficiently (…)”, he explains. They also caution that it is better that This aid is not proportionate to their energy level or food consumption, the measure being to prevent distorting their behavior and, with it, prices.
They further suggest that governments make grants”refundable tax credit“For the most vulnerable families.
Avoid Coffee for Everyone
The third advice from the IMF is that countries avoid generalized aid for the entire population, as may be the case with Spain. 20 cents per liter of fuel bonus Which is applicable from last 1st April and which benefits high and low income equally.
“By crossing household income information with information on their bills, governments can offer lump sum discount to meet below a certain income limit, These are definite benefits Better as compared to the proportionate profit of the bills, because they are more progressive and less deformed“, Moisture.
Only if the social security system is not enough, does the IMF recommend easing energy consumption bills or implementing exemptions, but in both cases it will propose Aid targeted to the most vulnerable.
This body is also not in favor of general tax deduction. In Spain, a 7% tax on cogeneration has been suspended, the VAT tax rate on electricity reduced to 10% for consumers with less than 10 kW of contracted electricity, and a special tax on electricity reduced to 0.5% Is. Electricity, minimum authorized by the European Union. All these measures will be applicable till 30th of this month and can be extended during summers.
“usually, It is not fair to reduce taxes on energy and food, Given the prevalence of ad valorem taxes (such as VAT or excise duties), high prices and relatively low elasticity of demand mean that in many countries Tax revenue will increase as energy and food prices rise, this additional tax revenue Can be used to provide targeted assistance to vulnerable families“, Consider.
Despite the fact that the opposition has asked the government Reduce VAT or reduce IRFP rateAt present, no action has been taken in this regard and IMF discourages them Because they are not progressive and will cut the revenue of the state.
,General reduction in taxes means relief for all, including the most affluent families, and believes significant loss of income When they are needed the most”, they stress that taxes on fuel must continue to rise, in order to continue to counter the negative effects of pollution resulting from fuel use.
Finally, the IMF is also opposed to taxing Gains that fell from the sky or “unexpected gains”, seen in spain low For hydro, nuclear and wind power plants before 2013.
“Rise in energy prices and profits of some energy companies have created new demand for taxes on windfall profits. However, These taxes can discourage investment and be counterproductive.“, warns the IMF.
In addition, they ask that countries use resource efficiently and that strengthen international cooperation To ensure global food and energy supply.
examples of good and bad practice
In its report, the IMF reviews measures that have been approved to concentrate the effects of inflation in certain countries: Give relief to the weakest.
it is a matter Latviaone who has approved Monthly assistance for the elderly and disabled (from 20 euros) and at families with children (50 euros); Of Germany, Where single payment has been approved for vulnerable families 100 euro per child and other lump sum payments beneficiary of social benefits,
In Filipinas An unconditional cash transfer of 500 pesos (about 9 euros) per month has been announced 50% poor families (some 12 million families) for six months from April 2022; whereas Poland Has been approved resource-based profit (400 to 1,438 zlotys; 88 to 314 euros per family) poorest familyTo compensate for the increase in the cost of energy.
On the revenue side, Approved Measures in more advanced economies further away In accordance with the recommendations of the IMF, as in Spain. For example, VAT has been deducted Italy hey Blagica or special tax France, South Korea You New Zealand,
France have given dealer subsidy To reduce gasoline prices; Estonia, Luxembourg and Slovakia measures have been announced reduction in electricity prices; You Lithuania who has declared to raise the threshold Income exempt from taxation in personal income tax.
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https://thebusinessnews.org/imf-revises-spains-policy-against-inflation-asks-for-aid-for-the-vulnerable-does-not-cap-prices-and-avoids-general-measures/
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This study, “THE ROLE OF REVENUE MOBILIZATION ON ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA” contains concise information that will serve as a framework or guide for your project work. The project study is well-researched for academic purposes and are usually provided in complete chapters with adequate References.
Keywords: THE ROLE OF REVENUE MOBILIZATION ON ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
1.7 DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
1.8 METHODOLOGY
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATION
2.2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.3 EMPIRICAL REVIEW
CHAPTER THREE
3.1 CONCEPT, NATURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF TAXATION AND TAXES
3.2 TAXATION PRINCIPLES
3.3 TAX REFORM IN NIGERIA
3.4 TAXATION IN NIGERIA
3.5 VALUE ADDED TAX AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
CHAPTER FOUR
4.1 THE IMPACT OF TAXATION GENERATION ON NIGERIA ECONOMIC GROWTH
4.2 THE ROLE OF REVENUE MOBILIZATION ON ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 CONCLUSION
5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS
REFRENCE
APPENDIX
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Government revenue refers to the revenue received by a government to finance its operations and development projects. It is an important tool of the fiscal policy of the government as it facilitates government spending (OECD, 2008b). Governments need to perform various functions in the field of political, social and economic activities to maximize social and economic welfare. In order to perform these duties and functions government require large amount of resources. These resources are called Public Revenues. Public revenue consists of taxes, revenue from administrative activities like fines, fees, gifts and grants. Public revenue can be classified into two types including: tax and non-tax revenue (Illyas and Siddiqi, 2010). Taxes are the first and foremost sources of public revenue. Taxes are compulsory payments to government without expecting direct benefit or return by the tax payer. Taxes collected by Government are used to provide common benefits to all mostly in form of public welfare services. Taxes do not guarantee any direct benefit for person who pays the tax. It is not based on direct quid pro quo principle. The government collects tax revenue by way of direct & indirect taxes. Direct taxes includes; Corporate tax; personal income tax, capital gain tax and wealth tax. Indirect taxes include custom duty, central excise duty, Value Added Tax (VAT) and service tax (Chaudhry and Munir, 2010). Non tax revenue refers to the revenue obtained by the government from sources other than tax. These include fees, fines and penalties, surplus from public enterprises, special assessment of betterment levy, grants and gifts and deficit financing.
Fiscal policy aligning government revenue and expenditure is of crucial importance in promoting price stability and sustainable growth in output, income and employment which are important parameters of economic growth (Ahmed, 2010). It is one of the macroeconomic policy instruments that can be used to prevent or reduce short-run fluctuations in output, income and employment in order to move an economy to its potential level. However, for sound fiscal policy, a good understanding of the relationship between government revenue and economic growth of a nation is very important, for instance, in addressing government’s budgetary deficits. Government collects tax revenues, provides goods and services not produced by the private sector, engages in commercial-type activities, makes cash and in-kind transfers to families and businesses, and pays interest on its debts (Abiola and Asiweh, 2012). All these activities require that government raise enough revenue. Governments raise revenue from different sources in order to undertake its development agendas (Ahmed, 2010). A country’s revenue structure determines who pays for public services and goods. By spreading revenues across different instruments, countries can distribute the burden across particular groups of citizens and sectors of the economy. In all OECD member countries, taxes other than social contributions represent the largest share of government revenues.
Revenue is defined as all amounts of money received by a government from external sources for example those originating from “outside the government” net of refunds and other correcting transactions, proceeds from issuance of debt, the sale of investments, agency or private trust transactions, and intergovernmental transfers ((Ahmed, 2010). Government Revenue comprises amounts received by all agencies, boards, commissions, or other organizations categorized as dependent on the government concerned. Stated in terms of the accounting procedures from which these data originate, revenue covers receipts from all accounting funds of a government, other than intra-governmental service (revolving), agency, and private trust funds (Chaudhry and Munir, 2010).
Ayres and Warr (2006) define economic as ‘a rise in the total output (goods or services) produced by a country’. It represents an increase in the capacity of an economy to produce goods and services, compared from one period of time to another. Economic growth refers only to the quantity of goods and services produced. Economic growth can be measured in nominal terms including inflation, or in real terms, which are adjusted for inflation like by the percent rate of increase in the gross domestic product (GDP). Economic growth measures growth in monetary terms and looks at no other aspects of development (Illyas and Siddiqi, 2010). Economic growth can be either positive or negative. Negative growth can be referred to by saying that the economy is shrinking. Negative growth is associated with economic recession and economic depression (King and Levine, 1993). Gross national product (GNP) is sometimes used as an alternative measure to gross domestic product. In order to compare multiple countries, the statistics may be quoted in a single currency, based on either prevailing exchange rates or purchasing power parity. Then, in order to compare countries of different population sizes, the per capita figure is quoted (Beck and Web, 2003).
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Economies with large public sectors will grow slowly because of large tax wedges but a lack of growth-enhancing government initiatives may stymie growth in countries with very small governments (Barker, Buckle and St Clair, 2008). However, not all expenditure and methods of financing have the same impacts on economic growth. While economic research suggests that the cumulative effect of taxes on economic growth is moderate, recent research (OECD, 2008b) has suggested that there is a relationship between the types of taxes imposed and economic growth. Several research studies have been conducted on government revenue and economic development. In Nigeria, people, especially the rich and the elites, deliberately dodge this civic responsibility of paying tax and sometimes employ the service of tax specialists in order to pay less tax to the government. There is also the problem of falsification of ages and the number of children and dependents one has in order to reduce the amount of tax payable. Emanating from these factors, the sub-national governments (state and local governments) contend that their currently assigned taxes are poor in terms of their bases and, therefore, accruable revenues are not enough to meet their expenditure targets. Also the statutory allocation from the federation account has been grossly inadequate as a result of a fall on gross domestic product. This invariably reduces their overall performance, considering their expenditure profiles. Taiwo (2008) observed that the distribution of government revenue is skewed in favor of one tax base or the other (eg oil revenue) in Nigeria. Nevertheless, the overwhelming evidence of positive impact of oil revenue on economic growth in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized (Odusola, 2006). However, the first question is, are other forms of taxes not important for consideration? Emanating from the above, there are some questions to ask: what relationship exists between Nigeria’s tax revenue and her economic growth? And what is the contribution from other tax base to the overall tax revenue of a nation
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The main objective of this study is to find out the role of revenue mobilization on economic growth and development, specifically the study intends to:
1. Determine the impact of tax on economic growth in Nigeria;
2. Investigate the role of revenue mobilization on economic growth and development in Nigeria.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions are formulated to guide the study:
1. What is the impact of taxation generation on Nigeria economic growth
2. What is the role of revenue mobilization on economic growth and development
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study would be significant to several stakeholders:
To scholars and academicians, this study would increase body of knowledge to the scholars in the area of government revenue and economic development. It would also suggest areas for further research so that future scholars can pick up these areas and study further. The study would be important to the government especially the Ministry of Finance for making policy decisions whose overall objectives is to influence the level of economic activity and Government revenue in line with the expanding Government budget. Finally, the findings of this study would be important to policy makers especially on matters concerning taxation and budgeting so as to have manageable budgetary deficits.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This research work covers Nigeria as a whole, the problems, effect and the role of Revenue mobilization on economic growth and development will be deeply investigated on in this research.
1.7 DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
However, in the course of carrying out this research work, the researcher can foresee some limitations which include; insufficient financing, insufficient data for the research work and the time required for the project to be concluded.
1.8 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This study is basically on the role of revenue mobilization on economic growth and development in Nigeria. The study therefore adopts one of the traditional methods of gathering information, i.e. the secondary sources. A sizeable percentage of secondary sources that is used came from published and unpublished works which include materials extracted from: Archives, Newspapers, discussions, Conference papers, Magazines, Internets, Books, and Articles in journals e.t.c.
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https://hiwriters.com.ng/product/the-role-of-revenue-mobilization-on-economic-growth-and-development-in-nigeria/
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A few vocal critics have pointed to state personal income taxes as the source of a variety of fiscal and economic problems- arguing that it has enabled wasteful spending, fueled the volatility of revenue collections, or even stifled job-creation. Accordingly, some of these critics have called for the outright repeal of the income tax, while others have suggested making it significantly less progressive. Such proposals, if acted upon, would make it all but impossible for state tax systems to produce revenue in a fair and sustainable fashion. This policy brief examines the contributions of progressive income taxes toward better state tax policy, explains why claims about their negative impact on economic growth are unfounded, and describes several reforms states could adopt to address some of the problems wrongly attributed to progressive income taxes.
Achieving a Fair State Tax System
The fairness of a state’s tax system is largely determined by two factors: the mix of different taxes it levies and the design of each of those taxes. Most of the taxes states and localities typically impose are regressive – they require low- and moderate-income taxpayers to devote a larger share of their incomes to paying taxes than upper-income taxpayers. Sales and excise taxes certainly fit this description, since consumption takes up a much larger share of income for poor and middle class taxpayers. Property taxes do as well, since homes and vehicles are usually the only types of property subject to tax, and the only types of property typically owned by individuals and families in the lower half of the income distribution. Yet, sales, excise, and property taxes made up 67 percent of all state and local tax collections in 2009; in fact, nine states counted on these taxes for more than 75 out of every 100 tax dollars collected.
A personal income tax is simply the only major revenue source available to states that can meaningfully mitigate the unfairness of sales, excise, and property taxes. The personal income tax, because it is directly linked to one’s ability to pay, is the most progressive major tax levied by states and localities. Of course, given the degree to which states and localities depend on regressive forms of taxation, a personal income tax, by itself, is not a sufficient means for achieving a tax system that is progressive overall. For example, Illinois and Pennsylvania have two of the most unfair state tax structures in the nation, despite having income taxes. A graduated rate structure that applies lower tax rates to lower-income families, and the use of refundable tax credits to off set the impact of other regressive taxes, are vital strategies for achieving a modicum of fairness. Even states like California and Vermont with highly progressive income taxes achieve a basically flat tax system overall when other taxes levied by the state are taken into consideration.
Fostering a Sustainable Tax System
For a tax system to be considered sustainable, it must yield a stream of revenue that grows at the same pace as the services it is intended to fund; over the long-run, both should grow along with the economy. To achieve that particular rate of growth, the taxes that make up a given tax system must be designed in a way that prepares them for any broad economic developments that affect the tax base.
For the income tax, no economic trend is more important than the tremendously unequal growth in incomes that has characterized the last three decades. By one estimate, the average income for the top 1 percent of US households shot up by 281 percent between 1979 and 2007, while the average income for the bottom 20 percent of households rose just 16 percent. In this context, a progressive income tax is indispensible. By targeting the tax toward wealthier individuals that are experiencing rapid income growth, states can generate a more sustainable stream of revenue that keeps up with the cost of providing public services.
Moreover, this role for the income tax is especially important given the acutely unsustainable nature of so many other state taxes. Sales taxes are lagging as untaxed personal services and online shopping continue to grow in importance. Many property taxes are similarly hamstrung due to various property tax caps. And even excise taxes on gasoline are flat-lining, as vehicle fuel-efficiency rises and flat-rate gas tax rates stagnate.
Laying the Groundwork for Economic Growth
No attack against progressive state income taxes has received more attention as of late than the claim that income taxes stifle economic growth and job-creation. Often times, these critics site bogus numbers about economic growth in non-income tax states. Yet, there is nothing to be gained from looking at the performance of non-income tax states like Alaska and Wyoming, because their economies are enormously dependent on natural resources that most states just don’t have. Most states that don’t levy an income tax choose not to precisely because they have some unique economic advantage that allows them to generate revenue through other means. Moreover, analyses that claim to find a higher economic growth rate in non-income tax states are typically based on cherry-picked or misleading data. For more on this see ITEP’s report: “High Rate” Income Tax States Are Outperforming No-Tax States.”
Attacks on the income tax are short sighted and too easily dismiss this important revenue stream. Here are ways that income taxes support economic growth:
• Income tax revenues aren’t collected in a vacuum. The sustainable revenue stream made possible by an income tax pays for state services that are vital to economic growth, like education, public safety, the courts, and transportation infrastructure.
• A progressive income tax makes it possible for low-and middle-income taxpayers to pay less in taxes – a good thing since those taxpayers with limited disposable income are more likely to spend that money.
• State income tax bills also are partially paid by the federal government because of the ability of itemizers to write off their state income taxes on their federal tax return. For every dollar in income taxes paid, taxpayers who itemize get a federal tax cut of as much as 35 cents (depending on what federal tax bracket they are in). For more on this see ITEP’s Policy Brief, “How State Tax Changes Affect your Federal Taxes: A Primer on the Federal Off set.”
Promoting a Stable Revenue System
In the wake of the recent financial crisis, many states experienced a sharp drop in income tax revenue, particularly as income earned by wealthier taxpayers, as well as capital gains realizations, dropped briefly from historic highs. In response, some policymakers have expressed concerns about the lack of predictability associated with income taxes. Concerns of this kind are akin to complaining that acing a few exams has added to the volatility of your grades. Just as it would be foolish to stop trying to perform well in the classroom, it would be equally shortsighted to reduce the progressivity of a state’s income tax in an effort to produce a more predictable tax system. In fact, many of the keys to a more stable tax and revenue system lie outside the personal income tax. They include:
• Improving fiscal management – States can smooth out revenue fluctuations through the use of well-designed reserve or “rainy day” funds, depositing surplus revenue during prosperous times to be drawn upon in times of need.
• Expanding the base of other taxes – Most states could expand the base of at least one of the taxes they levy, whether by broadening the sales tax to include services, taxing internet sales, or offering fewer special tax breaks through the individual income tax. Each of these reforms would leave states less vulnerable to economic downturns and the revenue fluctuations they induce.
Conclusion
Progressive income taxes allow states to collect revenue in a way that is both fair and sustainable. Not only do such taxes not harm economic growth, but the vital public investments that they make possible actually pave the way for better state economies. Concerns about tax volatility can be addressed with better fiscal management and reforms to other taxes with bases that are overly narrow.
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https://itep.org/the-progressive-income-tax-an-essential-element-of-fair-and-sustainable-state-tax-systems/
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A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF's Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.
The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.
The IMF staff team visited San Salvador during March 11—22 for the 2019 Article IV consultation and held candid discussions with the current authorities, the President-elect, parliamentarians, business community, and social partners.
The strong economic performance is an opportunity to further strengthen the fiscal position. The government has laid the foundation for sustained growth, by implementing structural reforms, strengthening policy frameworks and facilitating a smooth political transition. Building on these achievements, the incoming administration should: (i) pursue fiscal consolidation to bring down public debt; (ii) step up reforms to improve public administration efficiency and lift long-term growth; and (iii) strengthen the governance framework to curb crime and corruption.
Context
1. The economy is performing well. Fueled by strong domestic consumption and investment, real GDP growth was 2½ percent in 2018, above the estimated potential of 2.2 percent. The primary fiscal surplus increased to about 1 percent of GDP driven by strong import tax revenues and one-off tax measures, including a tax amnesty. This improvement in the fiscal position was offset by the rising interest bill. The overall fiscal deficit deteriorated slightly to 2.7 percent of GDP and public debt (including pensions) reached about 70 percent of GDP at end-2018. Sustained social spending and a growing economy have resulted in a substantial improvement in social and human development indicators, including poverty and inequality, over the last decade.
2. In the near term, growth is expected to be closely aligned with the outlook for the U.S. and the global economy. In 2019, real GDP growth in El Salvador is expected to remain above potential and inflation to remain subdued due to the projected decline in oil prices. Sustained remittance inflows will compensate for a high trade balance deficit. In the medium-term, economic growth will converge to its estimated potential under unchanged policies. Downside risks to these projections stem from weaker-than-expected global growth, and domestic policy slippages if the new administration fails to secure political support in the Legislative Assembly. On the upside, global financial conditions may tighten less than expected.
3. A smooth political transition is currently underway. The new administration will take office on June 1. Reaching political agreements, especially with the parties dominating the Legislative Assembly, will be crucial for the successful implementation of the new government’s agenda.
Policy Messages
Fiscal Consolidation
4. Staff welcome the continued efforts to improve the fiscal position. The authorities’ fiscal consolidation efforts resulted in an improvement in the primary balance of 1.1 percent of GDP over 2017-18. Nevertheless, public debt is expected to drift upward under unchanged policies as the stock of debt is high, and the rate of interest is higher than the rate of economic growth. Additional measures are needed to consolidate the fiscal position and improve debt dynamics.
5.
Staff recommend a primary adjustment of about 2 percent of GDP over
2019-20.
The fiscal responsibility law (FRL) requires a 3 percent improvement of the
primary balance over 2017-21. Staff recommend a frontloaded fiscal
adjustment of 2 percent of GDP over
2019-20. This will help ensure compliance with the FRL and make some headway in reducing the high debt stock, the main vulnerability of the economy. Implementing this adjustment over
2019-20 would not stall the growth momentum, as fiscal multipliers—the impact on growth of the fiscal measures—tend to be lower during periods of economic expansion.
6. To achieve the primary adjustment target, revenue and expenditure measures are needed. On the revenue side, staff welcome the adoption of the electronic invoicing and the technical preparations for a simplified tax code for small businesses (“monotributo”). As the estimated yield of these tax administration measures are not sufficient to ensure compliance with the FRL, structural revenue measures are needed. Staff recommend introducing excise taxes on luxury goods and a limited increase in the VAT rate. Targeted fiscal transfers could be put in place to soften the regressive impact of the VAT increase on the most vulnerable in society. On the expenditure side, efficiency gains could be achieved by rationalizing current expenditure while protecting capital investment. Staff recommend containing the wage bill, and approving and implementing the civil service reform as quickly as possible. Additional measures comprise centralizing the procurement system and extending competitive bidding processes to the full set of public entities, and goods and services.
7. Staff recommend finding comprehensive and long-lasting solutions in the medium-term to address fiscal challenges. A comprehensive fiscal reform is needed to eliminate distortions arising from temporary and ad hoc measures accumulated over the years, and to expand the narrow tax base. A clear definition of responsibilities between the central and local governments in providing public infrastructure, along with an efficient delivery of public goods, is needed. These actions should be supported with adequate and permanent funding sources, accompanied by stronger accountability of local governments. Any reform proposal to address the fairness and equitability of the pension system should identify funding sources to avoid worsening the public debt dynamics and ensure fiscal sustainability.
Raising Long-term Growth
8. Maintaining financial stability is important to support long-term growth. This could be achieved by (i) approving the bank resolution legislation in line with best practices as soon as possible; (ii) ensuring that the reactivated interbank market functions smoothly to increase banks’ efficiency in managing liquidity and decrease the need for emergency liquidity and the burden on the public sector; (iii) promoting greater financial inclusion, by expanding access to fintech services and enhancing microfinance capacity, which could help intermediate remittances more efficiently and raise long-term output.
9. Bridging the public infrastructure gap and investing in education are critical to lift growth. Public-private partnerships (PPP) could be explored to limit the fiscal impact of improvements in infrastructure. The PPP framework should be strengthened by improving fiscal accounting, ensuring proper oversight, and clearly delineating responsibility and accountability of each partner. Investing in educational programs at the lower secondary level, including vocational training in partnership with the private sector, would help prepare youth for the labor market, and provide viable alternatives to crime and gang involvement.
10. Continuing to improve security will also have positive effects on investment and reduce migration. The rehabilitation and prevention efforts of the El Salvador Seguro plan have contributed to substantially lower the homicide rate. Ensuring its continuity and increasing its funding is important. Strengthening police presence at the local level and improving its deployment, based on a systematic analysis of crime trends, would deter criminal activity, including extortions. Expanding technological surveillance programs beyond San Salvador and fostering community involvement would also be effective deterrents.
11. Removing barriers to trade and investment, and facilitating diversification will also boost long-term growth. The regulatory improvements brought by the customs union and better infrastructure at border crossing points significantly reduced the costs and time in processing exports. To further enhance efficiency, staff recommend minimizing the processing time of acquiring permits, completing the adoption of electronic signatures, and simplifying the issuance of tax identification numbers. Staff recommend continuing with the implementation of the development, diversification and productive transformation policy as it has led to increases in productivity growth and shifted employment to higher productivity sectors in recent years.
Improving the Governance Framework
12. The current administration has adopted several measures to improve the governance framework, including anti-corruption measures. The former Attorney General has significantly strengthened investigation and prosecution activities to curb the illicit use of public funds at the highest level. The approval of the Attorney General’s law amendment establishing the independence and autonomy of the Financial Investigation Unit will enhance the capacity to thoroughly investigate corruption cases, by restoring the exchange of information with a worldwide network of financial investigative agencies. To support the anti-money laundering (AML/CFT) efforts, the Superintendency of the Financial System has put in place a system for high-frequency monitoring of financial flows. A plan has been developed and implemented by the Presidency to increase citizen participation in the design, implementation, and monitoring of public policies at the national and local level.
13. The governance framework should be strengthened further. Staff recommend the following actions: (i) increase the fiscal transparency of the 2020 budget law, building on the experience of the 2019 budget, and strengthen the audit of fiscal operations, and establish better spending controls to prevent the illicit use of public funds and misappropriations; (ii) promptly implement electronic invoicing to make it easier to conduct business activities and improve tax collection. Changes to the anticorruption legal framework should be comprehensive, ensuring harmonization of laws and considering their ultimate impact on the budget.
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https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2019/03/22/mcs032219-el-salvador-imf-mission-concludes-staff-visit?cid=em-COM-123-38541
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The first of these causal factors is important as the global economic and financial crises is not short-term. It is in fact indicative of a long-term crisis with its roots itself being a crisis in capitalism and financialization of both the global and national economy. This implies that economic and social policies of governments would need to factor in this reality. The failure to do so will result in increased levels of poverty, inequality, and increased levels of instability due the hardships experienced by the poor and marginalized.
The crisis in the current dominant mode of accumulation – i.e. extractive forms of capitalism and its twin financialisation - has led to some commentators writing that the ‘post-growth’ world is now a reality. Low growth rates has been the norm rather than exception across the globe for over the last decade. While the growth creates jobs mantra has been questioned for decades, the confluence of new forms of work; that growth through financialisation has reached its peak; and that growth through extractive industries has caused permanent damage to the environment means that governments across the world need to consider how it fosters well-being, and reduces inequalities and poverty in this new normal.
The building of a well-being economy will require policy frameworks that are based on solidarity and sharing. This includes restructuring the tax system to be more progressive, with the rich contributing a greater share towards the fiscus, so that all in society live better lives. The South African tax regime has been progressive in that the rich through Personal Income Tax (PIT) have been contributing more than the unemployed and the working poor. It must be emphasized that all South Africans pay tax, and that VAT has been a significant contributor to the fiscus. The progressive nature of the South African tax system has been stymied by the rather low by developing country standards of the corporate income tax levels, which has remained at 28% for the last 10 years.
In the context of the budget being a statement of value, it can be suggested that the values of the poor and marginalized have been overlooked and that the agency of the rich and corporate influencers have been more salient. The increase in VAT was predicted and welcomed by corporate analysts weeks before it was announced as the only means towards closing the revenue gaps. Some of us were hoping for a more innovate much innovative budget given the idea that the kinds of growth based strategies is not the reality anymore. Instead, we got an increase in VAT - the effect of which is the exact opposite of a creating and building a well-being society and economy.
The increase of 1% in Value Added Tax (VAT) from 14% to 15% from 1 April 2018 will impact most negatively, on ordinary working people. Black women – and especially single black parents, in the main, women – worst of all.
The increase of VAT is a blunt instrument to close the R50.8 billion tax revenue shortfall – the gap between what the government receives and what it spends - in the 2017/8 financial year.
Soul City Institute for Social Justice joins the many progressive NGOs that opposes the increase based on it being regressive and counter-intuitive to the goals of reducing poverty and inequality.
The most immediate and devastating impact of the VAT increase will be felt in the diets of the poor children. The foodstuffs that are currently zero-rated are in the main, not nutritious and it’s continued impact of the VAT increase will make access to nutritious and quality food more inaccessible. Given that the most discretionary component of the budgets of poor households is the food budget, the increase in VAT may in all likelihood lead to the purchasing and consumption of cheap and unhealthy foods. This runs contrary to the Department of Health’s goals to reduce non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and obesity which stems in part from poor nutrition.
This blow to poor black women and their children’s food security will have a devastating domino effect. Almost all this already non-nutritious basic (that is VAT exempted) foods require cooking – which of course - requires electricity and water, which are not VAT exempted.
Similarly, given the existing apartheid spatial development patterns there is already a high cost associated with the poor accessing places of economic opportunities.
As the fuel levy increases, taxi fare and petrol costs are also likely to increase. This means the poor and black women in particular will have to spend more money on public transport and their children’s transportation, such as on taxis and trains. The same cost escalations can be expected with respect to cost involved with school uniforms.
Among the most vulnerable people, and of particular concern to Soul City Institute, would be the impact of the VAT increase on women and girls. The increase in VAT will impact specifically, on commodities related to access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. A notable example is the anticipated rise associated with sanitary pads. Already, school attendance is negatively affected by the costs and therefore, access to sanitary pads. This lack of access will be exacerbated as a result of the VAT increase. Given that progressive voices have lost the VAT increase debate in parliament, the Soul City Institute calls for debate that will make the tax system more progressive and alive to the new reality of what can be described as the ‘crisis’ in global capitalism as being almost permanent.
In the short-term, we call for a review of all VAT exempt items to take cognisance of the health needs of all South Africans; the reproductive health services of women and girls; and the urgent need to align VAT with chapter 11 of the National Development Plan. This enjoins the government to implement a social protection floor that sets a decent living standard below which no South African should live. The VAT increase contradicts the spirit and intention of establishing this social protection floor.
Zane Dangor is the chief operating officer at Soul City Institute of Social Justice.
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https://www.soulcity.org.za/news-events/news/how-the-vat-increases-the-social-and-economic-burdens-the-poor
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Local governments play a central role in promoting the economic health and vitality of their community. Ensuring adequate jobs and bolstering revenues falls squarely within the purview of municipal governments, and they have the capacity to use a range of policy tools to this end (tax abatements, tax increment financing, business incubators, etc.). Research has noted a shift in the type of policies that have been used over time, referencing distinct economic development “waves” where local governments in the United States have shifted focus from business attraction to retention to entrepreneurship and more recently to promoting equity and sustainability. This is reflected in the type of policies they use, from traditional financial tax incentives like property tax abatements to retention surveys to business incubators and finally to community development loans and provisions to ensure affordability of housing and the formation of community development corporations. Researchers have long been curious about the factors that drive the decision to use certain types of policies and why local governments would place greater weight on goals related to economic growth than on equity or sustainability.
Our recent research suggests several environmental factors are important in explaining local governments’ decision to focus on economic growth or equity over time. We use Resource Dependence Theory (RDT), developed around the need to manage an organization’s external environment, as a lens. In this case, local governments function within an open system of governments, firms and citizens, facing social constraints on their ability to act. They need businesses to grow their economy and will generally utilize a range of policies to attract or promote them.
However, those governments which face less competitive pressure within a metropolitan area and have greater resource capacities might be more willing to focus on goals other than simply economic growth or equity. They are less constrained in their decision-making. However, interconnectedness means they may still not possess the ability to produce desired social outcomes alone, and we find more interconnected governments are more likely to use policies to balance economic growth and equity.
The policy and organizational sciences have long understood that overcoming path dependency–or the natural tendency to stay the path and continue using the same policies–is challenging. In fact, we find local governments which originally used property tax abatements in 1994 were much more likely to be using them in 2014 and those local governments that were offering job training in 1994 were much more likely to do the same in 2014. Yet, these factors are not deterministic. Local governments need not stay this course. Rather, our findings suggest local governments can overcome this path dependence. Local governments that forge partnerships with other governments, especially if they find ways to forge cooperation rather than directly competing for economic development in their metropolitan regions, will be able to change course and promote policies that foster equity. Of course, there are limits to the benefits of interconnectedness, and much research suggests that collaborative efforts can impose search, bargaining and monitoring costs. Resource dependency implies that interconnected actors must be able to mutually satisfy each other’s demands as well as those of all other interconnected actors. Governments clearly gain some resource advantages when they identify partners. However, managing these interdependencies is a complex effort.
Now more than ever and in light of COVID-19, local governments need to be thinking about cooperation within their region and ensuring that those at the lowest end of the economic spectrum have access to basic necessities right now and will have access to jobs when the economy re-opens. Rather than offer businesses like Amazon multi-billion dollar incentive packages, fostering a diverse local economy that is inclusive of all citizens has never been more critical. Crises present rare opportunities for rethinking the current economic and social structures, and our research suggests that overcoming typical policy approaches are possible.
Practically speaking, local governments need to be creative. Revenue outlooks for state and local governments are going to necessitate cutbacks. Governments will be more apt to use policies that do not require an outlay of funds today, relying on tools that forego future revenues like tax abatements and tax increment financing. Retooling these to address equity will be crucial. Our research suggests the typical response will be focusing on traditional growth-oriented policies. However, the deep seeded inequities that are amplified by the pandemic cannot be ignored. It will not be easy to convince citizens that rather than attracting businesses promising a large number of jobs through financial incentives, the focus needs to be on bolstering the community from within and ensuring economic gains are better distributed across citizens. This will ensure better outcomes for the most vulnerable populations. We recommend part of this experimentation be a renewed focus on intergovernmental cooperation. We find that when local governments cooperate rather than compete, they are more likely to adopt equity-focused policies. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted what happens when governments fight for resources such as personal protective equipment. We need to learn from those mistakes and instead focus on coordinated efforts to address inequities within and between jurisdictions.
It is a very appropriate time for rethinking the path forward, and local governmental experimentation is exactly what is needed today.
Photo by Gordon Mak on Unsplash
Author Biographies
Eric Stokan is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. His research focuses on understanding local government decision making, policy processes, and evaluating the impact of policy decisions.
Aaron Deslatte is an assistant professor and director of the MGMT Lab at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington. His research focuses on the roles that public managers play in enhancing economic, environmental, and social sustainability at the local and metropolitan scales.
Megan E. Hatch is an associate professor of urban policy and city management at Cleveland State University. Her research focus is the causes and consequences of policies that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations.
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https://urbanaffairsreview.com/2021/07/01/exploring-the-tradeoffs-local-governments-make-in-the-pursuit-of-economic-growth-and-equity/
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The fiscal strategy takes a balanced approach to managing core Crown expenses, which after increasing in 2021/22 as a result of the Government's response to COVID-19 are expected to decline as a share of GDP over the forecast period from 35.4 percent in 2021/22 to 29.8 percent of GDP by 2025/26 (Figure 17). The reduction in core Crown expenses as a percentage of GDP beyond the current year reflects the temporary nature of the COVID 19 fiscal support, with fiscal stimulus measures put in place to cushion the economic shock ending, and spending reducing to a level closer to pre-COVID-19 times.
Figure 17 - Core Crown expenses and core Crown revenue
Source: The Treasury
The Government continues to take a balanced and careful approach to expenses. Future Budget allowances continue to be smaller than during COVID‑19. This will mean a continued focus on high value-for-money investments that support the Government's priority areas while maintaining essential services, like healthcare and education.
The wellbeing approach provides a strong value-for-money framework that is supporting investment decisions by helping the Government target spending to areas it is needed most (see Wellbeing Outlook Chapter).
Wage growth and higher interest rates means increases to core Crown revenue
As a share of the economy core Crown revenue is expected to increase marginally from 31.2 percent of GDP in 2021/22 to reach 32.2 percent of GDP by 2025/26.
In dollar terms, core Crown revenue is expected to increase in each year of the forecast period, reaching $149.2 billion by 2025/26 as nominal GDP grows. The increase in core Crown revenue is largely driven by the stronger outlook for wage growth, economic activity and interest rates driving up core Crown tax revenue.
…with no significant changes to Government's revenue strategy
Under the Public Finance Act 1989, the Government is required to publish its Revenue Strategy in the Fiscal Strategy Report. The remainder of this section meets that requirement. The Revenue Strategy had been updated in Budget 2021 to reflect changes to the top personal income tax rate, which came into effect on 1 April 2021. The strategy remains broadly unchanged for Budget 2022.
Public finances, including government revenue, are important for wellbeing. Public policy supports New Zealanders' wellbeing when the social benefits of government expenditure outweigh the social costs of raising revenue.
Government revenue underpins many of the Government's overarching policy goals by funding the social expenditure needed to meet these challenges. In some cases, revenue policy has a more direct role in contributing to these goals, through stimulating economic activity in some areas and trying to shift socially costly behaviours in others. This includes policies that support the economic recovery, promote housing affordability and mitigate climate change.
Government revenue needs to be sufficient to ensure a sustainable fiscal outlook. The level of revenue will be maintained to be consistent with the operating balance objective of returning the OBEGAL to surplus and maintaining an average surplus in the range of 0 percent to 2 percent of GDP thereafter.
A sustainable revenue base is critical for managing fiscal pressures over the long term. These pressures relate to the ageing population, healthcare costs, infrastructure demand and the need for resilience to climate change and other shocks. There is also rising global concern with inequality and many countries, including New Zealand, face the challenge of fostering inclusive growth.
The Government's revenue policy objective is to raise sufficient revenue in a fair and efficient manner. This policy objective will assist in fostering inclusive growth. The Government’s fairness objectives for the tax system are:
- Progressivity: individuals with a higher income, and therefore ability to pay, should pay a greater proportion of their income in tax.
- Reducing inequality: the tax system should help in limiting excessive wealth inequality over the longer term.
- Horizontal equity: the principle that people that are in the same position should pay the same amount of tax.
The efficiency objective is to minimise the economic costs of raising revenue, subject to the Government's revenue and fairness objectives.
Continued public trust and confidence in the tax system and its administration is important. This supports voluntary compliance and broader social capital.
The Government has a strong focus on the fairness of the tax system. This means that the income tax system should be progressive and, in combination with transfers, reduce income inequality. The Government has increased the progressivity of the personal income tax system with a new top tax rate, and has consulted on proposals to limit opportunities to avoid paying this rate. Work is also underway to fill a data gap on the effective tax rate paid by high wealth individuals.
The tax framework is based on the principles of a broad base, low rates and neutrality. This generally applies, although taxation of capital is not as broad based as income. Income and consumption tax bases are broad in the sense that there are few specific concessions for particular economic activities, goods or services. This enables tax rates to be set lower than otherwise. Neutrality in the tax treatment of different investments promotes economic efficiency and productivity.
In some cases, revenue policy will be used to influence behaviour. This is appropriate only where there is clear evidence of net social benefits, tax policy is the most appropriate instrument and fiscal risks can be managed. As an example, the research and development tax incentives promote business innovation.
People and businesses must pay their fair share of tax, including multinational companies. The international tax framework needs to adapt to shifts in the global economy, including increased cross-border activity and digitalisation. New Zealand is continuing to work with the OECD to find a multilateral solution to the challenges that the digital economy poses for international taxation.
Tax settings will continue to be broadly stable and predictable. This supports efficiency and macroeconomic stability.
The Government expects Inland Revenue to maintain public confidence by administering the tax system in a fair and efficient manner. The tax system has been modernised and simplified through Inland Revenue's Business Transformation Programme.
The tax system must remain fit for purpose in a changing world. Ongoing work will focus on implementing Government policy, maintaining the integrity of existing revenue bases and monitoring the sustainability and fairness of the tax system. The Government is also planning to introduce a Tax Principles Bill to legislate a reporting framework that will require officials to assess the performance of the tax system against a set of high-level principles. Consultation on the principles is planned for the middle of 2022. The Generic Tax Policy Process shall be used to develop and consult on tax policy where practicable.
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https://budget.govt.nz/budget/2022/wellbeing/fiscal-strategy/managing-revenues-and-expenses.htm
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The Japanese economy has been in a most severe situation. It could be thought that the economy now faces the entrance of a vicious circle in which the worsening of the real economy, represented by a large decline in private demand, leads to the malfunctioning of the financial system, which then feeds back to the real economy adversely. The projection of economic growth rate for this fiscal year is forced to be revised down to almost minus 2 percent over the previous year. It would be difficult to exclude the possibility of negative growth, to a significant extent, in fiscal year 1999.
With this critical assessment in mind, the Economic Strategy Council herewith makes some urgent recommendations in order to avoid the fear of a global depression triggered by Japan and to revive the Japanese economy.
2 Outlines of the Recommendation
Additional boosting measures accompanying fiscal stimulus on a large scale are required, in addition to the financial stabilization measures, in order to escape from the vicious circle of deflation and to rejuvenate the Japanese economy. Stabilization measures of the financial system and economic stimulating packages are tandem for economic recovery.
(b) Consistency with the Necessary Structural Reform in the Long Run
It should be noted that the economic measures, though aiming at short-term effects, must be consistent with the necessary structural reforms in the long run. Therefore, the short-term economic policies should be designed and implemented as to front-load the long-term structural reform.
Recommendations
1 The Speedy Stabilization of the Financial System
The BIS risk-asset ratio has been declining sharply because of the rapid rise of non-performing assets from economic stagnancy under ongoing deflation and the increase of capital losses from plummeting share prices.
If things were left as they are, banking behavior of slashing loans and calling in old loans would be accelerated. All this might result in not only deepening deflation but also opening the way for a financial crisis led by the global financial market.
To stop this momentum, the following temporary measure, which is valid for up to three years, is needed immediately. The capital adequacy ratio must be dramatically augmented as soon as possible by injecting public money into banks that are judged to be viable, amounting to several dozen trillion yen in a bold and prompt manner under the positive role played by the government.
It is due without question to make clear the responsibility of bank managers, whose banks are obliged to accept an injection of public money according to the results of the audits of the Financial Supervisory Agency. However, considering the emerging situation, two issues should be taken up separately; the responsibility of bank managers, and the capital injection of taxpayers' money. Furthermore, when a bank receives public money, it must draft and implement immediately a voluntary restructuring plan. If it fails to improve its banking business within three years, the relevant responsibility needs to be clarified.
2 Short-term Economic Policies
The following short-term measures, which are consistent with the necessary structural reform of the Japanese economy in the long run, and that are at the same time expected to be effective in stimulating the economy, are to be carried out without hesitation. The current economic growth rate, which is estimated at around minus 1.8 percent at annual rates, should be raised to a leveling off by the earliest possible quarter. For this purpose, it is necessary to mobilize additional fiscal measures, which amount to well over ten trillion yen by budgeting the true fiscal expenditures, the so-called the real water, as much as possible.
|Long-term Perspective 1: For Realization of Small Government
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Drastic administrative reform both in the central and local governments is to be pursued. This will contribute to financing in part the expected income tax reduction. The goal is to build a creative and regulation-free society led by private initiatives, away from the one over-regulated by the government, and based on self-responsibility through enhancing administrative devolution, reviewing fundamentally the Fiscal Investment and Loan Program, and streamlining and privatizing government corporations.
|Long-term Perspective 2: Toward Flattening the Progressive Structure of Tax Brackets
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The tax system centered on the direct tax, with its steep progressive structure, hinders the initiatives of people. Furthermore, it does not fit in the forthcoming aged society, especially with number of births shrinking. For these reasons, reforms such as cuts in personal income tax, personal residence tax, and inheritance tax, easing of the progressive structure of tax brackets, and in the long run shifting the tax burden from direct to indirect taxation, and redressing some tax privileges (for example, reviewing taxation on certain activities of non-profit organization) are unavoidable.
|Long-term Perspective: For Realizing Housing of High Quality with Various Choices
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Based on the Strategic Plan for Doubling Space for Life, a housing-rich society will be realized, which warrants satisfaction in housing of high quality and of a wide variety of choices.
|Long-term Perspective: Investment into Five Stressed Areas Such as Urban Development, Information Infrastructure, Education and Human Resource Development, Welfare Infrastructure, and Environment
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The five areas above are essential to Japanese society in the 21st century. It is essential to eliminate administrative turf and establish a system that allows a consolidated strategic plan. It is also important that shares of public works obtained by past practice should be corrected, and that deregulation and preferred tax measures should be implemented to enhance investments into those five areas.
|Long-term Perspective: Establishing Business Infrastructure to Foster Further Competition
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An internationally competitive system should be established by reviewing legal and economic regulations that hamper competition. A labor force should be made more flexible and optimal human resource allocation should be realized, thus introducing measures to fully support new business. In doing so, a shift from indirect to direct financing is to be realized by vitalizing capital markets.
|Long-term Perspective: Pension Reform Offering Options
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To eliminate people's distrust of the public pension system, the government should study a new pension system in which the basic pension will be financed through indirect tax revenue, and in which the supplementary pension will offer various programs from which people can choose depending on his/her needs.
3 The Medium- and Long-term Projection of the Government Fiscal Balance
In order to overcome the ongoing economic crisis, fiscal stimulus, to a significant amount, is required in the short run. However, without a commitment to restore the sound fiscal balance over the medium and the long run, the Japanese economy will not be able to obtain confidence in the global market. If it were not for market confidence, the effects of the short-term economic policies would be limited.
A lean and efficient government needs to be established by creating a small government, including local authorities, by reducing government debt by selling off national properties, and by reexamining thoroughly its expenditure structure. After making these efforts, the government fiscal balance should be rectified in the medium and the long run through tax reform encompassing the tax burden shift from direct to indirect taxation with a view to preparing for rapid population aging and sharply shrinking number of births.
Taking all these factors into consideration, the Economic Strategy Council will publish the medium- and long-term projection of government fiscal balance by next several months in order to convince Japanese people of their sound, fiscal future.
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https://japan.kantei.go.jp/981016recommend.html
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NATIONAL TAX POLICY GUIDELINES AND RULES (3)
Taxation in its strictest sense is much broader than tax on income, capital gains and stamp duties. It also covers tax on property, consumption and products, hence the source of confusion and legal action which has not helped in the development of the tax regime in Nigeria.
Pending cases in the Courts may help decide conclusively on related matters. Suffice it to say that the prevailing position is that the Federal Government ultimately has overriding authority on taxation matters with some latitude to State Governments to introduce taxes, fee and charges (collectible by the Local Governments) in those areas that do not conflict with the position of the Federal Government.
Governments at both Federal and State Government levels have used the omnibus clause i section 4 of the Constitution to address gaps identified in the taxation system. Section 4 clearly gives the State Government the ability to enact laws in the interest of peace and good governance, but also the Federal Government the same powers to enact laws in the interest peace and good governance, with the proviso that where there is a conflict, the laws enacted b the Federal Government prevail.
The Nigerian Constitution generally allows the State and Local Governments broad discretion in establishing fees, charges, or fines as previously defined. These revenues (fees, charges, fines) should be seen as collected: for the privilege of engaging in certain activities; or in order to regulate a particular activity; or the purpose of imposing penalties.
In some cases-such as many user charges, admission fees, and some regulatory fees-th payment is closely linked to the cost of providing a particular service to an individual beneficiary or regulated party. In other cases-for example, certain environmental or regulatory fees-the payment may not be directly related to the costs associated with particular participants, b more loosely related to a discrete group of participants or an industry.
In some situations, the payment may not relate to direct regulation per se, but rather to broad social costs associate with particular activities-for example, environmental mitigation fees. Ideally, some link must exist between these payments and the related cost to governments in order to avoid' progressing to a 'tax.'
Fees or charges must be based on some established relationship between the amount of the payment, on the one hand, and the costs associated with the regulation of an activity or the provision of a good or service, on the other. Similarly, penalties must be considered reasonable given the specific incident of noncompliance.
If a sufficient relationship, or 'nexus,' is not established between the fee and costs of provision or regulation, the charge is considered a tax. This is an area for which legislation is required to conclusively make this distinction.
An example of this difference lies in the distinction between the tenement rate and the property tax. They are not and should not be confused as one and the same thing. Tenement rates are typically linked to charges by the local authorities for the provision of public services to residential dwellings including multi storey, multi flat dwellings with multiple owners which may be owner occupied or rented.
Property tax on the other hand is a tax based on the value of a house or other property. In Nigeria, the constitution provides for tenement rate, while Property tax is still a new concept in the tax system. Similarly, there is scope to have Environmental taxes, fees, charges or fines, none of which exist today.
In conclusion, the National Tax Policy recognises that the Federal Government through the National Assembly is empowered exclusively to impose taxes on incomes, profits and capital gains and on documents of corporate organizations and governments (stamp duties), while each State Government is empowered to collect those taxes from individuals resident in their respective States as may be determined by the National Assembly.
The taxes imposed by the Federal government include Companies Income Tax, Personal Income Tax, Education Tax, Petroleum Profits Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Value Added Tax and Stamp Duties. Apart from income taxes, State Governments, through their Houses of Assembly are also empowered to impose, fees, levies and rates collectible by them and Local Government Authorities in their respective states.
Every person involved in tax administration, tax payers, Consultants, tax and revenue officials, all agencies of Government involved in raising and collecting Government revenue, those involved in Governance, the Executive, the Legislature, Judiciary and every Nigerian citizen or resident is hereby invited to subscribe to the National Tax Policy.
Objectives of the Nigerian Tax System
The Nigerian tax system is expected to contribute to the well-being of all Nigerians and taxes, which are collected by Government should directly impact on the lives of the citizens. This can be accomplished through proper and judicious utilisation of the revenues collected by government.
In line with the above, there are certain objectives, which the Tax System is expected to achieve. These objectives include:
To promote fiscal responsibility and accountability
One of the primary objectives of the National Tax Policy is to create a tax system, which ensures that Government transparently and judiciously accounts for the revenue it generates through taxation by investing in the provision of infrastructure and public goods and services. Where this in place, Nigerians would have a tax system that they can fully relate to and which is a tool for National Development.
To facilitate economic growth and development
The overriding objective of the Nigerian tax system should be to achieve economic growth and development. As such, the system should allow for stimulation of the economy and not stifle growth, as it is only through sustained economic growth that the potential ability to offer improvements in the well-being of Nigerians will arise.
The tax system should therefore not discourage investment and the propensity to save. Taxes should not be a burden, but should be applied proactively with other policy measures to stimulate economic growth and development.
To provide the government with stable resources for the provision of public goods and services
For Nigeria to pursue an active development agenda and carry out the basic functions of government, its tax system should generate sufficient resources for government to provide basic public goods and services (e.g. education, healthcare, infrastructure, security etc.).
It is therefore a primary objective of taxation to provide the government with resources that it shall invest in judicious expenditure that will ultimately improve the well-being of all Nigerians.
To address inequalities in income distribution
Nigeria's tax system should take cognisance of our peculiar economic circumstances and seek to narrow the gap between the highest and lowest income groups. Those with the highest incomes should pay the highest percentage of tax and tax revenue should be utilised to provide Nigerians with affordable social amenities, basic infrastructure and other utilities.
To provide economic stabilization
Nigeria should use its tax system to minimise the negative impacts of volatile booms an recessions in the economy and also to help complement the efforts of monetary policy in order to achieve economic stability.
To pursue fairness and equality
Nigeria's Tax system must be fair and shall institutionalize horizontal and vertical equity.
Horizontal equity ensures equal treatment of equal individuals. The Nigerian Tax system should therefore seek to avoid discrimination against economically similar entities. Vertical equity on the other hand addresses the issue of fairness among different income categories.
In this regard, the Nigerian Tax System shall recognise the ability-to-pay principle, in that individuals should be taxed according to their ability to bear the tax burden. Individuals and entities that earn high incomes should pay a corresponding high percentage of tax. The overall tax system shall therefore be fair, so that similar cases are treated similarly.
In addition, any ambiguity or conflicting provisions in the law shall be resolved in a manner as to ensure fairness to the taxpayers and the tax authorities.
To correct market failures or imperfections
One of the objectives of the Nigerian tax system is the ability to correct market failures in cases where it is the most efficient device to employ. In this regard taxes may be reviewed upwards or downwards as may be necessary to achieve Government's intentions.
Market failures which the Nigerian tax system may address are those that are as a result of externalities and those arising from natural monopolies.
Features of the Nigerian Tax System
This section provides the fundamental features that taxes in the Nigerian tax system must exhibit. Accordingly any tax that substantially violates these fundamental features should not be part ofthe tax system of Nigeria.
Taxpayers should understand and trust the tax system, and this can only be achieved if Nigerian tax policy keeps all taxes simple, creates certainty through considerable restrictions on the need for discretionary judgements, and produces clarity by educating the public on the application of relevant tax laws.
It is therefore imperative that the Nigerian Tax system should be simple (easy to understand by all), certain (its laws and administration must be consistent) and clear (stakeholders must understand the basis of its imposition).
To enable a high level of compliance, the economic costs of time required, and the expense which a taxpayer may incur during the procedures for compliance, shall be kept to the absolute minimum at all times. Furthermore, taxpayers should be regarded as clients with the right to be treated respectfully.
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https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/90573/national-tax-policy-guidelines-and-rules-3.html
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Globally the VAT system has been around for a long time. However, for the most part, Arab countries have been operating tax-free in that respect. Over 160 countries around the world have adopted the indirect tax method to reduce the fiscal deficit and facilitate a steady increase in the country's GDP.
Following suit, an agreement between six GCC countries, namely, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, had brought about a landmark change in the tax-free operations of these nations. While Saudi already had a draft VAT Law at the time of the drafting of this treaty, other GCC countries that are party to the treaty did not. However, after that, UAE and Bahrain also implemented a VAT Law in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Therefore, this treaty played a role in supplementing the development of a framework that enables countries to lay down laws regarding the implementation of the VAT system in a comprehensive manner.
The treaty is not strictly binding on the parties per se, in the sense that the countries have been provided with the option of practicing their discretion while implementing laws. Of course, there are some mandatory provisions, but there are also optional provisions to approach implementation as per their domestic and national needs.
It is important to note that this treaty is not a law; therefore, national implementation of laws in its respect is necessary for the treaty to come into force.
Background
Gulf nations heavily depend on their rich oil and energy reserves for the majority of their income. However, to survive as per global standards, diversification of the economy by utilizing other industries is becoming more and more critical. SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, the GCC states have been talking about improving their commercial practices and harmonizing the same with the rest of the world.
Similar to the EU, the GCC VAT Agreement also believes in a typical integrated market system. The typical market system allows a free flow of goods across nations; just like the EU, the GCC also aims to promote cross-border trade relations with their neighboring states.
Pulling inspiration from Europe, the GCC nations have made efforts to develop a common currency to strengthen their monetary union; however, those efforts were in vain due to non-acceptance by Oman and UAE.
Recent trends worldwide have required the GCC countries to pull up their socks and compete in their global market. To achieve this end, they need to diversify away from the oil and gas industry into different sectors of the economy like infrastructure, travel and tourism, VAT, etc., which is becoming a reality, slowly but surely.
Influence of Islamic Law
It is common knowledge that Shariah or Islamic law is the backbone of the legal system across the said GCC states. As per the Shariah law, there are five types of taxes, zakat playing a significant role in VAT implementation. The idea is that VAT paid to the government would allow them to provide services for the benefit of the general public. However, many GCC countries failed to institutionalize the zakat system, except Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the implementation of VAT will allow these countries to account for the funds collected.
Reasons for implementation
Dependence on oil for the majority of their revenue started to cause a deficit in the economies of GCC nations. Noticing this deficit, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) prepared a report that showed a decline in the private sector growth. Therefore, the introduction of a VAT scheme poised itself as the best solution to raise revenue. Despite VAT not being a cost-efficient exercise, global trends show that it is the most effective way of generating revenue.
The parties to the Agreement have agreed to a low rate of 5% VAT which is a good step of gradually easing into a full-fledged taxation system.
VAT benefits are not just limited to generating revenue; it facilitates consumers' discretionary spending on non-essential and harmful goods; for instance, Saudi Arabia and UAE have imposed taxes on fizzy drinks, cigarettes, etc. Further, the imposition of the Tax, even at a zero- rate, allows the government to keep in check on fraud and tax evasion, promoting economic and social growth.
Similarities between the EU and GCC VAT System
The basic principle of VAT is that its implementation differs according to the country's domestic legislation. Despite its complexities, it has been globally accepted. There are a few universally accepted principles that are implemented concerning the VAT regime, enumerated hereunder as follows;
- The VAT is levied on a wide variety of supplies and services; this means that it is levied on all levels, right from the manufacturers to the suppliers; however, an established principle of imposing VAT is the business is not the ultimate bearer of Tax, the burden shifts from the supplier to the ultimate consumer of the product.
- Further, VAT implementation is based on the destination principle; this principle lays down that, Tax is to be levied on the goods at its final destination. Therefore, exports can be transported free of Tax, whereas imports are liable to be taxed.
Legal Framework
- The EU VAT system was incorporated by the EU Council Directives, which are essentially instructions that flow into legislation. These directives do not have the force of law but are binding on the states. The nature of the directives is quite flexible, therefore, allowing the states to take liberty in applying these directives in their domestic laws.
- The EU Commission is the regulatory authority responsible for drafting treaties in the best interest of EU nations. The EU Council is an essential representative authority of the Commission. In EU law, treaties, regulations, and directives take precedence over domestic legislation. This precedence is so that the values of community loyalty and the direct effect of these treaties are upheld.
- Like the EU Directives, the GCC VAT Agreement also refers to the GCC Charter and the GCC Economic Agreement. Therefore, the Charter and Economic Agreement are the basis on which the VAT system relies. The GCC VAT Agreement is also a blanket law that governs all nations' parties to the Agreement, just like the EU.
- The GCC VAT Agreement further draws similarities with the EU VAT system since it facilitates cross-border trade activities.
Implementation
Compared to the EU VAT system, VAT implementation in the GCC is more manageable, considering the volume of countries that would have to adopt the system and develop domestic laws to comply with the Agreement. The EU comprises 28 countries that require the implementation of the VAT Directives. On the other hand, six countries are party to the GCC VAT Agreement.
Member states under both the EU and the GCC enjoy discretion about implementing the tax regime; the domestic laws may be designed as per the country's needs.
Cross border trade
Cross-border trade refers to the flow of trade from one state to another, as per the two distinct tax regimes, within the borders of the EU or the GCC nations, as the case may be. Both the EU and the GCC make a distinction between VAT charged on goods and services.
- Tax is usually charged at the place where the goods end up eventually. The final destination of the goods. There are two aspects that the EU VAT system considers when it comes to the supply of goods; first being supply and the other being acquisition. The place of departure of goods is exempted from Tax, whereas the goods are acquired where Tax is imposed. Therefore, the buyer of the goods is ultimately responsible for paying VAT. This is concerning B2B.
- In the case where goods are directly sold to the end consumer, i.e., B2C, the member state that is the supplier of goods is subject to the imposition of VAT.
- As per the reverse charge mechanism, the consumer is liable to pay VAT through their periodic return.
The GCC system is very similar to the EU in this respect as well. However, all member states have yet to incorporate the Agreement into their domestic laws. The Agreement has more of a straightforward approach in that it applies the reverse charge mechanism directly to the consumers.
Exemptions
Both the EU and GCC have a standard, reduced, and zero-rated tax regime. However, specific sectors have been exempted from being taxed under this regime with the general public's interest in mind.
The EU exempts VAT from being implemented on medical care, public postal services, welfare and security, and any other such goods or services that are essential. Moreover, the member states can practice their discretion to exempt VAT from imposing any other goods or services.
The GCC exempts VAT from being charged on health, education, and domestic transport; they can further exempt Tax from being levied on; government entities, NGOs, charitable institutions, citizens of member countries, and any other sector they deem fit.
Measures to improve the GCC VAT System
The GCC VAT Agreement draws much inspiration from the EU VAT regime. The EU regime serves as a model law that allows the GCC to adopt any such part that would serve advantageous and omit the parts that did not align with their objectives. For example, imposing a uniform tax rate of 5% throughout the GCC was an important lesson learned from the shortfalls of the EU regime.
Since parties to the GCC Agreement are relatively new to the whole idea of the tax regime, the actual use, that is, their registration, scope implications, should be clearly explained, and business owners should be educated about the topic to prevent legal complications. For example, double taxation.
The objective value of Tax that has been imposed in the GCC at the rate of 5% may pose a threat to the liberty of business owners and give rise to distortion of competition in the market. The GCC has adopted the VAT system to open its market and recover from the financial crisis. Therefore, restricting competition in the market will be detrimental to the economic objectives that the Agreement aims to achieve.
Conclusion
The introduction of a new tax regime has its challenges. However, this is a step in the right direction to achieve economic goals such as foreign trade, competition, economic growth, and creating a global presence in the market. Further, slow and steady implementation of Tax will allow the general public to ease into the tax regime; it will also allow the government to amend the taxation as per changing trends in the economy.
The GCC nations are foreigners to the concept of Tax since they have been running tax-free since their inception. However, model tax laws implemented worldwide allow these nations to strategically examine and implement the Tax in a way that will not cause chaos in the socio-economic climate.
The effect of the Tax was seen to be an uncertain move since there was a possibility of a decrease in expenditure by the public. However, its implementation in Saudi, UAE, and Bahrain has shown that people have embraced this VAT regime, triggering a healthy social and economic response.
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https://www.stalawfirm.com/en/blogs/view/gcc-vat-agreement.html
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Japan needs to implement tax reforms in order to achieve fiscal sustainability, according to a recently released report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The report, Achieving Fiscal Consolidation While Promoting Social Cohesion in Japan, pointed out that Government revenue in Japan is low compared to other OECD countries. It said that there is scope for revenue increases, focusing on taxes that are less harmful for growth, such as the consumption tax.
The Japanese Government targets a primary deficit of 3.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) for central and local governments in fiscal year 2015. Achieving this target hinges on reaching the projected nine percent increase in tax revenue, the OECD said.
The report said that, given Japan's high public debt and rising aging-related expenditure, the country's tax burden needs to be increased while reducing expenditure.
The report recommended further raising the consumption tax, while keeping a single rate. A value-added tax (VAT), such as Japan's consumption tax, is acknowledged to be a relatively stable revenue source and is less harmful for economic growth, as it imposes fewer distortions on employment and investment, it said. It argued that a greater role for the VAT would also improve inter-generational equity, as the elderly would bear more of the tax burden.
The OECD also said that broadening the base of the personal income tax would make Japan's progressive tax rates more effective in reducing inequality. Currently personal income tax revenue in Japan is low because of a narrow base. Less than half of the estimated JPY260 trillion (USD2.15 trillion) in personal income in fiscal year 2014 was taxable, the report said.
Finally, the report advised the Japanese authorities to broaden the corporate tax base and raise environmental taxes.
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https://www.tax-news.com/news/OECD_Recommends_Fiscal_Reform_In_Japan____69177.html
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Prompted by the 20th anniversary of the 1993 World Development Report, a Lancet Commission revisited the case for investment in health and developed a new investment framework to achieve dramatic health gains by 2035. The Commission's report has four key messages, each accompanied by opportunities for action by national governments of low-income and middle-income countries and by the international community. First, there is an enormous economic payoff from investing in health. The impressive returns make a strong case for both increased domestic financing of health and for allocating a higher proportion of official development assistance to development of health. Second, modeling by the Commission found that a "grand convergence" in health is achievable by 2035-that is, a reduction in infectious, maternal, and child mortality down to universally low levels. Convergence would require aggressive scale up of existing and new health tools, and it could mostly be financed from the expected economic growth of low- and middle-income countries. The international community can best support convergence by funding the development and delivery of new health technologies and by curbing antibiotic resistance. Third, fiscal policies-such as taxation of tobacco and alcohol-are a powerful and underused lever that governments can use to curb non-communicable diseases and injuries while also raising revenue for health. International action on NCDs and injuries should focus on providing technical assistance on fiscal policies, regional cooperation on tobacco, and funding policy and implementation research on scaling-up of interventions to tackle these conditions. Fourth, progressive universalism, a pathway to universal health coverage (UHC) that includes the poor from the outset, is an efficient way to achieve health and financial risk protection. For national governments, progressive universalism would yield high health gains per dollar spent and poor people would gain the most in terms of health and financial protection. The international community can best support countries to implement progressive UHC by financing policy and implementation research, such as on the mechanics of designing and implementing evolution of the benefits package as the resource envelope for public finance grows.
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https://jhu.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/salud-global-2035-un-mundo-convergiendo-en-el-lapso-de-una-genera-3
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2 edition of Taxation and economic growth found in the catalog.
Taxation and economic growth
Fred Kakongoro Muhumuza
Published
2000
by Republic of Uganda, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Oxfam GB in Uganda in Kampala, Uganda
.
Written in English
Edition Notes
|Statement||written by Fred K. Muhumuza & Charles Ehrhart.|
|Series||A UPPAP policy briefing paper ;, no. 1|
|Contributions||Ehrhart, Charles.|
|Classifications|
|LC Classifications||HJ4789.6 .M844 2000|
|The Physical Object|
|Pagination||23 p. ;|
|Number of Pages||23|
|ID Numbers|
|Open Library||OL3976584M|
|LC Control Number||2001295056|
The objective of excise taxation is to place the burden of paying the tax on the consumer. A good example of this use of excise taxes is the gasoline excise tax. Governments use the revenue from this tax to build and maintain highways, bridges, and mass transit systems. Only people who purchase gasoline -- who use the highways -- pay the tax. JCX (J ) Estimated Revenue Effects Of Sections - Contained In H.R. , The "Child Care For Economic Recovery Act," Scheduled For Consideration By The House Of Representatives On J
Keynesian Taxation Theory. The initiator of the Keynesian taxation theory was John Keynes, who exposed its main principles in his book “The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money,” in which he advocated state interventions in the processes of market economy ing to Keynes, fast economic development must be based on a market expansion . H i: Taxation play a major role in the economic development and planning. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This research is carried out mainly to identify the factors impending effective and efficient generation of revenue, economic development and planning in Ogbomosho North Local Government and also the judicious use of public funds.
Chapter 9 TAXATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH Capital's avoidance reactions in response to taxation are the theme of this book. In "the short and medium run, these reactions are mostly manifested through the reallocation of existing capital among competing uses. Genre/Form: Electronic books: Additional Physical Format: Print version: Booth, Philip. Taxation, Government Spending and Economic Growth. London: London Publishing.
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Across the stream.
The 2000 Import and Export Market for Metallic Ash and Residues in Singapore (World Trade Report)
1891 census index of Staindrop, Barforth, Cleatlam, Cockfield, Gainford, Headlam, Hilton, Ingleton, Keverstone, Langley Dale, Langton, Morton Tynemouth, Raby, Shotton, Wackerfield, Winston and Woodland. (RG12/4079).
The Puerto Rican population
Horatio Parker papers
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Working papers from the Economics Department of the OECD that cover the full range of the Department’s work including the economic situation, policy analysis and projections; fiscal policy, public expenditure and taxation; and structural issues including ageing, growth and productivity, migration, environment, human capital, housing, trade and investment, labour markets, regulatory Cited by: The authors then examine the evidence on the relationship between taxation and economic growth.
As well as reviewing recent literature, they also undertake new modelling that higher taxes are detrimental for growth.
In the final part of the book, the whole UK Taxation and economic growth book system is reconsidered in a proper economic : Taxation and Economic Growth Eric M.
Engen, Jonathan Skinner. NBER Working Paper No. Issued in November NBER Program(s):Public Economics. Tax reforms are sometimes touted to have strong macroeconomic growth effects. We consider the impact of a major tax reform on the long-term growth rates of the U.S.
economy using three by: Empirical analysis on taxation and related economic data help the readers to understand how data-based observations and results are linked to the theory of taxation, and more importantly economic growth, before offering appropriate policy prescriptions.
What does economic theory suggest about the relationship between economic growth and taxation. Income Taxes and Extreme Cases. In studying economic policies, it is always useful to study extreme cases. Extreme cases are situations such as "What if we had a % income tax rate?", or "What if we raised the minimum wage to $ an hour.
States or impede economic growth. In this paper, we reexamine the relation-ship between economic growth and taxation in light of the accumulated economic evidence, both from the United States and other countries.
While many economists would agree with the proposition that “high taxes are bad for economic growth,” we show that this. THE IMPACT OF TAXATION REVENUE ON ECONOMIC GROWTH IN NIGERIA FROM CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY In a natural resources blessed country like Nigeria also with the operation of indigenous and foreign companies, the problem of underdevelopment should not be the topic of the day.
Thus the emphasis on taxation by one and all. relationship existed between taxation and economic growth in Nigeria. The result also, revealed a significant positive relationship at 5% level of significance between Petroleum profit tax, Company Income tax and economic growth, but a negative relationship between economic growth and customs and Excise Duties.
However, the tax components are. Taxation has a key role in a modern economy. Listed below are the ways in which governments can use taxation in a modern economy: Revenue generation: – Taxation is used by the government to raise revenues for its operations, infrastructure, welfare, education defense (Carnell, ).
The relationship between taxation and economic growth is complex, and relies in large part on the efficiency with which taxes are used. This column examines the impact of corruption on this relationship. The boost to welfare from reducing corruption is substantially larger than the marginal gains from optimising the tax rate for an existing level of government efficiency.
and taxation on economic growth. The authors of this monograph have taken a rigorous and data-driven approach to discovering and documenting the size of the state and how government spending and regulation affect the wider economy.
But, most importantly, they have undertaken a major and original statistical analysis of the economic costs of. The standard economic approach to taxation and development focuses on how economic change in fluences the evolution of the tax system.
In this approach, changes to the tax system re flect structural change. For example, a declining informal sector widens the tax net, the growth of larger firms creates a vehicle for compliance, and expansion.
taxation on economic growth can be explored. Explicit modelling of the individual decisions that contribute to growth allows the analysis of tax incidence and the prediction of growth effects.
This paper reviews the theoretical and empirical evidence to assess whether a consensus arises as to how taxation affects the rate of economic growth. But the role of taxation goes further than promoting economic growth.
Tax evasion and the siphoning of funds to tax havens deprive African countries of the fiscal benefits of growth. The development of effective tax responses to counter these challenges is also central to Africa‘s development agenda. Robert J. Barro's new book, Determinants of Economic Growth: A Cross-Country Empirical Study (Cambridge, MA, and London, UK: The MIT Press, ), provides an accessible and mercifully brief.
Taxation in Crisis: Tax Policy and the Quest for Economic Growth (Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Banking and Financial Institutions) [Thomakos, Dimitrios D., Nikolopoulos, Konstantinos I.] on *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.
Taxation in Crisis: Tax Policy and the Quest for Economic Growth (Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Banking and Financial Institutions)Format: Paperback. of taxation and economic growth are at the heart of macroeconomic policies.
This part of the paper focuses on the key properties of the selected empirical studies investigating the relationship between economic growth and taxes. The literature review will not be limited only. to South African studies but will also focus on divert of results in.
Problems of taxation, in connexion with economic development, are generally discussed from two different points of view, which involve quite distinct, and often conflicting, considerations: the point of view of incentives and the point of view of who believe that it is the lack of adequate incentives which is mainly responsible for insufficient growth and investment are.
Boskin, Michael J, "Tax Policy and Economic Growth: Lessons from the s," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol.
2(4), pages-Eakin, Douglas, "Public-Sector Capital and the Productivity Puzzle," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 76(1), pages:hoo:wpaper:e is not listed on IDEAS.
Taxation and Economic Development: The State of the Economic Literature. hose who shape state and local fiscal policy have had a sustained interest in the role that taxation plays in the economic develop-ment of states, regions, cities, and special districts or zones. At least 75 studies of employment growth, investment growth, or firm.
Taxation in Crisis: Tax Policy and the Quest for Economic Growth (Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Banking and Financial Institutions) [Dimitrios D.
Thomakos, Konstantinos I. Nikolopoulos] on *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. This book offers a comprehensive guide to modern day taxation issues. It presents a thorough overview of many of the crucial aspects of applied taxation Author: Dimitrios D.
Thomakos. When evaluating the impact of taxation on economic growth, it is necessary to realize that taxation can be integrated into growth theories only through its impact on individual growth variables (Kotlán, ; Kotlán, Machová and Janíčková, ).
Impact of Taxation on Capital accumulation. Taxes have an impact on capital accumulation.The rest of this paper is organized as follows: Section 2 briefly reviews of the economic theory and empirical evidence linking taxation and growth. Section 3 introduces the data used and examines the trends in tax structures for the sample.
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https://pewyfumupehuh.flatmountaingirls.com/taxation-and-economic-growth-book-14475oo.php
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The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Yonghong Wu and Michael Pagano
January 8, 2020
Once rooted in the value of land and structures, municipal revenue systems have gradually changed. In most cases, the change has disconnected the fiscal system from the economic base.
Unfortunately, use of the now conventional indicators are not a good measure of a city’s revenue capacity because no city’s economic base is fully accessible to the municipal government for revenue-generating purpose. The ability to transform its economic base into government revenue depends on the types of legal taxing authority and the impact of state-imposed constraints on revenue.
Therefore, we propose the concept of fiscal base, defined as the economic base that is tax accessible to a city government. This definition not only reflects the connection of economic condition to revenue-raising potential, but also incorporates the restrictive nature of relevant state laws on municipal access to various revenue sources. The fiscal base concept sheds light on how to reform state-imposed legal and institutional constraints to allow a better alignment between municipal revenue structure and the economic base that is necessary to modernize city finances in the face of changing economic conditions.
The subject of our research is how large the disconnect has become. We propose aggregating the three components of a city’s economic base—value of properties, value of retail sales and personal income—and then calculating the share of each component in the aggregate economic base. We also calculate the share of municipal property tax, sales tax and other own-source revenues in total own-source revenue. (Most city governments are authorized to levy taxes on real properties while more than half can collect a retail sales tax; but only approximately one in ten cities has the authority to levy an income tax). The deviation of the share of a broad-based tax from the share of its tax base is an indication of misalignment between the tax revenue and its base.
The 2010 data show quite substantial differences between the share of a particular tax and the share of its base. In Colorado Springs (CO), for example, the value of properties is 63% of its aggregate economic base, but the local property tax only contributes 2.6% of total own revenue. A similar pattern of misalignment exists with local sales taxation. Some cities have high shares of the value of retail sales (above 20% in Fort Wayne, IN and Jackson, MS) but very low shares of sales tax revenue (0.5% in Fort Wayne and 6% in Jackson) in 2007.
In some cities, the shares of municipal property or sales tax revenue (of own-source revenue) are below the shares of the respective tax base (of total economic base). In other cities, the tax shares are larger than the shares of the base. We call the former under-alignment cities and the latter over-alignment cities. It is noteworthy that the revenue-base misalignment demonstrates a fairly high degree of substitution. The over-alignment (under-alignment) of property tax is often accompanied by under-alignment (over-alignment) of sales tax. Cities with larger differences between the share of property tax revenue and the share of property tax base are quite likely those with smaller differences between the share of sales tax revenue and the share of sales tax base. The correlation coefficient between the two share differences is over 0.6 and significant at the 5% level.
The misalignment of a tax system with the underlying economic base has important implications for municipal finance. The contribution of each economic base to municipal revenue depends on the tax structure. For municipal governments, misalignment means that they either under-utilize or over-rely on a particular tax. In the case of under-alignment (under-utilization), municipal governments have foregone a substantial portion of their tax revenue potential. For instance, a substantial growth of property values matters more for cities that collect a larger proportion of their own-source revenues from property tax. A big increase in personal income may not help if a city collects little revenue from individual income tax. On the other hand, over-alignment (over-utilization) may create an undue burden on a particular group of taxpayers because they pay more than is proportionate to their share of the economic base.
Even a city that is granted the legal authority to tax a particular base may be subject to state constitutions or statutes that impose limits on the tax rate, tax base or tax levy. For example, under Proposition 2, the total property tax levy by a municipal government in Massachusetts can never exceed 2.5% of the assessed value of all taxable properties in its jurisdiction and cannot grow more than 2.5% from year to year. The legal limitations and underlying political forces have led to municipal revenue structures that have gradually become disconnected from their economic bases.
The substantial gaps between the share of tax revenue and the share of its tax base reflect varying accessibility to different components of economic base for municipal revenue. The extent to which a city’s economic base may become tax accessible to a city government depends on state regulations on municipal taxing authorities and a variety of statutory restraints on the quantity and growth of the tax revenue. As creatures of state governments, cities’ revenue structures are largely determined by state governments and the degree of home rule the cities possess. As states appreciate the misalignment between cities’ fiscal bases and their economic bases, adjustments to tax authority ought to be a high priority for the state. They certainly are for the city.
Authors:
Yonghong Wu is Associate Professor in the Department of Public Administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and a member of the Government Finance Research Center’s faculty advisory panel. His research focuses on state and local fiscal policy-making and public finance issues in science and technology policy arena.
Michael A. Pagano is Dean of the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs at UIC and Director of the Government Finance Research Center.
The American Society for Public Administration is the largest and most prominent professional association for public administration. It is dedicated to advancing the art, science, teaching and practice of public and non-profit administration.
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https://patimes.org/understanding-a-citys-fiscal-base/
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Library internships are designed for college students and are appropriate for many disciplines of the humanities, social sciences, arts, and business. Thoughtfully constructed projects are supervised by library staff who mentor and guide students. Time commitment is usually 100-150 hours during a semester (10-15 hours per week). Available internships change each term.
The Library Practicum is designed for MLIS/MIS graduate students preparing for library careers. It offers both breadth and depth of experience through a carefully structured sequence of assignments in different Nashville Public Library divisions and branches, followed by an extended assignment in an area of professional interest. The practicum is normally a 150 hour commitment within a semester (10-15 hours per week).
During the summer, the Library participates in the Opportunity Now initiative of the Mayor’s Office. Opportunity Now provides opportunities and internships for youth ages 14-18. High school students seeking summer internships should check http://www.nashville.gov/Mayors-Office/Opportunity-Now.aspx for more information.
Apply online using the form linked at the end of each position description. You may indicate interest in more than one position on the form. Applicants will be contacted to schedule a telephone interview and may be asked to submit additional materials. Applications undergo a thorough review and students will be notified of their status.
The Library offers internships and library practica for spring, summer and fall terms. Position descriptions, requirements, and qualifications are posted for individual positions as they become available, up to one year in advance.
Internship and practica are open until filled. Placement is competitive and not guaranteed. We are not able to accommodate late requests or applications.
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Nashville Public Library’s practicum offers both breadth and depth of experience through a carefully structured sequence of assignments in different divisions and branches of the Library system, followed by an extended assignment in an area of professional interest. Within the established guidelines, efforts are made to accommodate academic requirements, previous experience, professional goals, and a variety of work or school schedules, so that the practicum is tailored to the needs of individual students.
Practicum students with different professional backgrounds and levels of experience gain insight into many dimensions of public library service.
Practicum students agree to a schedule of assignments created by Volunteer Services, but division or branch managers are responsible for specific assignments at each location and designate appropriate levels of staff supervision. Students may shadow staff or may be assigned independent responsibilities, including circulation, reference, collections management, programming, patron services, and staff support.
Applicants should be currently enrolled students in an MLIS or other similar program of library studies or information sciences. Preference may be given to applicants who have previous experience volunteering and/or working in libraries. Applicants must have reliability, commitment and enthusiasm for learning; they must have the ability to work well with a diverse team in varied locations and with diverse patrons; excellent communication skills; and the ability to work independently. A clearly defined area of professional interest is desirable.
Unpaid, part-time internship; 10-12 hours per week (minimum of 150 hours, with additional hours possible if needed for credit) during weekdays; otherwise flexible scheduling.
Nashville Public Library seeks a qualified intern to assist staff with "Read to Rise," a new city-wide literacy initiative for young children, their families and care-givers. Responsibilities include identifying and contacting community organizations to provide information and distribute materials, and to attend outreach events as needed. This is a good opportunity to learn about community outreach in a library environment. Based at the Green Hills Library, this internship also serves as an introduction to library services in a branch setting.
Applicants should be college students with a background in education, early childhood development, social work, community development or related fields. Applicants should have an enthrusiasm for serivng children and their families. Applicants must have strong communication skills, and the ability to work well with a diverse team in a diverse community. Experience working or volunteering with children is a plus. Interns must also have reliable independent transportation.
Unpaid, part-time internship, 8-10 hours per week (minimum 100 hour); weekday availability required, with some evenings and weekends possible; otherwise flexible scheduling.
The Special Collections division of the Nashville Public Library seeks an intern to assist with archival processing of its collections. Responsibilities may include basic document preservation activities; organizing, arranging and describing materials in a variety of formats; and creation of formal finding aids and inventories, or other resources, to enable researchers access to collections in subject areas related to Nashville history.
Applicants should be college students with an enthusiasm for history and related subjects and an interest in working with primary source materials. Applicants should have excellent communication skills, including strong writing skills, and the ability to work independently and follow directions, with high accuracy and strong attention to detail. Research experience with manuscript, archival or book repositories is helpful.
Unpaid, part-time internship; 8-12 hours per week (minimum of 100-150 hours) during weekdays, with additional hours possible if needed for credit; otherwise flexible scheduling.
The Metropolitan Archives in the Nashville Public Library seeks an intern to assist with archival processing of its collections. Duties include inventorying, arranging, describing and creating finding aids for a specific collection (or collections), to increase access to the public and researchers. Collections to be processed include the Council of Community Services, an organization involved in the coordination of social services in Davidson County; the Michael Emrick collection, focused on the history of the Germantown meighborhood; and records of the Tennessee State Fair.
Applicants should be college students with an enthusiasm for history, political science or related subjects, and an interest in archival processing and data collections. Applicants should have the ability to work independently, with accuracy and attention to detail. Knowledge of Excel, digital imaging and basic document preservations skills is desirable.
Adult Literacy is a dynamic facet of the Nashville Public Library's award-winning Bringing Books to Life outreach program, and the Library is seeking a qualified intern to assist Adult Literacy staff with new long-term, capacity-building projects. The intern will play a role in developing collaborative and innovative approaches to professional development, teacher training and volunteer management, in support of partner non-profits that rely on part-time staff and volunteers to teach ELL classes. Projects may include researching and recommending electronic resources; developing a series of podcasts about common teaching challenges; or serving as a catalyst for starting conversations about collaborative approaches to recruiting, training and retaining volunteer teachers.
Applicants should be college students with a background in education, community development, communications or foreign languages, with an enthusiasm and dedication to serving others. Applicants must have excellent communication skills, and excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to work well with a diverse team and in a diverse community. Ideal candidates are reliable self-starters, with problem-solving abilities, who exhibit creativity and resourcefulness. Bilingual skills, expecially in Spanish or Arabic, are a plus. Interns must have reliable independent transportation.
Unpaid, part-time internship, 15-30 hours per week (minimum 150-300 hours); weekday availability, with some evenings and weekends possible; otherwise flexible scheduling.
NPL’s award-winning “Bringing Books to Life” literacy outreach program seeks a qualified intern to assist with Family Literacy initiatives. Responsibilities may include attending staff-led parent workshops to facilitate the distribution and collection of information, preparing literacy kits and other workshop materials, drafting copy for the program’s literacy blog and updating blog photos and layout, and assisting with program evaluation. This internship is an excellent opportunity to gain insight into all aspects of educational outreach programming, and to build skills in outcome-based evaluation and assessment.
Applicants should be college students with a background in education, community development, or languages, with an enthusiasm and dedication to teaching. Applicants must have excellent communication skills and excellent interpersonal skills, with an ability to work well with a diverse team and in a diverse community. Bilingual skills, especially in Spanish or Arabic, are a plus. Previous experience teaching in formal or informal settings is desirable. Interns must also have reliable independent transportation.
Unpaid, part-time internship; 8-10 hours per week (minimum 100); weekday availability with some evenings and weekends required; otherwise flexible scheduling.
The Special Collections division of the Nashville Public Library seeks an intern to assist with research on new projects on gender studies, spanning topics in LGBTQ history and women’s history. A qualified intern will assist staff with researching collections, developing materials, and planning future programming. The project may include assignments such as conducting research in archival collections and evaluating available sources; developing materials for an add-on module for civil-rights training; assisting with women’s history projects commemorating women’s suffrage; and suggesting ideas for future programming based on research.
Applicants should be college students with an enthusiasm for history, gender studies and related subjects, with an interest in working with primary source historical materials. Excellent communications skills and the ability to work well with a diverse team are necessary. Knowledge of women’s or LGBTQ issues and history, and familiarity with gender studies, is desirable. Ideal candidates exhibit creativity, resourcefulness, and the ability to work independently.
Unpaid, part-time internship; 8-12 hours per week (minimum of 100-150 hours) during weekdays, with additional hours possible if needed or credit; otherwise flexible scheduling.
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https://library.nashville.org/support/internships
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A degree in accounting from SJC Long Island will provide the knowledge and skills necessary for a variety of rewarding careers, including forensic accounting, public accounting, auditing, taxation, managerial and corporate accounting, financial planning, government and not-for-profit accounting, information technology and consulting.
In small classes, students learn from accounting faculty who possess extensive professional experience. They meet with full-time faculty each semester to schedule courses and to plan for internships, graduate studies and career success.
The Department of Accounting at SJC Long Island maintains a robust internship program whereby qualified students gain practical, professional experience while earning college credit. Students have completed internships at:
Many internships lead to part-time employment before graduation and full-time employment after graduation.
For those interested in becoming a certified public accountant (CPA), SJC offers two options.
Our accounting graduates may look forward to joining the many successful SJC accounting alumni who hold prestigious positions at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte LLP, Grant Thornton LLP and other public accounting firms, as well as in Fortune 500 companies and in local, state and federal governments.
Creating a schedule that fits into your busy life has never been easier. Regardless of your age, work schedule or other commitments, at St. Joseph’s, we offer flexible scheduling options — including evening and weekend classes — that can fit the busy lifestyle of any student.
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https://www.sjcny.edu/long-island/academics/undergraduate/majors/accounting
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Volunteer Coordinator Intern
The Museum of the City of New York celebrates and interprets the city, educating the public about its distinctive character, especially its heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation. Founded in 1923 as a private, nonprofit corporation, the Museum connects the past, present, and future of New York City. It serves the people of New York and visitors from around the world through exhibitions, school and public programs, publications, and collections.
The Museum seeks a Volunteer Coordinator Intern to assist the VP of Education and Engagement with the administration of the Museum’s volunteer program. Duties include training, scheduling, and supervision (or assignment) of the organization’s volunteers.
The Museum believes that traditional hiring practices have historically and systemically marginalized entire groups of people including people of color, people of different socio-economic backgrounds, women, people with disabilities, people in the LGBTQ community, and veterans, to name a few. We strongly believe as an organization in deconstructing barriers and building a team that authentically represents the diverse communities and backgrounds of New York City. The Volunteer Coordinator internship is designed to foster the interest of historically underrepresented students who are interested in learning more about the museum profession. The Volunteer Coordinator may work a flexible schedule both remote and onsite work will be required. Working approximately 10-20 hours a week, at a rate of $15/hour. Intern must commit to a minimum of 12 weeks.
Duties and responsibilities:
Essential responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Communicate with all departments of the Museum to identify available opportunities and need for volunteers.
- Recruit volunteer staff to fit these roles.
- Matches volunteer with appropriate opportunities based on need.
- Schedules, coordinates, and assigns volunteers to appropriate departments, and/or supervisors.
- Regularly communicates with volunteers on scheduling, assignments, and other program needs.
- Maintains files, records, applications, and other data concerning volunteer programs including volunteer software.
- Performs other related duties as required.
Qualifications
- Recent college graduate or current undergraduate or graduate student.
- Interest in community outreach, education, public programming, non-profit cultural institutions.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and encourage others.
- Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, email, internet, or related software.
- Ability to work independently or collaboratively.
BENEFITS
The position is part-time, temporary, eligible for safe and sick leave, 401K benefits, and Employee Assistance Program. Your employment relationship with the Museum qualifies you for free or discounted admissions to other participating cultural institutions.
WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
The position will conduct work both onsite and remotely. Onsite work at the Museum’s main building located at 1220 Fifth Avenue will take place between Monday – Friday, 9-5 pm so that interns can be reached by staff. Schedules may be flexible to accommodate academic and work commitments. The intern may occasionally be invited to dial in for some meetings on a specific date and time that fall out of their preferred work schedule but shall not be required to attend. Interns must have access to a computer and a viable internet connection.
In accordance with NYC Executive Order 225 proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required. Reasonable accommodations may be made upon request in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local law.
HOW TO APPLY
Please email your resume and cover letter to the Museum of the City of New York Attention: Human Resources Department to [email protected]. To be considered, please include the Volunteer Coordinator Internship within the subject line of your email.
The Museum of the City of New York is committed to fostering a collaborative and respectful work environment with a staff as diverse as New York City and the audiences who are curious about learning more about its history and engaging in contemporary urban issues. Our staff members are dedicated to working towards a common goal: creating the most dynamic and inspiring city museum in the world.
The Museum of the City of New York is an equal opportunity employer. As such, the museum provides equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants without unlawful discrimination with respect to age, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender identification or expression, marital status, military status or veteran, national origin, political association, political/personal convictions, predisposing genetic characteristics, race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and style), religion (including attire, clothing or facial hair worn in accordance with religious requirements), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions and transgender status), sexual orientation, socio-economic status, geographic location, philosophies, or any other classification protected by federal, state or local laws, in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, promotion, demotion, transfer, lay-off, and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment. The museum complies with applicable state and local law governing nondiscrimination in employment which prohibits discrimination and harassment against any employees, applicants for employment or interns, as well as contractors, subcontractors, vendors, consultants, other individuals providing services in the workplace or their employees in every location in which the museum has facilities. The Museum is an AAP employer.
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https://careers.newark.rutgers.edu/jobs/museum-of-the-city-of-new-york-volunteer-coordinator-intern/
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Volunteering has changed significantly over the years. Volunteer coordinators today must clearly understand their roles and responsibilities, as well as the tools available to help them do their job.
Volunteering has changed significantly over the years. Volunteer coordinators today must clearly understand their roles and responsibilities, as well as the tools available to help them in their work.
Volunteers have certain duties and obligations to the organization, but also their own needs and reasons for volunteering, which the coordinator must consider when recruiting, integrating and working to retain volunteers. In turn, the organization itself has duties and obligations that it must fulfill and is subject to specific laws governing volunteers.
Analyze corporate structure and services.
Identify the organization's need for volunteers based on its operations and services.
Determine what the organization can offer future volunteers.
Analyze the risks associated with volunteer positions.
Draw up or update job descriptions.
Develop policies and procedures for welcoming and integrating volunteers.
Prepare or revise a volunteer recruiting strategy: who, when, where, why.
Come to an agreement with the selected volunteers regarding their tasks and the terms of their involvement.
Inform them about their assignment and provide any information that will help them settle in.
Draw up each volunteer's schedule.
Assist each volunteer in carrying out their duties and tasks.
Evaluate volunteers' level of satisfaction concerning their tasks, support provided, work organization, interests and needs.
Recognize the daily contributions of volunteers and draw attention to their contribution to the organization.
Organize activities to recognize volunteers within the organization.
Develop and implement a strategy to promote volunteering.
Represent the organization at various events and issue tables.
Update the volunteering section of the organization's website, if applicable.
Manage the volunteer services budget.
Create a database on volunteers and volunteer services and keep it up-to-date (or arrange to have this done).
Keep volunteer management knowledge and skills up-to-date.
Participate in research and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
To make it easier to recruit, integrate and retain volunteers and meet their expectations, the coordinator must first understand volunteers' profiles.
Volunteering allows families to spend quality time together and give back to their community despite the time constraints caused by their many responsibilities and commitments.
They seek activities that are appropriate and fun for people of all ages.
Professionals seek to develop and explore talents and interests that they do not use in other areas of their life.
They are very geared toward results, and prefer structured, short-term, flexible volunteer activities requiring high-level skills.
They look for volunteering opportunities without a rigid hierarchy where they are treated as equals.
Baby-boomers are on the verge of retirement.
They have a strong sense of team loyalty and commitment and want to have a place in society.
They are strongly geared toward rules and procedures.
This group respects traditional values, morals and ethics.
They are conservative and seek to contribute to the common good.
They generally volunteer more hours and commit to longer periods.
New immigrants vary greatly and face very different conditions depending on when and where they arrive in Canada.
They often exhaust their savings during the immigration process and need to take the time to set up house and adapt to the Canadian labour market.
You are now well equipped to assume your role as volunteer coordinator. By getting to know your volunteers, their profiles and their expectations, you will be better able to recruit the right people, motivate them and keep them on your team for a long time.
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https://www.desjardins.com/ca/co-opme/business/tip-sheets/understanding-role-volunteer-coordinators/index.jsp
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Chief Operating Officer at Snagajob, overseeing marketing, engineering, product and design.
Despite media reports of historically low U.S. unemployment rates, the reality is a bit more complex. The official unemployment rate may hover around 4%, but that counts millions of underemployed individuals, including members of the “gig economy,” who freelance or work part-time either by choice or necessity. The number of on-demand workers in the U.S. is expected to reach 9.2 million by 2021, up from 3.9 million last year. What does low unemployment paired with the increasing availability of flexible gig work mean for employers looking to hire hourly employees? How can they attract the most qualified workers in today’s unique labor market?
In a low-unemployment market, job seekers have many choices. To attract the best workers, employers must meet applicants where they are, offering the types of jobs and shifts they want. And what most hourly workers want today is flexibility combined with stability, an apparent conundrum for employers.
Almost all workers want to earn a set amount each month, getting a fixed number of shifts that doesn’t change with an employer’s scheduling ups and downs. They need a reliable “monthly nut” to pay their bills. According to our research from Q4 2017, 74% of workers are willing to work multiple jobs for different employers in order to get enough hours. However, because of the rise of the gig economy, more and more workers also value flexibility, wanting to choose which shifts work best for their schedules. Many workers want the predictability of being full- or part-time employees, while also taking gigs on the side.
In this new employment paradigm, where workers value income stability but also want control of their own time, how can employers shift their practices to hire and retain the best teams? Here are three tips employers can use to succeed in a high-employment, high-flexibility economy.
1. Provide stability. All employees, whether full- or part-time, want to know how many hours they’ll work per month and when their shifts will be. Workers value a predictable schedule with a set income. When employees don’t know until days before what shifts they’ll be assigned, they cannot plan their other life activities, such as taking care of children or going to school. And, of course, if they cannot count on a set number of hours each month, they live in precarity, not knowing if they’ll be able to pay all their bills.
Oregon has a predictive scheduling law that mandates that some employers provide employees with fixed schedules, with other states considering similar statutes. But employers shouldn’t wait to be forced by law to offer their employees stability and predictability; treating workers fairly just makes good business sense. And aside from set hours, employees also appreciate benefits, paid vacation and training. Hourly workers we surveyed said the most important benefits employers can offer them are health insurance, paid time off and professional development opportunities. Providing stability to employees is critical if you want to attract and retain high-quality, committed team members.
2. Introduce flexibility. The gig economy is here to stay, offering workers ultimate control over their own schedules. Some 74% of hourly workers are willing to work for multiple employers to get more hours. So while some of your employees may be happy with 40 hours, others may only want 15, while others may want to work more than full-time to make ends meet. Still, other workers may want to work for several companies on a gig-only basis.
To accommodate a wide range of workers, employers can use a gig-based hiring service or model to fill open shifts. Not only does this help employers attract workers looking for flexible hours, it also enables them to ramp hiring up or down depending on demand due to seasonality, sales, etc. Employers can thus offer some employees the set schedules they want, but use flexible hiring practices to manage the ebb and flow of unpredictable staffing demand.
3. Welcome all types of workers. To remain competitive, employers today must adapt to today’s flexible labor market, hiring a mix of full-time, part-time and gig workers. Employers shouldn’t respond to a low unemployment rate the way they did in the past — simply offering higher salaries. Paying workers a competitive wage always makes good business sense, but workers today value control over their schedules as much as they do fair pay. By offering many different shifts, employers can attract a diverse workforce. One-size-fits-all hiring is a thing of the past.
Today’s workers are more accustomed to being free agents, piecing together gigs to create a schedule that works for them. But that doesn’t mean no one wants a full-time job or fixed part-time hours. In fact, every worker is an individual and has unique needs. For employers to remain competitive in the new flexible economy, they must provide a multitude of hiring options to attract a diverse, qualified and committed workforce.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2018/03/23/how-employers-can-attract-the-best-workers-in-the-new-flexible-labor-market
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United Way of Portage County is ramping up its recruitment efforts in order to build a solid volunteer base in the community. This community-based, volunteer-led organization wants to expand its role in better serving Portage County and is looking for people interested in supporting that cause. Volunteers are the backbone of nonprofit work and United Way of Portage County values the time and generosity that is given to make a lasting impact.
Currently there are a variety of opportunities available in its home office, 999 E. Main St. in Ravenna. These opportunities boast a flexible schedule and can vary from one-time service projects, such as delivering books to a Big Red Bookshelf location or hosting a book drive, to on-going roles that can include office data entry, the Reading Role Models program or sorting books by age groups. Volunteer opportunities can take place during normal business hours and some opportunities include evening or weekend timeframes as volunteers are needed to help represent the organization at various community events. Volunteering with United Way is easy, flexible and can be customized to fit your interests and talents. Training is provided to anyone interested in lending their time and supporting a local organization in your community.
For more information or to express interest in getting communication about upcoming opportunities, please contact Maureen Gebhardt at 330.297.1424 or visit the United Way website at uwportage.org/volunteer-center.
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https://www.beaconjournal.com/news/20190721/united-way-of-portage-county-seeks-volunteers
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When young adults with major depression decide to enter the workforce, they might go through a number of emotions. For those with serious mental illness unemployment rates are high even though many want to work. In 2016, individuals between 25 and 54 with depressive disorders had a 32.4% unemployment rate while the national average was around 5%.
Finding and keeping a job – with any mental illness – can be complex. Coaching young adults through the process is crucial, but well worth the task, as once they find meaning in their work, the motivation that cones from that meaning has the potential to powerfully impact their well-being.
Identify meaningful work opportunities
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects the right to access mental health support without fear of losing a job. There are restrictions to the ADA, though. Some smaller employers are not bound by the same rules, but conscientious employers make reasonable accommodations for team members.
As a counselor, encourage people to seek out employers who have flex time policies, telecommuting options, short-term/long-term disability plans, and mental health benefits in their healthcare plans. There are many types of employment that young adults with depression can consider as they search for meaning in their work.
Supported Employment
Employment centers help people find and keep a job that works best for their schedule. A vocational counselor assesses their interests as well as prepares them for full-time or part-time work. Local vocational rehabilitation centers guide young adults through this process. Supported employment models are successful (about 60% employment rate versus 24% for those not in supported employment programs), but they are not well funded, and are sometimes inaccessible.
Volunteer Work
Volunteering can be fulfilling for young adults, especially to re-acclimate themselves to regular working hours. These positions can promote skill-building and are highly rewarding without the same pressures of a traditional desk job; but the fact that these positions do not pay may make it difficult for young adults who live independently. Volunteer Match can help young adults find an organization that fits their schedule and abilities.
Internships
The major benefit to internships is forming a mentor-mentee relationship in a workforce setting. Although internships can be lower paying or even unpaid, securing an internship can aid people in their professional development pursuits and even figure out whether a specific industry is the right fit. Internships typically offer flexibility, as many interns are college students with a full class schedule. For college students, internships might even be eligible for class credit.
Part-Time Employment
Part-time work can also help people ease back into employment after breaks. Although part-time positions do not always include benefits, they can offer flexible hours, which might be a greater priority. Meaningful part-time jobs still carry the same motivational and well-being benefits as full time employment, allowing people to engage with others with similar interests and form lasting bonds.
Entrepreneurship
When traditional employment options seem daunting, patients can start their own business, especially if they already have concepts in mind. The Abilities Fund provides funding to individuals with major depression as well as other mental and physical illnesses so they can thrive in entrepreneurial settings. Entrepreneurship, while a worthwhile pursuit for some, requires discipline. Encourage people to find support groups or organizations to assist them through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, should that be the employment path they decide.
Residential Treatment Facilities
Effective residential treatment facilities provide work options to their residents. Each facility offers unique responsibilities. In a farm setting, residents might facilitate animal care, prepare meals from the garden, and/or tend to the land. At Hopewell, we even have a maple sugaring team in addition to teams who work in the garden, in the wood shop, and other places around the farm. Meaningful work in that capacity builds self-esteem and aids in filling employment gaps on a resume.
Find a personal connection
When employees are happy, companies thrive. Help people find meaning in what they do, no matter what kind of employment works best for them. In fact, finding meaning in jobs can increase motivation, performance, and personal fulfillment, among other advantages. When young adults seek out meaning in their work, this meaning does not have to relate to the job itself; external factors such as the desire to support one’s family can have just as significant of an impact as enjoying the job itself.
When young adults have identified their passion – a career they feel called to pursue – they are more likely to continue on that path. When an individual truly enjoys their overall vocation, even mundane or grueling tasks contribute to their passion for the position.
Plan for the future
Meaningful work for young adults can also mean attending college. While college can be supplemented by work experiences, the college experience itself can have great impact (both negatively and positively) on a students’ mental health. Whether people are considering college prior to the workforce, using it to build their skills while in the workforce, or if they are already in college, show them ways to find meaning in their packed collegiate schedules.
- Identify collaborative opportunities. Support groups are a crucial part of college students’ experiences, especially those with major depression. Participating in groups or volunteering in a leadership role can propel students forward to maintain a positive outlook.
- Be careful with social media. Although there are positive aspects of social media such as building professional networks, cyberbullying and negative self-image are a couple of the negative effects college students have to combat. Remind young adults to unplug every so often, especially while at work.
- Help them develop healthy coping mechanisms. Exercising, volunteering, and getting enough sleep are all foundational tips for college students daily. But to be successful at work, it’s especially important that they identify effective techniques for calming themselves during depressive episodes. Taking deep breaths or stepping away from work for a few minutes can make all the difference.
Unemployment rates for young adults with major depression are high, but a support system that pushes for meaningful work opportunities contributes to a healthier mindset, allowing patients to develop long-term coping mechanisms to combat depression.
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https://www.hopewellcommunity.org/blog/2019/08/20/meaningful-work-for-young-adults-with-major-depressive-disorder
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Coming out of the pandemic, I have noticed a divergence amongst Board members as to when they’re available to volunteer. Some opt to do all their volunteer work during office hours to preserve their personal time, while others don’t have flexibility in their schedule to volunteer during traditional work hours.
It is essential to recognize and balance the different needs and availability of volunteers serving on the same Board of Directors. Board members may have different schedules, personal commitments, and preferences for when and how they want to contribute. Effective communications, and planning are key to accommodating the needs and availability of Board members, building a strong and engaged Board community.
Balancing the Needs & Availability of Board Members
One approach to balance the needs and availability of Board members is to establish a clear framework for meeting schedules and expectations. This framework should consider the needs of all Board members, including those who prefer to volunteer during business hours and those who prefer evenings or weekends. By establishing a regular schedule for Board meetings and committee meetings, Board members can plan and prepare for their participation in advance.
Strauss’ article back to the basics: being an association Board member explores the role of Board members in establishing a strong framework for meetings and expectations. This includes providing clear guidelines on attendance requirements and establishing a system for managing absences and tardiness.
To address the differing availability of Board members, consider alternating the time and day of meetings, or offering remote participation options, to ensure all members of the Board can attend and participate. This will not only accommodate the needs of individual Board members but also promote inclusivity and encourage diverse participation and perspectives.
Our article on virtual meetings for your association Board shares strategies for managing remote Board meetings effectively, including addressing technical issues, setting clear agendas, and ensuring equal participation among remote and in-person attendees.
Set Expectations & Responsibilities for Board Members
It is also essential to establish a clear set of expectations and responsibilities for Board members, including attendance requirements and duties. Board members must understand their role and the commitment required to fulfill it effectively. By establishing clear expectations and responsibilities, Board members will feel more confident in their role and be more likely to contribute consistently.
Our article on stepping into association management – roles and responsibilities provides helpful tips for developing a clear and comprehensive set of expectations. This includes identifying core responsibilities, setting measurable goals, and providing ongoing feedback to Board members.
To accommodate individual Board member preferences, consider offering a range of engagement opportunities that are available outside of regular Board meetings. These opportunities may include participation in subcommittees, special projects, or community events. By providing Board members with various opportunities to participate, they can find areas that best align with their interests and schedules, ultimately contributing more effectively.
Effective Communication is Key
Effective communication with Board members is critical for ensuring they are informed and engaged with the association’s activities and objectives. Consider scheduling regular check-ins and providing ongoing updates on projects, activities, and objectives. By providing regular communication, Board members will feel more connected to the association, leading to greater engagement and participation.
Strauss’ article on the importance of clear, concise and timely communication highlights strategies for promoting effective communication between Board members and association executives. This includes developing communication protocols, providing regular updates, and using technology to streamline communication processes.
Balancing the different needs and availability of volunteers serving on the same Board of Directors is essential for building a strong and engaged Board community. By establishing clear expectations, offering flexible scheduling and communication, and providing a range of engagement opportunities, associations can foster a positive and collaborative environment.
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https://strauss.ca/balancing-different-volunteer-preferences-on-association-boards-of-directors/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=balancing-different-volunteer-preferences-on-association-boards-of-directors
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- Monitor the technical performance of the Hospice House and agency facilities.
- Make recommendations for adjustments to ensure that all requirements of various state and federal regulatory agencies are met.
- Respond to unplanned operational or maintenance events.
- Compile data for maintenance activities and scheduled maintenance.
- Maintain a monthly maintenance report of activity.
- Diagnose operational problems and recommend corrective action
- Work with staff to establish goals, priorities and expectations.
- Supervises housekeeping staff by determining workload and schedules
- Interprets and implements policies and procedures; evaluates assigned staff; and ensures that staff is trained in maintenance and housekeeping activities and are following standard procedure.
- Observe confidentiality policy at all times.
- Comply with all related policies, procedures and requests.
- Five years of skilled maintenance experience
- One year of management Experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience
- Certification in HVAC required
- Completion of high school or basic education equivalency required.
- EOE/AA M/F/D/V
Why VITAS Healthcare and What Do They Offer Me?
VITAS Healthcare is the nation’s leading provider of end of life care. We provide our employees opportunities for professional growth, advancement and competitive benefits.
Benefits Include:
- Competitive compensation
- Health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance
- Pre-tax healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
- Life insurance
- 401(k) plan with numerous investment options and generous company match
- Cancer and/or critical illness benefit
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Paid Time Off
- Employee Assistance Program
- Legal Insurance
- Roadside Assistance
- Affinity Program
Choose a Career with VITAS
We offer a variety of full-time, part-time and per-diem employment opportunities. You can choose to work day or night shifts, weekdays or weekends.
Employees earn competitive salaries and have the flexibility to choose a benefits package suitable to their own needs and lifestyle.
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https://www.vitas.com/careers/fl/boynton-beach/7661/10361/coordinator-maintenance
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Volunteering not only benefits the community and local charities, but it can also benefit yourself. You will gain the experience of helping others and supporting a local charity, make new friends and you'll hopefully have lots of fun and develop useful skills, which will look great on your CV. You can log volunteering hours here, and you will receive certificates when you reach a volunteering milestone.
Do I need any previous experience or skills? ↓
Volunteering is accessible to everyone, most charities simply ask for enthusiasm and commitment. Some organisations, however, may ask for specific skills or previous experience. This should be stated in the role description.
How do I get started? ↓
You can make a start by checking out the latest opportunities on the Students’ Union website here and find out how we can support you into volunteering. You can then apply via the website or email us at [email protected]
How do I search for volunteer opportunities? ↓
There are lots of different ways that you can volunteer at Sheffield Hallam Students' Union depending on how much time you would like to contribute and your area of interest. We have:
How do I get involved? ↓
Each opportunity should have instructions on the next steps but they are usually:
Can I volunteer at anytime during my time at Hallam? ↓
Yes, it's never too late to volunteer and there are volunteering opportunities on offer throughout the year. Take a look at our website here.
Please note, that some projects only run during semesters 1 and 2 and so places may only be available towards the beginning of the academic year. If you are unsure or need any help choosing a project, email the volunteering team at [email protected]
I am an international student. Can I volunteer? ↓
All students, including short-term students, can volunteer with a charity, or voluntary sector organisation. This is a great opportunity for international students to meet local people and practice their English.
It is important to note that short-term students can volunteer, but they cannot do 'voluntary work'. Before volunteering starts, make sure the role meets the UK Government's definition of volunteering rather than voluntary work:
Volunteers:
Voluntary workers:
I'm not a student at Sheffield Hallam University - can I still volunteer with you? ↓
Unfortunately you won't be able to volunteer with us, but you can contact your local volunteer centre/ Voluntary Action Sheffield (VAS) who will be able to provide you with lots of volunteering opportunities.
What's expected of me as a volunteer? ↓
For a full list of your rights and responsibilities as a volunteer, have a look at our volunteer policy here.
How many hours do I need to volunteer per week? ↓
Sheffield Hallam Students’ Union offer an extensive selection of volunteering opportunities ranging from weekly to one-off events, which means the time commitment varies. You can commit as much or as little time as you want. Even if you're short of time, there are plenty of opportunities for you to get involved! Have a look at our webpages to find out more about specific project requirement or email us at [email protected]
Can I get involved in more than one opportunity? ↓
Of course you can, as long as you feel you have the time (and energy!) to commit. Have a look at our webpages to see the range of opportunities on offer.
I am already volunteering; do I need to let you know? ↓
Yes please let us know, we offer awards and recognition events for volunteers. We will also invite you to training and meetups throughout the year and, if you are happy to, we can feature you as a case study to promote the charity that you volunteer with to other Hallam Students.
I'd like to volunteer overseas - do you have any international opportunities? ↓
We do not have any international projects available as Sheffield Hallam Students’ Union work primarily with local community organisations. International volunteering at Hallam is available through Go Global, find more information here.
Our sports club/society would like to volunteer as a group - what's the next step? ↓
Here at SHSU we offer the opportunity for members of societies and sports clubs to volunteer together and share their skills and experiences through both regular and one-off volunteering events. If your society or sports club is interested in volunteering, or has an idea for a project, please e-mail [email protected] or book an appointment for a chat.
How will I get to my volunteering? ↓
We aim to ensure our volunteer opportunities are accessible via public transport and we can help you to work out a route to and from your volunteering. For some projects we will organise transport, if this is necessary, we would let you know.
Some charities may offer to reimburse your travel costs so check with them before you start. In some cases, we can also provide expenses if agreed in advance.
I may need extra support to volunteer ↓
The volunteering team are here to support you whilst you volunteer so please just email us at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns and we will try to help as much as we can.
I can’t find the right volunteering role for me? ↓
If nothing appeals to you on our website, please either email us on [email protected] or book in for an informal chat here and we will try to find you a suitable role which may not be currently on our website.
What is a DBS check? ↓
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) carry out police and identity checks for all volunteers working in any capacity with children or vulnerable adults. For more information, please find our DBS FAQs here.
What kinds of ID can I use for my DBS form? ↓
There are many different types of identification that you can use to support your DBS application. View a full list of identification documents that are accepted. We have more information in our DBS FAQs here.
Do all opportunities need a DBS check? ↓
No, DBS checks are not required for all of our projects. However, they are essential for projects working with children or vulnerable adults, including all schools projects. If you're unsure whether you need to complete a DBS check, e-mail [email protected] We have a full and comprehensive guide to DBS checks here.
What training opportunities do you offer? ↓
Sheffield Hallam Students’ Union is committed to providing training to all volunteers relevant to the project that you join. We hold many different training sessions throughout the year to ensure that you are fully prepared for your volunteering experience. Many projects have specific training which are compulsory for all volunteers. For specific information on training sessions, talk to a Project Leader or member of staff.
Alongside this, our Skills, Development and Employment team have loads of skills & training workshops and opportunities ranging from First Aid training to leadership courses! Whilst you volunteer, we can help you reflect on your personal experiences through the Hallam Award which is a personal development programme that helps you make the most of your time here at Hallam and will help you enhance your C.V.
Can I still volunteer if I've missed the training session(s) for an education project? ↓
The training sessions for some projects are compulsory, for example safeguarding, so if you've missed a session unfortunately you won't be able to join the project this academic year. Many training sessions are held more than once so be sure to check for full details of these.
Can I achieve an award for my volunteering? ↓
Your commitment to volunteering should be recognised and celebrated. As volunteers, you will be encouraged to log your volunteering hours to receive our volunteering certificates.
You can also get involved in the Hallam Award, a graduate attributes award that gives you recognition for your engagement in various extracurricular activities. This involves building a portfolio, including an activity log to track your hours and reflection on how your activities have developed key graduate competencies. This will help you stand out to employers and will give you the skills to sell yourself in recruitment processes. Contact for more info.
Your achievements are also recognised through several organised events throughout the year, such as at our end of year celebration event.
Does volunteering count towards my course/module? ↓
The Volunteering team does not arrange placements or provide volunteering roles for course credit. Volunteering is a great way to build experience, gain a reference, add something to your C.V and it can be used in your Hallam Award.
I'd like to be part of a committee - where do I start? ↓
Our projects are student-led and need Project Leaders and committees to help manage them. If you'd like to play a bigger part in a particular project, why not apply for a position in our annual elections recruitment in semester 2. Click here for more information on the responsibilities of Project Leaders and other committee positions.
I have an idea for a new project - can you help me set it up? ↓
If you've got an idea for a project, we can provide advice and guidance to help turn your idea into a reality. Each year, Hallam students develop and lead new projects that will make a difference to the community and the environment in which we live. If you are interested in setting up a new project, contact us at [email protected] to discuss your idea.
I'm interested in a career in the voluntary sector - do you have any information for me? ↓
We recommend that you contact the Student Opportunity careers team who can provide you with a lot of information on working in the charity and voluntary sector and direct you to the appropriate resources.
How can I claim back expenses? ↓
We want to make sure you're never out of pocket as a result of your volunteering so all reasonable expenses will be reimbursed provided it is approved in advance by a member of staff. Full details of our expenses policy and details of how to claim back expenses can be found here.
Will it cost anything? ↓
Volunteering is free. You may incur some costs, such as paying for transport to get to your volunteering. If you keep your receipts the Volunteering Team may be able to reimburse these travel costs if this is agreed before you start volunteering.
How do I get a reference? ↓
For reference requests we must have your written authority to divulge personal information to third parties. First you need to give the third party your written consent and they will then need to forward this to us, with their specific request.
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https://www.hallamstudentsunion.com/get_involved/volunteering/faq/
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K-12 Geo FAQ's
Where do I find information regarding program choices?
The K-12 Global Education Outreach [GEO] programs are designed to provide culturally relevant experiences for public, private, and home-school classrooms as well as community groups and organizations. Program information is located under the PROGRAMOPTIONS tab. This page provides a list of program descriptions and schedules. After reading the descriptions, simply click on a program name and it will redirect you to the online reservation calendar and form.
How do I know if the program is appropriate for my students?
- All K-12 programming has been aligned with state standards [TEKS].
- The K-12 team has studied the language of the standards and will make adjustments to programming based on the grade level and needs of your students.
- Each K-12 program has a menu of basic options that are used to adjust the language of instruction and activities to meet the needs of various grade levels.
What are the basic features of your programs?
Programs might contain some of the following basic features:
- Introduction to physical and human geography using our 10'x12' floor maps of the continent or region and standards based vocabulary [grade level appropriate]
- Hands-on examination of artifacts from featured countries
- Families Video Series for featured countries
- Hands-on culturally relevant activities and crafts
- Cultural traditions and celebrations
- *Special Guests: Interaction with international students, traditional music, and dance performances. [*Performances based on availability of international students or special guests.]
- Guest lecturers
- Exhibits
- Demonstrations
How do I schedule a program?
All programs SHOULD be scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance. You can schedule a program by:
- Completing the online reservation form found on the website.
- Go to the PROGRAM RESERVATIONS tab on the website. This page provides a list of program descriptions. Programs are offered during certain months of the year. After reading the descriptions, simply click on a program name and it will redirect you to the online reservation calendar and form. Choose a date, complete the form, and hit submit. The form will schedule your reservation in the system.
- Upon receipt of your reservation request, the K-12 GEO team will discuss your program and will contact you via email to confirm your reservation. (If you do not receive the confirmation email within one week, please contact our office.) If you need to make changes to your reservation [time, # of students attending, etc.], please contact us as soon as possible.
- A minimum of 15 students is required for scheduling a program.
- If you have more than 125 students, K-12 GEO will need to make special arrangements for your program reservation. K-12 GEO offers several options to accommodate larger groups: splitting groups into morning and afternoon sessions for programming, rotating larger groups between the K-12 GEO/ICC program and a program with the NRHC or MOTTU by splitting into smaller groups, or splitting the program into multiple days, etc. K-12 GEO staff will do everything possible to work with you and accommodate the needs of your campus.
What happens if I need to cancel my program?
If there are extenuating circumstances and you must cancel your reservation, please notify us immediately by calling (806) 742-3667 and ask for K-12 GEO reservations. We will make every effort to reschedule your program. However, please be aware that many of our programs include special guests and performances that might not be able to reschedule for a later date. We will do our best to accommodate your requests.
Where are the programs offered?
K-12 programs are offered at the International Cultural Center on the campus of Texas Tech University. We are located at 601 Indiana Avenue [4th and Indiana] - just behind the TTU Museum and across the street from UMC. We also offer many of our programs through our "On the Road Adventures" for schools that cannot visit the ICC, though we highly recommend bringing your students to our beautiful building for the full cultural experience.
*Note:
- Some of our programming choices are not offered for "On the Road Adventures".
- Special Guests and performances are not part of the basic programming choices for
"On the Road Adventures". Participation and scheduling will be based on their availability.
When are programs offered?
- K-12 GEO programs are offered throughout the academic year (September-May).
- K-12 GEO does not offer after hours or weekend programming at this time.
- Typical program times range from 1 ½ to 2 hours long.
- Choose either a morning or afternoon time for regular programs. Though our online reservation form offers specific program times for scheduling, timing can be adjusted to meet your needs.
- Seasonal programming for special cultural events and celebrations is offered throughout the year. These programs are scheduled at specific times in the morning and afternoon to accommodate large audiences and/or multiple K-12 campuses at once. Students will be divided into groups to rotate through the program activities. Every effort is made to keep campuses/groups together. We do ask that teachers and parents help to chaperone these groups as they move through the program stations.
Do we need chaperones for the program?
One chaperone or teacher is required for every fifteen (15) students attending the program.
*Note: In addition to being a learning center, the ICC is also a working office building
and art gallery. We ask that teachers and chaperones be responsible for monitoring
student behavior during programs and when entering and leaving the ICC building.
ICC Building Rules:
-No running.
-No climbing or hanging on rails or exhibits.
-Please do not touch the exhibits or artwork. Do not run hands along the walls when walking through the galleries.
-Do not touch the globe.
Does K-12 GEO charge a fee for programming?
We are pleased to offer our programs FREE of charge to all K-12 audiences as of November 2016. K-12 GEO does charge a small fee of $3.00 / person for college and community group programming. If you have questions regarding these fees, please feel free to contact our office @ 806-742-3667.
Our programs are supported by grant funding and donations. If you would like to help support our K-12 GEO mission, there is a DONATE to K-12 button at the bottom of our HOME page. All donations received are processed through the Texas Tech Institutional Advancement office and will be used to support K-12 GEO programming.
How do we pay for programs?
- The cost of your program is based on the number of people in attendance.There is no charge for K-12 programs. There is a $3.00/person charge for college and community group programs.
- We accept checks, debit cards, or purchase orders. NO CASH!
- Payment can be mailed prior to your program to: Office of International Affairs,Attn: ICC/K-12 GEO, 601 Indiana Ave., Lubbock, Texas 79409-5004 or you may pay upon arrival.
- Payments must be for the exact amount of the program. Make checks and PO's payable to: OIA/K-12 GEO Programs.
Can you accommodate people with special needs?
Yes, accommodations can be made for persons with disabilities or special needs when you make your reservation or by contacting the office one week in advance of scheduled programming. ADA entrances for the building are located on the North and South sides of the building. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us: 806.742.3667.
Do you allow students on field trips to eat lunch on site?
No, the ICC does not allow students to eat lunch on site. The building does not have space-inside or outside- to accommodate students for lunch or snacks.
Also, we are not allowed to have students running, playing, or eating outside on the building grounds. Students must be monitored by teachers and chaperones when exiting the building, waiting for buses, and/or lining up to load buses after programming.
Do you create customized programs upon request?
Due to our high volume of requests and schedule, we cannot customize programming at this time. We offer a wide variety of programs and our basic menu of options allows some flexibility in creating a program that will meet your needs.
Do you offer Travel Trunks for your programs?
K12 GEO no longer offers Travel Trunks. Our "On the Road Adventures" replaces the need for Travel Trunks. These "adventures" offer many of the same program choices as seen at the ICC, but are delivered in your classroom instead. "On the Road Adventures"are denoted with OTR in the program descriptions on our PROGRAM OPTIONS page.
Do you loan out items from the K-12 GEO Program for classrooms?
The majority of our items are donated artifacts from foreign countries that are both fragile and irreplaceable. Therefore, K-12 does not loan or check out any of its items.
Do you offer programs in the summer?
- K-12 GEO offers programming from September - August each academic year. You can access specific programming information under the PROGRAM OPTIONS OR PROGRAM RESERVATIONS tab on the website. K-12 GEO has only four staff members- two of which are part-time and do not work during the summer. Therefore, the summer months are used to develop new curriculum and programs for the upcoming academic year.
- K-12 GEO also offers professional development workshops for educators in Region 17 throughout the year.
How do I volunteer?
We are always in need of volunteers for our programming. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact our office @ 806-742-3667. Volunteers are required to complete a background check through Texas Tech University and a volunteer application prior to participation in any of our programs.
Do you offer scholarships or funding for schools/students who can't afford the cost of participating in your programs?
K-12 GEO programs are free of charge to students in grades K-12. There is a small fee of $3.00 per person for college/adult/community program requests.
K-12 GEO programming is funded completely by grants and support from local foundations and donors. We do have a DONATE to K-12 button at the bottom of our HOME page. These funds are processed through the Texas Tech Institutional Advancement office and will be used to fund the following (unless otherwise requested by the donor):
- new program development and resources,
- traveling artists,
- performers,
- and guest speakers.
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https://www.depts.ttu.edu/international/intlopr/k-12geo/faq.php
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There are several work schedules that you could use for the employees in your business. The most common type of work schedule is known as a fixed work schedule, which is a timetable that has the same number of days and hours per week. After an employer and employee have agreed on days and hours to be worked, a fixed work schedule will stay fairly consistent. A typical fixed work schedule is Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Other types of work schedules include:
- Flexible
- Full-time
- Part-time
- Rotating
- Unpredictable or Irregular
Flexible Work Schedule
Some businesses choose to give their employees flexible work schedules. These schedules are much less strict than fixed work schedules and are determined by the number of hours and days that an employee is able to commit to working.
With flexible schedules, it's common for an employer to require either that their employee work a minimum number of hours or that they work during a specific time block. However, flexible schedules often allow employees to switch shifts when necessary.
There are almost unlimited variations of flexible work schedules, but an example could be an employee that works from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Mondays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, and 12 p.m. to close on Saturdays and Sundays.
Full-Time Work Schedule
When a person works a full-time work schedule, they will usually be required to work between 37 and 40 hours a week. Most people working a full-time schedule will be able to receive benefits on top of their regular salary. These benefits can include vacation and sick leave, retirement plans, and health insurance.
Employees on a full-time work schedule will usually work 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday, totaling 40 hours. If a full-time worker is non-exempt, they will be entitled to overtime pay once they've worked more than the standard 40 hours. Overtime pay is calculated as a person's normal hourly wage plus half for every extra hour worked.
The majority of full-time workers will have the same shift every day unless they work in retail or a similar profession. However, a full-time schedule will almost always add up to 40 hours a week. Employees who receive a salary are also considered full time, but they generally receive higher pay and are not able to receive overtime.
Part-Time Work Schedule
Any work schedule that is less than full time is considered a part-time schedule. While people who work part-time schedules typically earn less than full-time workers, these schedules provide a great deal of flexibility, which is beneficial to people with responsibilities outside of work.
Part-time work will almost never include benefits. Also, part-time schedules can be extremely erratic, with an employee's schedule differing from week to week. A part-time schedule example could be 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. from Tuesday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Rotating Work Schedule
With a rotating work schedule, an employee's schedule will shift between day, night, and swing shifts. Workplaces institute rotating work schedules so that no employee is forced to continually work an unfavorable shift.
Rotating work schedules are very uncommon and are usually reserved for careers in construction, health care, the military, road work, and power plants. Depending on the job site, work shifts can cycle quarterly or weekly.
The benefit of a rotating work schedule is that employees have more personal time than those working a traditional schedule, allowing them to complete errands and spend time with their loved ones.
Hardship of Unpredictable Work Schedules
Having an unpredictable work schedule can be extremely hard on employees. Some workplaces use something called "on-call scheduling," which is a scheduling practice that requires employees to report to work whenever they are called in. However, it can also leave an employee lacking a shift. This practice has recently come under fire from the New York attorney general.
Employees who are subject to on-call scheduling frequently spend time and money commuting to their workplaces only to be told that they are no longer needed or that they should leave earlier than expected. On-call scheduling can also cause employees with children to miss hours if they are unable to secure child care.
When a person's work schedule is constantly in flux, it can wreak havoc on their income due to inconsistent hours and earnings. Students who work a part-time job are often left to choose between working their shift and attending their classes.
A part-time worker is twice as likely to have inconsistent or unpredictable hours as someone who works a full-time schedule. It's very common for part-time workers to receive less than a week's notice of their upcoming work schedule.
The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine published a study that connected unpredictable work hours to negative consequences such as lowered physical and mental health and even reduced reasoning and recall skills.
In some workplaces, differing schedules can indicate employer flexibility. However, this usually isn't true for part-time workers with low incomes. Some studies have found that eligibility for child-care subsidies is directly linked to how many hours a person works.
Certain states have right-to-request laws which allow part time workers to request schedule changes. Other policies meant to help workers with unpredictable schedules include the ability for caregivers to request flexible schedules and for non-exempt employees to receive at least one hour's pay if they show up for a shift and then aren't needed.
Irregular Scheduling
It has been estimated that as much as 10 percent of workers have on-call or irregular schedules. Hourly workers, salaried workers, and other types of workers may work on-call and irregular shifts.
Workers with low incomes are the most likely to work irregular hours, with the most at-risk being workers that make under $22,500 per year. Fifteen percent of employees in sales and similar professions have irregular work schedules. Other industries where irregular schedules are common include agriculture, business repair services, entertainment, and transportation communications.
If you need help with determining work schedules, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. UpCounsel accepts only the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.
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https://www.upcounsel.com/work-schedules
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Not only does community service provide you with the opportunity to give back, it may boost your admissions odds. According to a 2018 study by IESD for x2VOL, 58% of admissions officers agree that community service has a positive impact on a prospective student’s application.
While all forms of volunteer work are meaningful, students should think carefully and select a service that relates to their interests in order to gain the most from their experience. If you’re interested in getting involved, keep reading for some tips to help you choose the best community service opportunities for your goals.
Reflect on Your Passions
When it comes to college applications, the best community service options are often activities that matter to you and that you could easily see yourself writing about. Before looking into volunteer positions, take a moment to reflect on what topics and causes are most interesting to you. Think about what school classes and projects you have enjoyed and any extracurricular activities that you look forward to. Write down a list of 3-5 key passions and keep these choices in mind throughout your search process.
Understand the Opportunity
Before committing to a volunteer position, make sure you understand exactly what is involved. Organizations may have specific time requirements, prioritize certain skill sets, or meet on designated dates. Make sure you meet all of the requirements and that you can realistically make time for this volunteer opportunity without letting academics or other extracurricular activities fall by the wayside. If possible, attend an information session or meet with a volunteer leader to learn more about the community service option you are considering.
Fully Commit
Unlike classes, most volunteers don’t receive grades or progress reports. However, this isn’t an excuse to slack off or do half-hearted work. Volunteering is an opportunity to make an impact and give back to others, so strive to approach each task with a willingness to learn. Community service may take you a bit outside of your comfort zone – instead of avoiding this, embrace it as an opportunity to grow.
Look for Learning Opportunities
Community service can give students the chance to gain valuable, real-life experience. If there are competencies that relate to your volunteer work that you are eager to learn about, don’t be afraid to speak up. For example, if you are volunteering at a local museum and are desperate to learn Photoshop, see if you can shadow someone working on graphic design. Seeking out learning experiences can help make your community service commitment feel even more meaningful.
Keep an Open Mind
It is important to approach volunteer work with an open mind, especially because there is a good chance you will encounter work and scenarios that are very different from your everyday life. View these experiences as opportunities to learn something new and expand your horizons. Maintaining this mentality will help you remain open to new learning experiences.
Stay Connected
Community service gives students the opportunity to meet peers outside of their classmates and connect with organization leaders. Keep in touch with these connections even after you finish your volunteer work. If you really connected with your community service supervisor, you may want to consider reaching out to them to write a letter of recommendation for your college applications or for future internship opportunities.
No matter what kind of community service work you choose, volunteering can be meaningful and worthwhile for students. If you are looking for community service options and don’t know where to start, reaching out to your high school guidance counselor or an independent counselor can be a good starting point. Our team of college admissions counselors can help students identify their passions and pinpoint relevant extracurricular activities and community service options!
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https://www.ivywise.com/blog/get-involved-6-tips-for-choosing-meaningful-community-service-activities/
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DSISD ATHLETICSRethink High school
DSISD students have access to a variety of extracurricular opportunities, which include Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) athletics, electives, intensives. We can offer flexible scheduling to support student athlete needs and students are provided transportation to allow student athletes to participate in CHSAA athletics programs at other DPS schools. Students can participate on CHSAA teams that are either:
- The school of attendance based on the student’s home address OR
- The school of attendance based on the address of DSISD (East High School)
For more information about how students can attend DSISD and engage in CHSAA athletics options please email Bob Florio at [email protected].
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https://www.beaconnetworkschools.org/dsisd/athletics/
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At RWU Law, we offer students the option to enroll part-time during the day. Our program is designed to meet the needs students with family obligation and those who continue to work part-time during their enrollment in law school.
For students with family obligations or who wish to continue working part-time, the School of Law offers a flexible scheduling option that allows them to take fewer credits each semester and to earn their JD degree in a span of four years. Students on this track complete the same number of credit hours as traditional, three-year JD students, but complete that work in eight semesters spread over four calendar years. Part-time JD candidates will generally have classes scheduled for two to three days per week, and have the option of taking evening courses during the academic year and over the summer. They are still fully able to select from the complete range of electives offered by the School of Law, including participation in our extensive array of clinical courses, and have the opportunity to participate in all extracurricular and co-curricular activities, including Law Review and Moot Court.
The Four-Year JD Option is available for both first-year and transfer students.
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https://law.rwu.edu/admission/apply-jd/part-time-jd-option
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Are you looking for a part-time job but need to figure out how old you must be to work at Taco Bell? Many fast-food restaurants rely on entry-level teen workers. This can be a great first job, especially if you’re still in school. In your application, you’ll need to answer a couple of questions. One of the most critical questions is, “why do you want to work at Taco Bell?” If you’re answering the question “because it’s a fast-food restaurant,” be specific and honest.
Must be 16 to work at Taco Bell
If you’re looking for a job in the fast food industry, consider working at Taco Bell. This fast food chain often employs entry-level workers, making it a great place to start your career. When applying for a position at Taco Bell, the company will ask applicants why they want to work at the restaurant. While some candidates may answer that Taco Bell is the closest fast-food restaurant to their home, it’s better to be specific.
As a customer service representative, you’ll greet customers, take orders, ring up food orders, handle payments, and thank customers. Depending on the location, you may need to be at least 16 years old, but some franchises require you to be older. You’ll also be responsible for ensuring that the restaurant is clean and welcoming, and you’ll need to follow safety and inventory policies.
If you’re applying for an entry-level position at Taco Bell, you’ll likely be asked questions about your work experience. Taco Bell managers want to know you’re a team player who can handle high-volume environments. You’ll also need to communicate well with others, be professional and friendly, and have excellent customer service skills. While Taco Bell is a fast food restaurant, it’s best to dress professionally for the interview. That means wearing a button-down shirt, nice slacks, and dress shoes.
Working at Taco Bell may be a great fit if you’re looking for a job that allows you to maintain your schedule while earning an excellent salary. You can work full or part-time, and the company is flexible regarding scheduling. This will enable you to balance a full-time job with a life outside work.
Applying for a position with Taco Bell is easy and can be done online or in-store. The company has job application forms for both corporate functions and retail roles. They also offer internships. The website also contains step-by-step guides to help you complete the process.
Does Taco Bell hire 16-year-olds?
Under federal law, the minimum age for working at Taco Bell is 16. However, some states allow teens as young as 14 to apply for jobs at the chain. These teens must have a work permit and comply with federal regulations on working hours. In some instances, teens as young as 15 can join the team but can only perform non-hazardous tasks.
Teenagers are typically still in school, making it difficult to find an employer to work around their busy schedules. Luckily, Taco Bell offers competitive pay and flexible scheduling for young people. In addition, there are plenty of opportunities for advancement. While many companies consider teenagers too young to work in food service, Taco Bell still offers an excellent opportunity for young adults. It is the perfect first part-time job for many teenagers.
Taco Bell is an excellent choice for a first job for teenagers in school, college students, or single parents. The job’s flexibility allows employees to balance their home and work lives. Taco Bell also offers a good wage and plenty of room for advancement within the company. New hires often start as team members and can work their way up quickly.
You will interact with customers and complete their orders as a customer service representative. You’ll also be required to take payments and thank customers for their business. Taco Bell requires that you’re at least 16 years old to apply. However, some stores will hire teenagers who have a work permits.
Before applying to Taco Bell, check their website for current openings in your area. You can also find job opportunities at Taco Bell’s corporate headquarters. Those positions require a background check and an application. Ensure that you disclose any criminal records, as failure to do so can result in immediate termination. If you are still waiting to hear back within two weeks, visit the location where you applied and speak with management. Afterward, leave your contact information with the supervisor.
After applying, you may get a phone call from a Taco Bell recruiter. You may be interviewed in person or over the phone, and some managers require a second interview. If you’ve made it through the interview, you’ll be contacted by a Taco Bell manager and receive training to prepare for the job.
Does Taco Bell offer a 401(k) plan?
If you’re looking for a career that offers financial security, a 401(k) plan may be the right fit. As an employee, you can invest up to 6% of your salary in a 401(k) plan, and the company will match that amount up to 100%. This is one of the best retirement plans for those who want financial stability later. Additionally, there’s no vesting period so you can keep all your contributions immediately.
Taco Bell also offers life insurance for employees, and they’re encouraged to participate by contributing 50% of the cost. If you die while working for the company, your beneficiaries can expect up to a year’s salary. In addition, full-time employees can get health insurance through the company’s plan.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to advance your career, you’ll want to find a job with competitive compensation. The average salary for a manager at Taco Bell is $36k per year. This salary can go higher with experience. Taco Bell offers excellent employment benefits, and most employees can expect a full-time schedule of 40 hours a week. Some managers will work a part-time schedule or on weekends as shift leaders. You’ll also need to be at least 16 years old to be eligible to apply for management positions.
After completing the application process, you may receive a phone call from Taco Bell to set up an interview. These interviews may be conducted over the phone or in person. Some managers may require more than one interview. Afterward, you’ll be contacted by your manager and begin training. The company works with applicants to accommodate their extracurricular activities and school schedules.
The company offers top-notch health benefits to employees, including affordable healthcare insurance and dental plans. The health plan covers procedures and various exams and provides incentives for healthy living. In addition, Taco Bell also provides employees with multiple resources to improve their financial status. Taco Bell is an excellent option if you are looking for a rewarding career with a good company.
Does Taco Bell hire high school graduates?
Taco Bell is one of the largest fast-food companies in the world, and it has hundreds of locations throughout the country. It has various job openings, and applicants can fill out a job application online and follow up with a manager or shift leader to be considered for the position. The company’s name was derived from its owner, Glen Bell, who started Bell’s Drive-In and Taco Tia in 1954. In 1962, the company opened its first restaurant in Downey, California.
As an employee at Taco Bell, you can advance quickly and enjoy flexible hours. The company offers both part-time and full-time positions and provides comprehensive training. You can expect to learn a variety of skills, including working on registers and preparing food. You can even become a manager within a few years.
Taco Bell has also partnered with a GED certification program to help employees earn a high school diploma. More than 200 workers have completed the program, and 57 have earned the certification. In addition, Taco Bell has partnered with Excelsior College to provide flexible online degree options at a discounted rate. This program offers employees up to $5,250 worth of tuition assistance.
In addition to hiring high school graduates, Taco Bell has also been promoting its #SeeMyPotential campaign, which supports the importance of completing high school. This campaign aims to help teens become more confident and educated in their abilities. It also provides teens with a platform to share their successes and encourages them to tag their supportive friends.
In addition to its education program, Taco Bell is now partnering with Guild Education to provide tuition assistance to its corporate employees. Guild Education delivers a network of 80 online nonprofit universities that offer certificates in various fields. The tuition assistance covers all costs, including books and supplies. Moreover, it is paid up-front, so employees don’t have to worry about paying any out-of-pocket expenses.
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Purpose: This paper focuses on the effects of positive and negative online reviews (eWOM) on the metrics of consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) in the context of the Polish restaurant sector.
Methodology: The dedicated online survey was completed by 777 consumers, which we then analyzed with structural equation modeling. Each catering outlet was to allow to order meals online. We used descriptive analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and path analysis to test the hypotheses.
Findings: The findings suggest that positive online reviews affect each CBBE variable in the online catering outlet’s context. In the case of known catering establishment’s offering in the option of placing orders via online platforms, negative eWOM only affects the perceived quality and brand loyalty. However, it does not change brand awareness and brand association.
Implications: This paper contributes to the body of literature on eWOM, which to date offers very little understanding of the topic of positive and negative online reviews and CBBE dimensions. Moreover, in terms of practical and managerial applications, this study can be used to delineate strategy in terms of management of eWOM to optimize brand strategies.
Institutionalizing Corporate Governance Reforms in Poland: External Auditors’ Perspective
Abstract
Purpose: The paper examines auditors’ experiences with corporate governance (CG) in general and audit committees (ACs) in particular in the setting of a Polish two-tier board system and a capital market characterized by high ownership concentration, which therefore extends the research on CG practices of an economy beyond the well-researched Anglo-American model.
Methodology: This study adopts a qualitative research approach by using interview data from fifteen interviews with auditors working with large publicly-listed companies in Poland to examine the relationships among auditors, Audit Committees, and CG.
Findings: The auditors indicate that the CG environment has changed. However, the institutionalization of an AC in Poland generally is the subject of coercive isomorphic pressures, which lead to its decoupling and transition toward a ritualistic role. Moreover, auditors report only some reliance on CG information in the planning phase and none in the field-testing or review phases.
Originality: The findings differ from those of prior studies conducted predominantly in the USA and the UK, in which auditors reported far greater reliance on CG in all phases of the audit process. The two possible reasons for this difference in findings could be the different development stages between capital markets and different CG systems.
International Strategy as the Facilitator of the Speed, Scope, and Scale of Firms’ Internationalization
Abstract
Purpose: Strategy determines the patterns of internationalization. The speed, scale, and scope of internationalization are important dimensions from the perspective of firms’ behaviors and activities. The aim of the article is to identify and verify the relationship between the international strategy and its impact on three dimensions of the studied phenomenon.
Methodology: The article uses a quantitative approach. The survey was conducted on a sample of 355 internationalized firms from Poland, varying in size.
Findings: The analysis with t test and U test (ANOVA) shows a correlation between a company’s international strategy as a planning instrument and the speed and scope of internationalization.
Research limitations/implications: While considering a firm’s development, especially its international growth, one should plan the activities related to entering into foreign markets. The results presented in this article are just a starting point for further analyses. In an attempt to eliminate its limitations, further research should focus on building a comprehensive model that includes the remaining components of international strategy and other categories that stimulate internationalization processes.
Originality: The originality of this article lies in three elements: (i) the article comprehensively captures the scale, scope, and speed of internationalization at the same time, (ii) the strategy is introduced as a determining factor of the scale, scope, and speed of internationalization, and (iii) the article enriches empirical studies about emerging markets such as Poland.
Refreshing Typologies Based on Family Firms’ Goals: The Perspective of “First-Generation Enterprises”
Abstract
Purpose: The study aims to build a typology of family businesses with relatively short experience in the free-market economy. The typology is based on the goal preferences of the family businesses.
Methodology: The research is based on empirical data from Polish medium-sized and large enterprises, collected in 2014. Using cluster analysis and variance analysis, we identified four types of family enterprises based on their goal perceptions and tested the differences among them.
Results: The article distinguishes and characterizes four types of family enterprises: “business first, family second,” “only business,” “immature,” and “family first, business second.”
Originality/value: The proposed typology is similar to that presented in the subject literature. Nevertheless, our contribution resides in the discovery that even if family and business goals are integrated in the enterprise, one of the systems will be dominant. Moreover, enterprises that only prioritize family goals were absent in the explored data set.
The Relationships Between Psychological Contract Expectations and Counterproductive Work Behaviors: Employer Perception
Abstract
Purpose: The article attempts to identify the relationship between employers’ psychological contract perception (relational and transactional expectations) and the occurrence of counterproductive work behavior among their employees. The study seeks to extend the understanding of the psychological contract concept and its correlation with counterproductive work behaviors. There are numerous studies analyzing the perceptions of obligations and promises of a psychological contract from the employee’s viewpoint. However, the question of employer expectations and the perception of the fulfillment of these expectations is not less important, albeit much less elaborated.
Methodology: Participants were 101 managers and owners of small and medium companies who represent different businesses in construction industry in the Ukrainian market. Data were collected through a questionnaire.
Key findings: The results of the study show that employers have a high level of expectations toward their employees, and the relational character of the expectations is dominant. However, the perceptions of the fulfillment of these expectations were at a moderate level. The results also show that employers reveal a moderate level of counterproductive work behavior (CWB) and a significant relationship between psychological contract (PC), relational expectations, and CWB.
Working Capital Management Policy: Female Top Managers and Firm Profitability
Abstract
Purpose: This study aims to investigate female top managers’ choice of working capital management policies and its effect on firm profitability. The theoretical arguments about the effects of working capital management policies on firm profitability and empirical evidence are often inconsistent. Additionally, it is likely that the policy choice is closely related to the gender of top managers.
Methodology: Our research sample was all 136 manufacturing firms listed in Indonesian Stock Exchange during the 2013–2017 period. Following the hypothesis formulation, this study employed four estimation models tested using panel data regression.
Findings: Female CFOs tend to choose more conservative working capital investment policies. Moreover, conservative investment policies have a positive effect on firm profitability and mediate the impact of top female managers on firm profitability.
Originality: Previous literature tends to overlook the role of top female managers in affecting working capital management policies and the effect of these policies on firm profitability. In this respect, this study provides insights on the role of the gender of top managers as a factor that likely explains the choice of working capital management policies in manufacturing firms which, in turn, affect firm profitability.
Digitalisation of Healthcare and the Problem of Digital Exclusion
Abstract
Purpose: Digitalisation of healthcare in Poland which covers e-prescriptions, e-referrals, and sharing electronic medical records (EMR) on the P1 platform3 is supposed to be fully completed and implemented from 1 January 2021. The success of that implementation is strictly connected to the level of digital skills of both healthcare providers and healthcare service users. The purpose of the present paper is to indicate potential problems which may arise from the digitalisation of healthcare in social groups which are not adapted to using information and communication technologies (ICT) in their day-to-day lives, especially in case of the elderly.
Methodology: In order to indicate a potentially high level of digital exclusion in society, secondary data collected by Eurostat, Statistics Poland and CBOS4 were used. Problems in the healthcare sector, including those resulting from the digitalisation implemented in Poland, were presented against the backdrop of the changing law which applies here.
Findings: The introduction of digital solutions in the healthcare sector in Poland, including EMR, e-referrals, and e-prescriptions, was postponed numerous times, which can indicate the lack of the proper preparation of providers for a digital revolution. However, a potentially greater problem may lie with healthcare service users, especially considering the fact that such services are used mostly by the elderly. The phenomenon of digital exclusion, generally associated with the lack of skills necessary for using ICT, is frequently observed particularly among senior citizens. It can lead to social isolation which is a risk factor that influences the health of senior citizens and the quality of their lives.
Originality/value: Some of the issues resulting from the adopted solutions and the legislation governing healthcare in Poland, including the digitalisation of said healthcare, and proposals for amendments in this regard were provided in this interdisciplinary paper. It seems that those solutions could be used to reduce the threats of the digital exclusion of a significant part of Polish society, particularly in the group of seniors.
The Effects of Psychological Capital on Public Employees’ Burnout: An Example From Turkey
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study is to review the effects of psychological capital on employees’ burn-out in the work environment. This research is paired with Self-Efficacy Theory, which emphasizes that the results of efforts and performances are the most significant sources of self-efficacy.
Methodology: Data collected from 416 Turkish workers employed at public institutions in Turkey were included in the analyses to identify the effects of psychological capital on burnout by using two different types of scales (burnout and psychological capital scales) into a single questionnaire form with Likert-type response scale. Beside the Reliability Analysis, different statistical valuation methods –such as regression and correlation analyses– have also been used.
Findings: The results of analyses conducted on the sample of 416 Turkish workers reveal that statistically significant relationships appear between self-efficacy and depersonalization, hope and low personal accomplishment, optimism and emotional exhaustion, optimism and depersonalization. Optimism is negatively related to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization while positively and insignificantly related to low personal accomplishment. Both self-efficacy and optimism are significantly effective in explaining depersonalization. Hope positively and significantly contributes to explain the low personal accomplishment level of employees. On the other hand, optimism negatively and significantly contributes to emotional exhaustion.
Implications: As found in the results of this research, optimism will decrease emotional exhaustion. Resilient people can more easily adapt to changes in life. Organizations may focus not only on improving organizational structure but also foregrounding workers’ positive personality traits and healthy psychological capital systems.
Value: This research which emphasizes the effects of psychological capital on burnout levels of employees is as valuable as others in relevant literature with different research results which are more valuable than the other.
IT Reliability and Innovation in SMEs: Empirical Research
Abstract
Purpose: Analysis of theoretical views and empirical research concerning the relation between IT reliability and the innovation level of organizations.
Methodology: The pilot (sample: 100) and main (sample: 400) survey was conducted in 2017 among SMEs located in Poland.
Findings: The empirical analysis shows that there is a relation between IT reliability and innovation level. Moreover, information reliability appears as a factor that may influence the organization’s ability to create innovations. Furthermore, service reliability proves to correlate with innovation level as well, which provides additional conclusions that support the realization that service is an important feature, which may also influence employees’ ability to employ IT appropriately and efficiently, thereby supporting the generation of innovation.
Implications: Findings enable us to indicate the direction of further promising research that should concern the relationship between IT reliability and innovation in the context of stages of the innovation process and different types of innovation, which should be analyzed separately.
Value: The article presents a new factor that may influence the possibility of creating various types of innovations. Usually, papers focus on IT systems, while the relationship between IT reliability and innovation allows us to look deeper into this relationship.
Managerial Discretion and Constraints: A Bounded Leadership Model
Abstract
Purpose: We propose and test a new leadership model. Our model is an extension of the leaderplex model which proposes that leader cognitive and social complexities are linked with leader effectiveness indirectly, in a mediation scheme, through behavioral complexity. We enhance the leader-plex model with a leader’s degree of managerial discretion as the moderator of the links in this mediation format.
Methodology: We test our model with a moderated mediation approach (Baron-Kenny four-step procedure and Preacher-Hayes bootstrapping methods).
Findings: We use results of interviews with top leaders in Poland and demonstrate that a leader’s managerial discretion is a moderator affecting the mediation scheme assumed in the leaderplex model.
Limitations: The sample size is only 29 leaders. To preserve the respondents’ anonymity, their opinions were evaluated by only one researcher who interviewed them directly. The results may be country specific (Poland).
Originality: We define new boundary conditions for the leaderplex model by showing importance of a leader’s real position (managerial discretion) in an organization. Specifically, we show that the nature of the relationships between the variables of interest will change when a leader operates in one physical environment (e.g., high managerial discretion) rather than another (e.g., low managerial discretion).
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Abstract:This study investigates the relationship between employee’s job satisfaction and job performance of hotel’s employees in five-star hotels in Bangkok. This study used self-administration data collection from a sample of 400 employees of five-star hotels in Bangkok. The results indicated that there was a relationship between job satisfaction and job performance. In addition, dysfunctional conflict was related negatively to job satisfaction; meanwhile, functional conflict was related positively to job satisfaction. Moreover, there was a positive relationship between integrating, obliging, avoiding and compromising style and job satisfaction; however; dominating style had a negative relationship with job satisfaction and proved that job satisfaction tend to increase the positive emotion on job satisfaction in the service setting, consequently, employee has ability to deal with problems with more effectively and predictor of job satisfaction due to employee who satisfied with the job seems to remain in the organization and appearing to gain rewarding beneficial.
Keywords: conflict management, job satisfaction, job performance, service sectorProcedia PDF Downloads 197
6080 Moderating Role of Fast Food Restaurants Employees Prior Job Experience on the Relationship between Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty
Authors: Mohammed Bala Banki
Abstract:This paper examines the relationship between employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction and loyalty in fast food restaurants in Nigeria and ascertains if prior job experience of employees before their present job moderate the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty. Data for this study were collected from matched pairs of employees and customers of fast restaurants in four Nigerian cities. A Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used for the analysis to test the proposed relationships and hierarchical multiple regression was performed in SPSS 22 to test moderating effect. Findings suggest that there is a direct positive and significant relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction and customer satisfaction and loyalty while the path between employee satisfaction and customer loyalty is insignificant. Results also reveal that employee’s prior job experience significantly moderate the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty. Further analysis indicates that employees with more years of experience provide more fulfilling services to restaurants customers. This paper provides some theoretical and managerial implications for academia and practitioners.
Keywords: employee’s satisfaction, customer’s satisfaction, loyalty, employee’s prior job experience, fast food industryProcedia PDF Downloads 72
6079 Gratitude, Forgiveness and Relationship Satisfaction in Dating College Students: A Parallel Multiple Mediator Model
Authors: Qinglu Wu, Anna Wai-Man Choi, Peilian Chi
Abstract:Gratitude is one individual strength that not only facilitates the mental health, but also fosters the relationship satisfaction in the romantic relationship. In terms of moral effect theory and stress-and-coping theory of forgiveness, present study not only investigated the association between grateful disposition and relationship satisfaction, but also explored the mechanism by comprehensively examining the potential mediating roles of three profiles of forgiveness (trait forgivingness, decisional forgiveness, emotional forgiveness), another character strength that highly related to the gratitude and relationship satisfaction. Structural equation modeling was used to conduct the multiple mediator model with a sample of 103 Chinese college students in dating relationship (39 male students and 64 female students, Mage = 19.41, SD = 1.34). Findings displayed that both gratitude and relationship satisfaction positively correlated with decisional forgiveness and emotional forgiveness. Emotional forgiveness was the only mediator, and it completely mediated the relationship between gratitude and relationship satisfaction. Gratitude was helpful in enhancing individuals’ perception of satisfaction in romantic relationship through replacing negative emotions toward partners with positive ones after transgression in daily life. It highlighted the function of emotional forgiveness in personal healing and peaceful state, which is important to the perception of satisfaction in relationship. Findings not only suggested gratitude could provide a stability for forgiveness, but also the mechanism of prosocial responses or positive psychological processes on relationship satisfaction. The significant roles of gratitude and emotional forgiveness could be emphasized in the intervention working on the romantic relationship development or reconciliation.
Keywords: decisional forgiveness, emotional forgiveness, gratitude, relationship satisfaction, trait forgivingnessProcedia PDF Downloads 187
6078 Job Satisfaction and Commitment among Academic Staff of Selected Colleges of Education in Kano and Kaduna States of Nigeria
Authors: Mary Okonkwo Ekwy
Abstract:The problem of the growing disillusionment of College of Education teachers with academic life vis-à-vis their job satisfaction and commitment was investigated in this study with a view to finding out if both their job satisfaction and commitment have suffered, and to find out if there was a relationship between job satisfaction and commitment among these College of Education teachers. Due consideration was also given in the study to the possible effects of demographic variables on attitudes to their job. To carry out a study of job satisfaction and commitment among the College of Education teachers and to explore the relationship between them, research instruments were used for measuring the levels of job satisfaction and commitment among them. A sample of 200 Colleges of Education teachers, comprising 15 Professors, 9 Principal Lecturers, 70 Senior Lecturer and 106 Lecturers was used for the study. Five major hypothesis were tested with regard to the relationship between job satisfaction and commitment among the teachers. The Pearson correlation, the F-ratio, and regression analysis were used for data analysis and hypothesis testing. The result of this investigation suggests that, perhaps the best way to secure the commitment of teachers is to ensure their job satisfaction. Future investigations will further enrich our knowledge about these very important themes.
Keywords: job satisfaction, commitment, academic staff, college of educationProcedia PDF Downloads 468
6077 The Relationship between Interpersonal Relationship and the Subjective Well-Being of Chinese Primary and Secondary Teachers: A Mediated Moderation Model
Authors: Xuling Zhang, Yong Wang, Xingyun Liu, Shuangxue Xu
Abstract:Based on positive psychology, this study presented a mediated moderation model in which character strengths moderated the relationship between interpersonal relationship, job satisfaction and subjective well-being, with job satisfaction taking the mediation role among them. A total of 912 teachers participated in four surveys, which include the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, Values in Action Inventory of Strengths, job satisfaction questionnaire, and the interpersonal relationship questionnaire. The results indicated that: (1) Taking interpersonal relationship as a typical work environmental variable, the result shows that it is significantly correlated to subjective well-being. (2) The character strengths of "kindness", “authenticity” moderated the effect of the teachers’ interpersonal relationship on subjective well-being. (3) The teachers’ job satisfaction mediated the above mentioned moderation effects. In general, this study shows that the teachers’ interpersonal relationship affects their subjective well-being, with their job satisfaction as mediation and character strengths of “kindness” and “authenticity” as moderation. The managerial implications were also discussed.
Keywords: character strength, subjective well-being, job satisfaction, interpersonal relationshipProcedia PDF Downloads 227
6076 Examining the Impact of Training on Turnover Intention in Project-Based Organizations
Authors: Muhammad Safder Shafi, Uzma Javed, Tooba Qasim
Abstract:The purpose of this paper is to find out the relationship between training and turnover intention in the presence of mediating variables promotion opportunities and job satisfaction among IT professionals in project based industry. It investigates the relationship directly between 1 independent variable training and dependent variable turnover intention. It also investigates the relationship between independent variable to the mediating variables and mediating variables to the turnover intention. Promotion opportunities and job satisfaction act as a mediator. The study sample comprised of 186 IT professionals from Pakistan, who work on different IT projects. Linear regression and Baron and Kenny approach were used to test the direct and mediated relationship between variables. The survey results demonstrated that job satisfaction fully mediate the relationship between promotion opportunities and turnover intention. Promotion opportunities fully mediate the relationship between employee training and job satisfaction. Promotion opportunities and job satisfaction mediates the relationship between training and turnover intention. The findings from the collected data may help top management to improve organizational strategies to cope up with improving different HR practices like training, pay structure and promotions in order to retain their workforce.
Keywords: HCT, SET, career growth opportunities, job satisfaction, training, turnover intentionProcedia PDF Downloads 288
6075 The Effect of Relationship Marketing on Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction without Service Providers' Emotional Intelligence: The Case of the Insurance Industry in Ghana
Authors: Frank Frimpong Opuni, Michael Mba Allan, Kwame Adu-Gyamfi, Michael Sarkodie Baffoe
Abstract:This paper assesses the effect of relationship marketing on service quality and customer satisfaction from the perspective of the moderating role of emotional intelligence in the insurance industry in Ghana. A descriptive quantitative research technique was employed. A random sample of 384 each of customers and service providers in 3 insurance firms in Accra were used as the source of data. According to findings, emotional intelligence makes a strong positive effect on relationship marketing at 5% significance level, r (283) = .817, p = .000. Though relationship marketing makes a strong positive effect on service quality (r = .767, p < .05) and customer satisfaction (r = .647, p < .05), this effect becomes insignificant (p > .05) when the effect of emotional intelligence on relationship marketing is controlled for. It is therefore recommended that insurance firms give priority to equipping their relationship employees with emotional intelligence to maximise service quality and customer satisfaction.
Keywords: relationship marketing, service quality, customer satisfaction, emotional intelligenceProcedia PDF Downloads 356
6074 The Relationship between Organizational Climate with Job Burnout and Job Satisfaction in Employees of Tehran Electric Company
Authors: Zeinab Amini Moghaddam, Alireza Dehkhodania
Abstract:Nowadays, organizations have found a high status in the cultural and social structures of societies. The purpose of current study is to investigate the relationship between organizational climate with job burnout as well as job satisfaction. The research method is descriptive and correlational. The population of the study includes all employees in Tehran Electric Company, which equals 1984 people in 2018. The sampling was performed in the form of a consensus, and all employees were regarded as samples. The data gathering tools consist of three questionnaires of Smith’s Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, Halpin and Craft's Occupational climate, and Maslach and Jackson's Job burnout. The results showed that there was a direct and positive relationship between organizational climate and job burnout, as well as job satisfaction. The organizational climate variable could successfully predict job satisfaction. It was also able to predict job burnout.
Keywords: organizational climate, job burnout, job satisfaction, descriptive, correlationalProcedia PDF Downloads 89
6073 Relationship between Depression, Stress, and Life Satisfaction among Students
Authors: Rexa Pasha
Abstract:The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between depression, stress and life satisfaction with sleep disturbance among Islamic Azad University Ahvaz Branch students. Samples in the study included 230 students who were selected by stratified random sampling. For data collection, the Beck Depression Inventory, stress, life satisfaction and quality of sleep (PSQI) was used. Which all have acceptable reliability and validity. This study was correlation and Data analysis using Pearson correlation and multivariate regression significance level (p
6072 Couple Relationship Satisfaction: The Role of Recollection of Parental Acceptance, Self-Differentiation and Spousal Caregiving
Authors: Ricky Finzi-Dottan
Abstract:The actor–partner interdependence model (APIM) was employed in this study to investigate the mediating effect self-differentiation and spousal caregiving have on the relationship between recollection of parental care and acceptance and couple satisfaction. One hundred and forty-four non-clinical couples (N=288) in enduring relationships were recruited. Results for actor effects revealed two mediating paths whereby, among both partners, recollection of maternal (but not paternal) acceptance was associated with their self-differentiation and responsive spousal caregiving, which, in turn, were linked to their spousal relationship satisfaction. Partner effects revealed three mediating paths: for both partners, recollection of childhood maternal acceptance was associated with responsive caregiving, which, in turn, was linked with their partner’s relationship satisfaction. Interestingly, the husbands’ recollection of maternal acceptance was associated with their partners' responsive spousal caregiving, which was linked to both spouses’ relationship satisfaction. Our results may support the theoretical assumptions regarding intergenerational continuity from perceptions of childhood via self-differentiation effecting couple caregiving to couple relationship, but only on the mother's part.
Keywords: couple relationship satisfaction, childhood parental acceptance, self-differentiation, couple caregiving, dyadic perspectiveProcedia PDF Downloads 65
6071 The Relationship between Quality of Life and Sexual Satisfaction in Women with Severe Burns
Authors: Jafar Kazemzadeh, Soheila Rabiepoor, Saeedeh Alizadeh
Abstract:Introduction: Burn, especially in women, can affect the quality of life and their quality of life due to a change in appearance. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between quality of life and sexual satisfaction in women with burn. Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study conducted on 101 women with severe burns referring to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Urmia in 2016. The data gathering scales were demographic questionnaire, burn specific health scale-brief (BSHS-B) and index of sexual satisfaction (ISS). The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16. Results: Mean score of quality of life was 102.94 ± 20.88 and sexual satisfaction was 57.03 ± 25.91. Also, there was a significant relationship between quality of life and its subscales with sexual satisfaction and some demographic variables (p < 0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it should be noted that interventional efforts for improving sexual satisfaction and thus improving the quality of life in these patients are important. The findings of this study appear to be effective in planning for women with a history of burns.
Keywords: burn, quality of life, sexual satisfaction, womenProcedia PDF Downloads 112
6070 The Relation of Motivation and Reward with Volunteer Satisfaction: Empirical Evidence from Omani Non-Profit Organization
Authors: Ali Al Shamli, Talal AlMamari
Abstract:Background: The relationship between motivation and satisfaction is posited to be mediated by reward. In this study, the motivation construct was measured by a motivation scale. The scale when factor analysed generated five factors. These factors were referred as; 1) leisure motivation, 2) egoistic motivation, 3) external motivation, 4) purposive, and 5) material motivation. The reward construct was measured by using a five-item scale whereas the satisfaction construct was measured by using a 13-item scale. The scale when factor analysed produced three factors which are referred as; 1) satisfaction A, 2) satisfaction B, and 3) satisfaction C. Objective: The main purpose of the present paper was to find out the relation of motivation and reward with volunteer satisfaction at national sports organizations (NPSOs) in Oman. Methods: This current study adopts a cross-sectional design as the data collection is done only once whereas the mode of administration was postal questionnaire where each questionnaire was posted, completed, and returned using the self-addressed envelope after its completion. The population of the study consisted of (160) boards and directors members of NPSOs (Non-Profit Sports Organization Services) in Oman from all 43 sports club. Results: The findings provided new empirical evidence that supported the argument of the relationship between motivation and satisfaction is indeed, mediated by reward. However, this study differs in that the relationship was tested based on the first-order constructs which were derived from the underlying dimensions of both motivation and satisfaction constructs. It was established that the relationships between motivation B and motivation C with satisfaction A are mediated by reward. Conclusion: In light of study findings, there is a direct relationship between developmental motivation and experiential satisfaction, a direct relationship between social motivation and relational satisfaction, as well as personal motivation and relational satisfaction, is mediated by reward. Therefore, Omani volunteers are less reliant on the reward as evidenced by the direct relationship between motivation A and satisfaction and between motivation C and satisfaction A. More tests in different settings will provide more understanding on volunteer motivation.
Keywords: non-profit sports organization, sport and reward, volunteers in sport, satisfaction in sportProcedia PDF Downloads 388
6069 Organizational Learning, Job Satisfaction and Work Performance among Nurses
Authors: Rafia Rafique, Arifa Khadim
Abstract:This research investigates the moderating role of job satisfaction between organizational learning and work performance among nurses. Correlation research design was used. Non-probability purposive sampling technique was utilized to recruit a sample of 110 nurses from public hospitals situated in the city of Lahore. The construct of organizational learning was measured using subscale of Integrated Scale for Measuring Organizational Learning. Job satisfaction was measured with the help of Job Satisfaction Survey. Performance of employees (task performance, contextual performance and counterproductive work behavior) was assessed by Individual Work Performance Questionnaire. Job satisfaction negatively moderates the relationship between organizational learning and counterproductive work behavior. Education has a significant positive relationship with organizational learning. Age, current hospital experience, marital satisfaction and salary of the nurses have positive relationship while number of children has significant negative relationship with counterproductive work behavior. These outcomes can be insightful in understanding the dynamics involved in work performance. Based on the result of this study relevant solutions can be proposed to improve the work performance of nurses.
Keywords: counterproductive work behavior, nurses, organizational learning, work performanceProcedia PDF Downloads 355
6068 The Path to Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Improvement
Authors: Mehrnoosh Askarizadeh
Abstract:The foundation of all marketing is composed by relations. Thus, all marketing activities concentrated to establish, develop and maintain successful relational exchanges. By building strong relational bonds, relationship marketing improves customer loyalty resulting in improved firm performance. Relationship marketing is a strategically important tool to use to obtain and secure the result of customer’s loyalty, which leads to higher competitiveness and also enhanced satisfaction among the customers. The study revealed that there subsist significant relationships between customer satisfaction and loyalty. It is recognized that with improvement of customer satisfaction a firm will find customers that are more loyal. Based it, firm managers are advised to satisfy and better manage their relationships through quality product and service offerings to their customers as a competitive policy in the marketplace. These offerings are required to meet or surpass consumers’ expectations.
Keywords: customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, trend, relationship marketingProcedia PDF Downloads 373
6067 An Empirical Analysis of HRM in Different Pharmaceutical Departments of Different Pharmaceutical Industries in Pakistan
Authors: Faisal Ali, Mansoor Shuakat, Cui Lirong, Rabia Riasat
Abstract:HR is a department that enhances the power of employee performance in regard with their services, and to make the organization strategic objectives. The main concern of HR department is to organize people, focus on policies and their system. The empirical study shows the relationship between HRM (Human Resource Management practices) and their Job Satisfaction. The Hypothesis is testing on a sample of overall 320 employees of 5 different Pharmaceutical departments of different organizations in Pakistan. The important thing as Relationship of Job satisfaction with HR Practices, Impact on Job Satisfaction with HR Practices, Participation of Staff of Different Departments, HR Practices effects the Job satisfaction, Recruitment or Hiring and Selection effects the Job satisfaction, Training and Development, Performance and Appraisals, Compensation affects the Job satisfaction , and Industrial Relationships affects the Job satisfaction. After finishing all data analysis, the conclusion is that lots of Job related activities raise the confidence of Job satisfaction of employees with their salary and other benefits. Implications of HR practices discussed, Limitations, and future research study also offered write the main conclusion for your paper.
Keywords: HRM, HR practices, job satisfaction, TQMProcedia PDF Downloads 239
6066 The Relationship between Adaptive Behavior Levels of Autistic Adolescents and Life Satisfaction of Caregivers
Abstract:The aim of the study is to examine the relationship between adaptive behavior levels of autistic adolescents and life satisfaction of caregivers. Material and Methods: 22 adolescents between 10 and 18 years of age and 22 caregivers between 30 and 60 years of age participated in the study. Sociodemographic information form and Life Satisfaction Scale were administered to the caregivers when the socio-demographic information form, Adaptive Behavior Scale (ABS-S: 2) were applied to the autistic adolescents participating in the study. Results and Discussion: Thirteen of the autistic adolescents participating in the study (59.1%) were male, 9 (40.9%) were female and the mean age was 11,95 ± 3,76. Twenty-one of the caregivers (95,45%) were female, 1 (4.54%) were male and the mean age was 40,95 ± 8,94. In the study, it was determined that there was a significant relationship between the adaptive behavior levels of the autistic adolescents and the life satisfaction of caregivers (p < 0.01). In addition, in autistic adolescents, there was a significant relationship between ABS-S:2' all other subparameters except menstruation, counts and time subparameters and life satisfaction of caregivers (p < 0.05). According to the study, the increase in the life skills of the autistic adolescents affects the life satisfaction of caregivers positively. It should be noted that while the practice of ergotherapy is planned, the independent living skills training given to the autistic adolescents plays an important role in improving the life satisfaction of caregivers.
Keywords: autism, adaptive behavior, caregiver, quality of lifeProcedia PDF Downloads 105
6065 Relationship between Micro-Level Entrepreneurial Resilience with Job Satisfaction and Family Social Support
Authors: Kristiana Haryanti, Theresia Dwi Hastuti, Agustine Eva Maria Soekesi
Abstract:Entrepreneurship is an important topic today that is widely discussed in the business world. The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated all businesses in the world, especially businesses at the micro-level. This study tries to prove the relationship between job satisfaction of micro-level business owners and family social support for their resilience. The respondents of this study amounted to 58 entrepreneurs. The results of this study indicate that there is a relationship between job satisfaction and social support with entrepreneurial resilience in continuing the family business.
Keywords: family business, family social support, job satisfaction, resilienceProcedia PDF Downloads 6
6064 The Relationship between Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty through Social Media of Service Business
Authors: Supattra Kanchanopast
Abstract:The purpose of this study was to study the relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty through social media of service business. This study collected data from 187 customers who have used social media of service business to buy product or service in Thailand. Statistics including frequency, percentage, standard deviation and Person’s Correlation test were used. The finding revealed that the majority of the respondents were female, 25-40 years old, graduated the bachelor degree, had monthly income 15,000-25,000 Baht and worked in private sectors. The mostly respondents have reserved the accommodation/homestay/hotel through Facebook about 3-4 times. The hypothesis testing disclosed that the satisfaction in customer invitation and data presentation perspective had a correlation with the level of customer loyalty: recommendation to others in terms of sharing. In addition, the satisfaction in customer relationship management perspective had a positive correlation with customer loyalty through social media of service business with respect to repeat purchase and recommendation to others at the 0.05 level of significance.
Keywords: customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, relationship, service business, social mediaProcedia PDF Downloads 355
6063 Relational and Personal Variables Predicting Marital Satisfaction
Authors: Sezen Gulec, Bilge Uzun
Abstract:Almost all of the world population marries at least once in their lifetime. Nevertheless, in reality, only half of all marriages last a lifetime. The most important factor in marriage to manage is the satisfaction that they obtain. It is reality that marital satisfaction does not only related to maintain the relationship but also related to the social and work relationships. In this respect, the purpose of the present research is to find the personal and relational factors predicted marital satisfaction. The sample including 378 (178 male and 200 females) married individuals were administered to marital life scale, multidimensional perfectionism scale, trait forgivingness scale, adjective based personality test and relationship happiness questionnaire. The findings revealed marital happiness, forgiveness and extravertedness and emotional inconsistency factors were found to be significant predictors of marital satisfaction.
Keywords: marital satisfaction, happiness, perfectionism, forgiveness, five factor personalityProcedia PDF Downloads 575
6062 The Impact of Life Satisfaction on Substance Abuse: Delinquency as a Mediator
Authors: Mahadzirah Mohamad, Morliyati Mohammad, Nor Azman Mat Ali, Zainudin Awang
Abstract:Globally, youth substance abuse has been identified as the problem that causes substantial damage not only to individuals, but also to families and communities. In addition, substance abuse youths have become unproductive resources that would play lesser roles in the nation’s development. The increasing trend of substance abuse among youths has raised a lot of concern among various quarters in Malaysia. It has also been reported that Malay youths are the majority group involved in substance abuse. However, it was noted that life satisfaction had been found to be an important mitigating factor that addressed substance abuse. The objectives of the study were twofold: firstly, to ascertain the effect of life satisfaction on substance abuse among Malay youth. Secondly, to identify the role of delinquency on the relationship between life satisfaction and substance abuse. This study adopted a cross-sectional research design. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 500 Malay youths at the youth programmes using a two-step sampling technique: area sampling and systematic sampling. The research hypotheses were tested using Structural Equation Modelling. The findings of the study revealed that there is no significance relationship between life satisfaction and substance abuse. There is a significant inverse relationship between life satisfaction and delinquency. Moreover, delinquency has a positive significant influence on substance abuse. The use of Bootstrapping analysis proved that delinquency plays a full mediating role in the relationship between life satisfaction and substance abuse. This study suggested that life satisfaction has no effect on youth substance abuse. In order to reduce substance abuse, efforts should be undertaken to reduce delinquency behaviour by increasing youth life satisfaction.
Keywords: delinquency, life satisfaction, substance abuse, youthProcedia PDF Downloads 259
6061 Assessing Effectiveness of Manager-Subordinate Relationships at Workplace
Authors: Anant Sagar, Manisha Rana, Surabhi Singhal
Abstract:This study was aimed at analysing the effectiveness of manager-subordinate relationship and the different factors contributing to its effectiveness in a mid-sized IT organization. To define effectiveness in context of a manager-subordinate relationship, a model was framed which analyses personal and professional need fulfilment of subordinates. On basis of this need satisfaction based effectiveness model, relationships are categorized into four types anchored on two scales; Personal Need Satisfaction and Professional Need Satisfaction. These spatial effectiveness scores of a managerial relationship are further mapped with the relationship style of the manager to identify relationship styles which are associated with different effectiveness levels. The relationship style is analysed by using Impact Message Inventory-Circumplex (IMI-C). The results show that managerial relationship’s effectiveness is contingent on manager’s affiliation scores, subordinate’s previous work experience and the ability of managers to influence the personal and professional needs of employees through organizational policies. The findings reflect that effectiveness of manager-subordinate relationship increased in a friendly workplace where managers were adequately empowered to acknowledge employee needs.
Keywords: relationship effectiveness, need fulfilment, managerial style, impact message inventory-circumplexProcedia PDF Downloads 301
6060 The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility and Relationship Marketing on Relationship Maintainer and Customer Loyalty by Mediating Role of Customer Satisfaction
Authors: Anam Bhatti, Sumbal Arif, Mariam Mehar, Sohail Younas
Abstract:CSR has become one of the imperative implements in satisfying customers. The impartial of this research is to calculate CSR, relationship marketing, and customer satisfaction. In Pakistan, there is not enough research work on the effect of CSR and relationship marketing on relationship maintainer and customer loyalty. To find out deductive approach and survey method is used as research approach and research strategy respectively. This research design is descriptive and quantitative study. For data, collection questionnaire method with semantic differential scale and seven point scales are adopted. Data has been collected by adopting the non-probability convenience technique as sampling technique and the sample size is 400. For factor confirmatory factor analysis, structure equation modeling and medication analysis, regression analysis Amos software were used. Strong empirical evidence supports that the customer’s perception of CSR performance is highly influenced by the values.
Keywords: CSR, Relationship marketing, Relationship maintainer, Customer loyalty, Customer satisfactionProcedia PDF Downloads 344
6059 Measurements of Service Quality vs Customer Satisfaction in Government Owned Retail Store at Kochi
Authors: N. S. Ajisha
Abstract:In today’s competitive world the quality of the service you deliver is one of the important factor that determine customer satisfaction. Service quality is considered to be one important determinant to evaluate customer satisfaction and the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction is considered as the foundation in researches on customer satisfaction. This research examines to do a gap analysis between the perception and expectation of the services delivered and find relation between the service quality and customer satisfaction. Service quality is found out here using the SERVQUAL model. And it finds out the dimension of service quality which is more important to measure customer satisfaction. The dimensions which we measure using SERVQUAL include the tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. This study involves primary data collection like market survey.
Keywords: customer satisfaction, service quality, retail service quality, KochiProcedia PDF Downloads 383
6058 A Study of the Relationship between Time Management Behaviour and Job Satisfaction of Higher Education Institutes in India
Authors: Sania K. Rao, Feza T. Azmi
Abstract:The purpose of the present study is to explore the relationship between time management behaviour and job satisfaction of academicians of higher education institutes in India. The analyses of this study were carried out with AMOS (version 20.0); and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) were conducted. The factor analysis and findings show that perceived control of time serves as the partial mediating factor to have a significant and positive influence on job satisfaction. Further, at the end, a number of suggestions to improve one’s time management behaviour were provided.
Keywords: time management behaviour, job satisfaction, higher education, India, mediation analysisProcedia PDF Downloads 304
6057 Customer Satisfaction and Effective HRM Policies: Customer and Employee Satisfaction
Authors: S. Anastasiou, C. Nathanailides
Abstract:The purpose of this study is to examine the possible link between employee and customer satisfaction. The service provided by employees, help to build a good relationship with customers and can help at increasing their loyalty. Published data for job satisfaction and indicators of customer services were gathered from relevant published works which included data from five different countries. The reviewed data indicate a significant correlation between indicators of customer and employee satisfaction in the Banking sector. There was a significant correlation between the two parameters (Pearson correlation R2=0.52 P<0.05) The reviewed data provide evidence that there is some practical evidence which links these two parameters.
Keywords: job satisfaction, job performance, customer’ service, banks, human resources managementProcedia PDF Downloads 237
6056 A Structural Model to Examine Hotel Image and Overall Satisfaction on Future Behavior of Customers
Authors: Nimit Soonsan
Abstract:Hotel image is a key business issue in today’s hotel market and has been increasingly been recognized as a valuable and inimitable source of competitive advantage by many hotel. The current study attempted to develop and test a relationship of hotel image, overall satisfaction, and future behavior. Based on the above concepts, this paper hypothesizes the correlations among four constructs, namely, hotel image and overall satisfaction as antecedents of future behavior that positive word-of-mouth and intention to revisit. This study surveyed for a sample of 244 international customers staying budget hotel in Phuket, Thailand and using a structural equation modeling identified relationship between hotel image, overall satisfaction and future behavior. The major finding of structural equation modeling indicates that hotel image directly affects overall satisfaction and indirectly affects future behavior that positive word-of-mouth and intention to revisit. In addition, overall satisfaction had significant influence on future behavior that positive word-of-mouth and intention to revisit, and the mediating role of overall satisfaction is also confirmed in this study. Managerial implications are provided, limitations noted, and future research directions suggested.
Keywords: hotel image, satisfaction, word-of-mouth, revisitProcedia PDF Downloads 106
6055 Employees’ Satisfaction and Engagement in UAE: Antecedents and Outcomes
Authors: Sareh Rajabi, Taha Anjamrooz, Ahmed Hassan Almarzooqi
Abstract:Employee satisfaction, engagement, and performance are crucial for successful organizations. The performance of the employees now depends on their satisfaction level and whether they are satisfied with the management. Due to this fact, the organizations are now measuring the satisfaction level of their employees to increase profitability, productivity, and turnover. The aim of this research is to inspect the antecedents which direct in the direction of significant employee engagement and good job fit by finding the relationship between employee satisfaction and engagement. Based on an inclusive literature review on the employees’ satisfaction, engagement and performance, this research will conduct a study and survey in the UAE organizations in order to develop a framework for evaluating the impact of factors like employee satisfaction and engagement on the operation as an outcome by using statistical analysis. This study will allow in understanding the advantages of containing satisfied employees and how they perform in their peak motivation to make the company more profitable and competitive.
Keywords: employees’ satisfaction, employees’ engagement, antecedents, outcomesProcedia PDF Downloads 64
6054 The Effects of Self-Efficacy on Life Satisfaction
Authors: Gao ya
Abstract:This present study aims to find the relationship between self-efficacy and life satisfaction and the effects of self-efficacy on life satisfaction among Chinese people whose age is from 27-32, born between 1990 and 1995. People who were born between 1990 and 1995 are worthy to receive more attention now because the 90s was always received a lot of focus and labeled negatively as soon as they were born. And a large number of researches study people in individualism society more. So we chose the specific population whose age is from 27 to 32 live in a collectivist society. Demographic information was collected, including age, gender, education level, marital status, income level, number of children. We used the general self-efficacy scale(GSC) and the satisfaction with Life Scale(SLS) to collect data. A total of 350 questionnaires were distributed in and collected from mainland China, then 261 valid questionnaires were returned in the end, making a response rate of 74.57 percent. Some statistics techniques were used, like regression, correlation, ANOVA, T-test and general linear model, to measure variables. The findings were that self-efficacy positively related to life satisfaction. And self-efficacy influences life satisfaction significantly. At the same time, the relationship between demographic information and life satisfaction was analyzed.
Keywords: marital status, life satisfaction, number of children, self-efficacy, income levelProcedia PDF Downloads 39
6053 The Impact of Shared Culture, Trust and Information Exchange on Satisfaction and Financial Performance: Moderating Effects of Supply Chain Dependence
Authors: Hung Nguyen, Norma Harrison
Abstract:This paper examines the role supply chain dependence as contingency factors which affect the effectiveness of different critical factors (in terms trust, information exchange and shared culture) in delivering supply chain satisfaction and financial performance. Using the data of 468 manufacturing firms in the Global Manufacturing Research Group, this study shows that supply chain dependence strengthens the positive relationship between shared culture & vision and supply chain satisfaction while dampens the relationship between trust and satisfaction. The study also demonstrates the direct positive effect of satisfaction on financial performance. Supply chain managers were advised to emphasize on the alignments of common understanding, codes, languages, common shared vision and similar cultures.
Keywords: information exchange, shared culture, satisfaction, supply chain dependenceProcedia PDF Downloads 304
6052 Mediating Role of Burnout in Personality and Marital Satisfaction of Single and Dual Career Couples
Authors: Sara Subhan
Abstract:Married couples tend to experience various bio-psycho-social issues that may eventually impact the quality of their marital relationship and mental wellbeing. This study aimed to find out the comparison between the single and dual-career couples’ personality, burnout and marital satisfaction. For that purpose Big Five Inventory, Couple Satisfaction Inventory, and Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey was used to measure the relationship between variables. The main study was carried out on 200 samples of single and dual-earner couples with the age range of 23-52 (mean= 34.58; standard deviation= 6.51) by using a purposive sampling strategy. The results showed that burnout tendencies like exhaustion, cynicism and professional efficacy are playing a mediation role between the personality and marital satisfaction of both single and dual career couples. Also, the results revealed that dual-career couples are more likely to have marital satisfaction as compared to single career couples. The results were further discussed in the light of its implications in its cultural context and counseling areas.
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https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=relationship%20satisfaction
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CONTACT: AASM Director of Communications Kathleen McCann; 708-492-0930, ext. 9316; [email protected]
WESTCHESTER, IL – Highly variable sleep schedules predict an elevated risk for suicide independent of depression in actively suicidal young adults, according to a research abstract that will be presented Tuesday, June 8, 2010, in San Antonio, Texas, at SLEEP 2010, the 24th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.
Results indicate that a sample of actively suicidal undergraduate students had a delayed mean bedtime of 2:08 a.m.; restricted total sleep time of 6.3 hours; and highly variable sleep schedules, with time of mean sleep onset varying by three hours and time of sleep offset varying by 2.8 hours. However, accounting for baseline depression severity, sleep variability was the only sleep measurement to individually predict increases in suicidal risk at one week and three weeks. Sleep irregularity also was the only sleep-related variable to predict greater mood lability, which in turn predicted elevated suicidal symptoms.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the unique association between sleep and suicide risk using an objective assessment of sleep and a prospective study design,” said principal investigator Rebecca Bernert, PhD, Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. "We found that a high degree of irregularity in sleep predicted increases in suicidal symptoms, conferring risk above and beyond the influence of depression. Given that the relationship between sleep disturbances and suicide appears to exist independent of depressed mood, we propose that sleep disturbances may instead confer risk via impaired mood regulation and increased mood lability.”
The three-week study was conducted at the Florida State University Laboratory for the Study of the Psychology and Neurobiology of Mood Disorders, Suicide, and Related Conditions. Bernert and laboratory director Thomas Joiner, PhD, studied 49 actively suicidal undergraduate students between the ages of 19 and 23 years; 71 percent were female.
Symptom severity was assessed at baseline, one week and three weeks using the Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Scale for Suicide. Sleep data were obtained by wrist actigraphy for one week, and sleep variability was calculated as the standard deviation of sleep onsets and offsets, summed. Mood lability was evaluated across the same timeframe using daily visual analogue scale mood ratings.
According to Bernert, identifying sleep irregularity as a stand-alone risk factor for suicidal ideation could have important clinical implications.
“Compared to other suicide risk factors such as a past suicide attempt, disturbed sleep is modifiable, often visible and amenable to treatment,” she said. “In this way, the study of sleep may inform suicide risk assessment and represent a clinically unique opportunity for intervention.”
The study was supported by a National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health.
In 2007 Bernert and Joiner published a review of the literature on sleep disturbances and suicide risk in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. Among several theories, underlying neurobiological factors such as serotonergic neurotransmission were proposed to play a role in the relationship between sleep and suicide, although this has yet to be tested.
Individuals experiencing emotional distress or a suicidal crisis are encouraged to call the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a 24-hour crisis hotline, at 1-800-873-TALK. Those suffering from persistent sleep problems are encouraged to consult with a sleep expert at one of the 2,000 AASM-accredited sleep disorders centers across the U.S.
The SLEEP 2010 abstract supplement is available for download on the website of the journal SLEEP at https://www.journalsleep.org/ViewAbstractSupplement.aspx.
A joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, the annual SLEEP meeting brings together an international body of more than 5,000 leading clinicians and scientists in the fields of sleep medicine and sleep research. At SLEEP 2010 more than 1,100 research abstract presentations will showcase new findings that contribute to the understanding of sleep and the effective diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy and sleep apnea.
Abstract Title: Objectively-assessed sleep variability uniquely predicts increased suicide risk in a prospective evaluation of young adults
Abstract ID: 0690
Category: Pyschiatric and Behavioral Disorders
Presentation Date: Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Presentation Type: Oral
Presentation Time: 3:30 p.m.- 3:45 p.m.
Abstract ID: 0690
Category: Pyschiatric and Behavioral Disorders
Presentation Date: Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Presentation Type: Oral
Presentation Time: 3:30 p.m.- 3:45 p.m.
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https://aasm.org/study-is-the-first-to-show-that-highly-variable-sleep-schedules-predict-elevated-suicide-risk/
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Akram Z, Li Y, Akram U. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019; 16(18): e16183300.
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Affiliation
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Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. [email protected].
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Copyright
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(Copyright © 2019, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)
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DOI
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PMID
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31500365
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Abstract
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This study represents an important step towards understanding why supervisors behave abusively towards their subordinates. Building on the conservation of resources theory, this study investigates the impact of abusive supervision on counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) from a stress perspective. Furthermore, job demands play a significant moderating effect, and emotional exhaustion has a mediating effect on the relationship between abusive supervision and CWBs. A time-lagged design was utilized to collect the data and a total of 350 supervisors-subordinates' dyads are collected from Chinese manufacturing firms. The findings indicate that subordinates' emotional exhaustion mediates the relationship between abusive supervision and CWBs only when subordinates are involved in a high frequency of job demands. Additionally, emotional exhaustion and abusive supervision were significantly moderated by job demands. However, the extant literature has provided that abusive supervision has detrimental effects on employees work behavior. The findings of this study provide new empirical and theoretical insights into the stress perspectives. Finally, implications for managers and related theories are discussed, along with the boundaries and future opportunities of this study.
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https://www.safetylit.org/citations/index.php?fuseaction=citations.viewdetails&citationIds%5B%5D=citjournalarticle_623177_20
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Available under License Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives.
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Abstract
This article is a summary of a paper delivered at the North-east of England Branch Annual Conference in September 2015. The presentation reported findings from a qualitative focus group study with adults with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities and representatives of community organisations providing support for people with intellectual disabilities (PwID). An overview of key findings is presented here, highlighting: (a) instances in which the personalisation agenda in social care, with its drive to reduce dependence and promote individual responsibility, can be at odds with the needs of PwID, and (b) some contextual constraints on agency and social inclusion within this population.
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https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/1041/
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A report compiled by CATS shows that bullying is affecting the learning outcomes and emotional health of primary school students.
Primary school students who are being bullied and/or experiencing emotional difficulties are falling behind at school.
Channel 9 reports on the latest CATS research, highlighting that children as young as eight years old are unsatisfied with their bodies.
Hear Dr Libby Hughes and some CATS participants talk about poor perceptions of body image in young children.
The Age reports on recent research out of CATS, showing that body image pressures begin as young as eight years old.
Dr Lisa Mundy speaks to Peter Bell & Paula Kruger about using recent CATS research to prevent bullying in the future. *Link unavailable*
Dr Lisa Mundy speaks with Jon Faine about how having a group of friends can protect the mental health of a bullied child.
School bullying is depressingly common but having a group of friends, not just a single “bestie”, may bolster a child’s resilience.
One in five grade three boys have emotional or behavioural problems, putting their academic performance a year behind their peers.
David Taylor reports on the impact of emotional problems in boys, relating to their academic performance and development.
Dr Lisa Mundy talks to ABC News about new evidence that one in five primary school-aged boys exhibit emotional problems.
Dr Lisa Mundy chats to ABC TV Weekend Breakfast about the challenges of puberty and all things CATS!
Dr Lisa Mundy reviews the recently published book by Amanda Dunn, 'The New Puberty' for The Conversation.
Amanda Dunn discusses her upcoming book 'The New Puberty' and the importance of CATS in adolescent health research.
Hear Dr Lisa Mundy discuss the importance of the middle years, and talk about the Childhood to Adolescence Transition Study.
We know the havoc that bullying can wreak on a child’s social and emotional wellbeing, but what toll might it have on academic outcomes?
The first large scale study into school bullying and academic achievement finds kids targeted by bullying are well behind in their learning.
The latest research to come out of CATS explores the effect of bullying on academic performance.
New research by MCRI has revealed that one in three boys and one in four girls aged 8 to 9 years are experiencing weekly bullying.
Schoolyard bullies are not only leaving their victims in tears, they're also robbing them of good results. *Link unavailable*
ABC Radio interview featuring Dr Mundy discussing the negative effects of bullying on children's academic performance.
Dr Mundy talks about how much time our young boys are spending on video games, and the effect on health.
New CATS research has found a link between different types of electronic media & mental health in young children. *Link unavailable*
Dr Mundy discusses recent findings on the link between electronic media and emotional & behavioural problems. *Link unavailable*
The study shows a link between time spent using TV and video games, and emotional and behavioural problems in late childhood.
Dr Mundy featured on A Current Affair, sharing recent findings around electronic media and behavioural problems.
CATS has found a link between different types of electronic media and mental health among young children.
There's a link between different electronic media and mental health among young children.
Bing watching TV and playing video games excessively has been linked to poor mental health in boys from the age of just eight.
Boys who watch a lot of television are at a higher risk of developing conduct and emotional problems.
A growing body of research is finding that the way parents relate to their children affects more than their mental and emotional health. It also has an impact on their physical wellbeing.
Congratulations Lisa! The Fellowship has allowed Lisa to spend time working on writing up some results from CATS.
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https://cats.mcri.edu.au/older-news/
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Preprints with The Lancet is part of SSRN´s First Look, a place where journals identify content of interest prior to publication. Authors have opted in at submission to The Lancet family of journals to post their preprints on Preprints with The Lancet. The usual SSRN checks and a Lancet-specific check for appropriateness and transparency have been applied. Preprints available here are not Lancet publications or necessarily under review with a Lancet journal. These preprints are early stage research papers that have not been peer-reviewed. The findings should not be used for clinical or public health decision making and should not be presented to a lay audience without highlighting that they are preliminary and have not been peer-reviewed. For more information on this collaboration, see the comments published in The Lancet about the trial period, and our decision to make this a permanent offering, or visit The Lancet´s FAQ page, and for any feedback please contact [email protected].
The Relationship between Psychotic Experiences, Nightmares and Emotion Dysregulation: Results from a Student Population
20 Pages Posted: 24 Sep 2019More...
Abstract
Background: Sleep-disruption is commonly associated with psychotic experiences. Whilst sparse, the literature to date highlights nightmares and related distress as prominent risk factors for psychosis in students. We aimed to further explore the relationship between specific nightmare symptoms and psychotic experiences in university students whilst examining the mediating role of emotion dysregulation.
Method: A sample (N=1273) of students respondents from UK Universities completed measures of psychotic experiences, nightmare disorder symptomology, and emotion dysregulation.
Findings: Hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that psychotic experiences were significantly associated (Adjusted R2 = 32.4%) with perceived nightmare intensity, consequences and resulting awakenings, and with emotion regulation difficulties. Furthermore, multiple mediation analysis showed that the association between psychotic experiences and nightmare factors was mediated by emotion regulation difficulties.
Interpretation: Adaptive regulation of dream content during rapid eye-movement sleep has previously been demonstrated to attenuate surges in affective arousal by controlling the intensity and variability of emotional content. Deficits in emotion regulation may partially explain the experience of more intense and disruptive nightmares amongst individuals with psychotic experiences. Emotion regulation may represent an important control mechanism that safeguards dream content and sleep quality.
Funding Statement: The authors stated: "No funding received."
Declaration of Interests: No conflicts of interest declared in relation to this paper.
Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the Sheffield Hallam University Research Ethics Committee, and all participants provided online informed consent.
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https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3457432
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Abstract:Different types of forgiveness (emotional and decisional) have been shown to have differential effects on incidental forgetting of information related to a prior transgression. The present study explored the extent to which emotional and decisional forgiveness also influenced intentional forgetting; that is, the extent to which forgetting occurs following an explicit instruction to forget. Using the List-Method Directed Forgetting (LMDF) paradigm, 236 participants were presented with a hypothetical transgression and then assigned to an emotional forgiveness, a decisional forgiveness, or a no-forgiveness manipulation. Participants were then presented with two-word lists each comprising transgression-relevant and transgression-irrelevant words. Following the presentation of the first list, participants were told to either remember or forget the previously learned list of words. Participants in the emotional forgiveness condition were found to remember fewer relevant and more irrelevant transgression-related words, while the opposite was true for both decisional forgiveness and no-forgiveness conditions. Furthermore, when directed to forget words in List 1, participants in the decisional and no-forgiveness conditions were less able to forget relevant transgression-related words in comparison to participants in the emotional forgiveness condition. This study suggests that emotional forgiveness plays a pivotal role in the intentional forgetting of transgression-related information. The potential implications of these findings for coping with unpleasant incidents will be considered.
Keywords: decisional forgiveness, directed forgetting, emotional forgiveness, executive control, forgivenessProcedia PDF Downloads 127
14 Gratitude, Forgiveness and Relationship Satisfaction in Dating College Students: A Parallel Multiple Mediator Model
Authors: Qinglu Wu, Anna Wai-Man Choi, Peilian Chi
Abstract:Gratitude is one individual strength that not only facilitates the mental health, but also fosters the relationship satisfaction in the romantic relationship. In terms of moral effect theory and stress-and-coping theory of forgiveness, present study not only investigated the association between grateful disposition and relationship satisfaction, but also explored the mechanism by comprehensively examining the potential mediating roles of three profiles of forgiveness (trait forgivingness, decisional forgiveness, emotional forgiveness), another character strength that highly related to the gratitude and relationship satisfaction. Structural equation modeling was used to conduct the multiple mediator model with a sample of 103 Chinese college students in dating relationship (39 male students and 64 female students, Mage = 19.41, SD = 1.34). Findings displayed that both gratitude and relationship satisfaction positively correlated with decisional forgiveness and emotional forgiveness. Emotional forgiveness was the only mediator, and it completely mediated the relationship between gratitude and relationship satisfaction. Gratitude was helpful in enhancing individuals’ perception of satisfaction in romantic relationship through replacing negative emotions toward partners with positive ones after transgression in daily life. It highlighted the function of emotional forgiveness in personal healing and peaceful state, which is important to the perception of satisfaction in relationship. Findings not only suggested gratitude could provide a stability for forgiveness, but also the mechanism of prosocial responses or positive psychological processes on relationship satisfaction. The significant roles of gratitude and emotional forgiveness could be emphasized in the intervention working on the romantic relationship development or reconciliation.
Keywords: decisional forgiveness, emotional forgiveness, gratitude, relationship satisfaction, trait forgivingnessProcedia PDF Downloads 162
13 Children’s Concept of Forgiveness
Authors: Lida Landicho, Analiza R. Adarlo, Janine Mae V. Corpuz, Joan C. Villanueva
Abstract:Testing the idea that the process of forgiveness is intrinsically different across diverse relationships, this study examined whether forgiveness can already be facilitated by children ages 4-6. Two different intervention sessions which consists of 40 children (half heard stories about unfair blame and half heard stories about a double standard (between subjects variable) was completed. Investigators performed experimental analyses to examine the role of forgiveness in social and familial context. Results indicated that forgiveness can already be facilitated by children. Children see scenarios on double standard to be more unfair than normal scenarios (Scenario 2 (double standard) (M=7.54) Scenario 1 (unfair blame) (M=4.50), Scenario 4 (double standard) (M=7.) Scenario 3 (getting blamed for something the friend did) (M=6.80)p <.05.The findings confirmed that children were generally willing to grant forgiveness to a mother even though she was unfair, but less so to a friend. Correlations between sex, age and forgiveness were analyzed. Significant relationships was found on scenarios presented and caring task scores (rxy= -.314).Their tendency to forgive was related to dispositional and situational factors.
Keywords: forgiveness, situational and dispositional factors, familial context, social contextProcedia PDF Downloads 310
12 Impact of Forgiveness Therapy on Quality of Life of Parents of Children with Intellectual Disability
Authors: Prajakta Bhadgaonkar
Abstract:Forgiveness is taught since birth in Indian tradition. However, delivering a disabled child is a trauma for the parents. They keep on blaming themselves for the fault, which they are not responsible. Hence, due to lack of forgiving oneself the quality of life of both parent and child gets affected. In forgiveness, person tries to relieve oneself from the feeling of hatred towards oneself or other person. Forgiveness helps move ahead in the life. Hence, one can handle problem more efficiently resulting into better quality of life. In this study, the 30 parents of children with intellectual disability were contacted to find out quality of life. They were administered standardized measure of quality of life (QOL). The children were between 6 to 8 years of age. Out of these 30 parents, 12 parents (7 females and 5 males) were given forgiveness therapy for three months span. After every one month, the QOL scale was administered. At the end of three months, the significant difference was observed in quality of life of parents of children with intellectual disability. Genderwise there was no significant difference between male and female on quality of life.
Keywords: children with intellectual disability, forgiveness, parents, quality of lifeProcedia PDF Downloads 202
11 Impact of Personality on Vengeance and Forgiveness in Young Adults
Authors: Marium Javaid Bajwa, Ruhi Khalid
Abstract:This study aimed to identify personality traits that affect vengeful and forgiving behavior among people. Big Five Personality Inventory, Vengeance Scale and Trait Forgiveness Scale were administered to 159 male and female students to have a base-line data for the study. Overall, agreeableness trait predicted forgiveness. Vengeance showed significant negative relation with agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness. Whereas Independent T-test indicated that personality traits plays crucial role in determining vengeful and forgiving behaviors in contrast to gender in young adults.
Keywords: personality, traits, vengeance, forgivenessProcedia PDF Downloads 264
10 Rational Thinking and Forgiveness in Pakistan: The Role of Democratic Values and Mass Media Attitude
Authors: Muhammad Shoaib
Abstract:Every society has a set of beliefs, norms, values, folkways, mores and laws. All the principles, customs, traditions and procedures of societies are directly or indirectly related to the religion of the society and changed with the passage of time by the mediation of democratic values attitudes and mass media influence. The main objective of the present study is to examine the effects of rational thinking values on forgiveness attitude by the mediation of democratic values and mass media attitude among family members. As many other developing settings, Pakistani society is undergoing a rapid and multifaceted social change, in which traditional thinking coexists and often clashes with modern thinking. Rational thinking attitude has great effects on the forgiveness attitude among family members as well as all the members of Pakistani society. For the present study 520 respondents were sampled from two urban areas of Punjab province; Lahore and Faisalabad, through proportionate random sampling technique. A survey method was used as a technique of data collection and an interview schedule was administered to collect information from the respondents. The results support that the net of other factors, favorable democratic values attitudes are positively associated rational thinking attitudes. The results also provide support that all other things equal, mass media attitudes also have a significant positive effect on rational thinking attitudes. Favorable democratic values attitudes have a significant net positive effect and the effect of mass media attitudes is positive and statistically highly significant. It shows that the effects of both democratic values attitudes and mass media attitudes diminish in magnitude when the rational thinking attitudes scale is included. However, the effect of democratic values remains highly significant. In comparison, the effect of mass media attitudes is only marginally significant.
Keywords: rationality, forgiveness, democratic values, mass media, attitudes, PakistanProcedia PDF Downloads 281
9 Relational and Personal Variables Predicting Marital Satisfaction
Authors: Sezen Gulec, Bilge Uzun
Abstract:Almost all of the world population marries at least once in their lifetime. Nevertheless, in reality, only half of all marriages last a lifetime. The most important factor in marriage to manage is the satisfaction that they obtain. It is reality that marital satisfaction does not only related to maintain the relationship but also related to the social and work relationships. In this respect, the purpose of the present research is to find the personal and relational factors predicted marital satisfaction. The sample including 378 (178 male and 200 females) married individuals were administered to marital life scale, multidimensional perfectionism scale, trait forgivingness scale, adjective based personality test and relationship happiness questionnaire. The findings revealed marital happiness, forgiveness and extravertedness and emotional inconsistency factors were found to be significant predictors of marital satisfaction.
Keywords: marital satisfaction, happiness, perfectionism, forgiveness, five factor personalityProcedia PDF Downloads 538
8 Confess Your Sins to One Another: An Exploration of the Biblical Validity and the Psychological Efficacy of the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the Catholic Church
Authors: M. B. Peter
Abstract:The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation has long been upheld, by the Catholic Church, as one of the Sacraments of healing, mainly due to the sense of peace, tranquility and psychological quiescence it accords the penitent upon receiving Sacramental absolution of sin through the action of the priest. This paper explores the Sacramental character of this practice and the psychological benefits of the celebration of the Sacrament. This is achieved in two parts: firstly, by the intellectual engagement of Sacred Scripture and the consolidated Sacred Tradition that the Catholic magisterium protects and, secondly, via a broad survey of the works of Carl Gustav Jung and Orval Hobart Mowrer regarding confession and forgiveness. The former will serve to demonstrate the Catholic belief of the divine institution of the Sacrament whilst the latter will demonstrate how this belief, coupled with the existing benefit of confessing guilt, collectively bolsters the Sacrament’s overall psychological efficacy. Fundamentally, the analysis of Jung and Mowrer’s works demonstrate that man, as a naturally religious being, has an inherent need for the confession of his wrong that he might be alleviated of psychological guilt in obtaining forgiveness of a (divinely ordained) minister who is sanctioned to absolve, i.e. the priest. The paper also presents the curative effect of the celebration of this Sacrament, illustrating how, without the act of confession, man remains in moral isolation from God and man; and, that with it, man is relieved of the mysterious feeling of guilt which lies at the root of his disquiet of mind and disturbance of will. Thus, the paper penultimately establishes how the Sacrament of Reconciliation is positioned in that place where psychology and theology meet: man’s sense of guilt. It is Jung’s views on confession and forgiveness that ultimately bridge the chasm between psychology and Christianity.
Keywords: Catholic, confession, Jung, Mowrer, penance, psychology, Sacrament of ReconciliationProcedia PDF Downloads 148
7 Exploring Spiritual Needs of Taiwanese Inpatients with Advanced Cancer and Their Family Caregivers
Authors: Szu Mei Hsiao
Abstract:This study explores the spiritual needs of inpatients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers in one southern regional teaching hospital in Taiwan and elucidates the differences and similarities of spiritual needs between them. Little research reports the different phases of spiritual needs and the potential impact of Chinese cultural values on the spiritual needs. Qualitative inquiry was used. Twenty-one patients with advanced cancer and twenty-two family caregivers were recruited. During hospitalization, all participants identified spiritual needs both the palliative phase and the dying phase: (a) the need to foster faith/confidence and hope for medicine and/or God; (b) to understand the meaning and values of life; (c) to experience more reciprocal human love and forgiveness; and (d) to obey God’s/Heaven will. Furthermore, the differences of spiritual needs between patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers are as follows: (a) family caregivers emphasized the need to inform relatives and say goodbye in order to die peacefully; (b) patients highlighted a need to maintain a certain physical appearance in order to preserve their dignity; nurture one’s willpower; learn about the experiences of cancer survivors; and identify one’s own life experience for understanding the meaning and values of life. Moreover, the dissimilarity of spiritual needs is that the patients pointed out the need to understand God’s will during the palliative treatment phase. However, the family caregivers identified the need to forgive each other, and inform relatives and say goodbye to patients in the dying phase. This research has shown that the needs of meaning/values of life and facing death peacefully are different between two groups. Health professionals will be encouraged to detect and to develop individualized care strategies to meet spiritual needs.
Keywords: advanced cancer, Chinese culture, family caregivers, qualitative research, spiritual needsProcedia PDF Downloads 240
6 An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis on the Concept of Friends of Children in Conflict with the Law
Authors: Karla Kristine Bay, Jovie Ann Gabin, Allana Joyce Sasotona
Abstract:This research employed an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the experiences of Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) which gave light to their concept of ‘friends’. Derived from this context are the following objectives of the study: 1) determining the differentiation of the forms of friends of the CICL; 2) presenting the process of attachment towards detachment in the formation of friendship; and 3) discussing the experiences, and reflections of the CICL on the ‘self’ out of their encounter with friendship. Using the data gathered from the individual drawings of the CICL of their representations of the self, family, friends, community, and Bahay Kalinga as subjects in the meaning-making process utilizing Filipino Psychology methods of pagtatanong-tanong (interview), and pakikipagkwentuhan (conversation), data analysis produced a synthesis of seventeen individual cases. Overall results generated three superordinate themes on the differentiation of the forms of friends which include friends with good influences, friends with bad influences, and friends within the family. While two superordinate themes were produced on the process of attachment towards detachment, namely social, emotional, and psychological experiences on the process of attachment, and emotional and psychological experiences on the process of detachment. Lastly, two superordinate themes were created on the experiences, and reflections of the CICL on the ‘self’ out of their encounter with friendship. This consists of the recognition of the ‘self’ as a responsible agent in developing healthy relationships between the self and others, and reconstruction of the self from the collective experiences of healing, forgiveness, and acceptance. These findings, together with supporting theories discussed the impact of friendship on the emergence of criminal behavior and other dispositions; springing from the child’s dissociation from the family that led to finding belongingness from an external group called friends.
Keywords: children in conflict with the law, criminal behavior, friends, interpretative phenomenological analysisProcedia PDF Downloads 143
5 Ex-Offenders’ Labelling, Stigmatisation and Unsuccessful Re-Integration as Factors Leading into Recidivism: A South African Context
Authors: Tshimangadzo Oscar Magadze
Abstract:For successful re-integration, the individual offender must adapt and transform, which requires that the offender should adopt and internalise socially approved norms, attitudes, values, and beliefs. However, the offender’s labelling and community stigmatisation decide the destination of the offender. Community involvement in ex-offenders’ re-integration is an important issue in efforts to reduce recidivism and to control overcrowding in our correctional facilities. Crime is a social problem that requires society to come together to fight against it. This study was conducted in the Limpopo Province in Vhembe District Municipality within four local municipalities, namely Musina, Makhado, Mutale, and Thulamela. A total number of 30 participants were interviewed, and all were members of the Community Corrections Forums. This was necessitated by the fact that Musina is a very small area, which compelled the Department of Correctional Services to combine the two (Musina and Makhado) into one social re-integration entity. This is a qualitative research study where participants were selected through the use of purposive sampling. Participants were selected based on the value they would add to this study in order to achieve the objectives. The data collection method of this study was the focus group, which comprised of three groups of 10 participants each. Thulamela and Mutale local municipalities formed a group with (10) participants each, whereas Musina (2) and Makhado (8) formed another. Results indicate that the current situation is not conducive for re-integration to be successful. Participants raised many factors that need serious redress, namely offenders’ discrimination, lack of forgiveness by members of the community, which is fuelled by lack of community awareness due to the failure of the Department of Correctional Services in educating communities on ex-offenders’ re-integration.
Keywords: ex-offender, labeling, re-integration, stigmatizationProcedia PDF Downloads 26
4 The Spiritual Distress of Women Coping with the End of Life and Death of Their Spouses
Authors: Szu-Mei Hsiao
Abstract:Many nurses have concerns about the difficulties of providing spiritual care for ethnic-Chinese patients and family members within their cultural context. This is due to a lack of knowledge and training. Most family caregivers are female. There has been little research exploring the potential impact of Chinese cultural values on the spiritual distress of couple dyadic participants in Taiwan. This study explores the spiritual issues of Taiwanese women coping with their husband’s advanced cancer during palliative care to death. Qualitative multiple case studies were used. Data was collected through participant observation and in-depth face-to-face interviews. Transcribed interview data was analyzed by using qualitative content analysis. Three couples were recruited from a community-based rural hospital in Taiwan where the husbands were hospitalized in a medical ward. Four spiritual distress themes emerged from the analysis: (1) A personal conflict in trying to come to terms with love and forgiveness; the inability to forgive their husband’s mistakes; and, lack of their family’s love and support. (2) A feeling of hopelessness due to advanced cancer, such as a feeling of disappointment in their destiny and karma, including expressing doubt on survival. (3) A feeling of uncertainty in facing death peacefully, such as fear of facing the unknown world; and, (4) A feeling of doubt causing them to question the meaning and values in their lives. This research has shown that caregivers needed family support, friends, social welfare, and the help of their religion to meet their spiritual needs in coping within the final stages of life and death. The findings of this study could assist health professionals to detect the spiritual distress of ethnic-Chinese patients and caregivers in the context of their cultural or religious background as early as possible.
Keywords: advanced cancer, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, qualitative research, spiritual distressProcedia PDF Downloads 102
3 Psychological and Emotional Functioning of Elderly in Pakistan a Comparison in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan
Authors: Najma Najam, Rukhsana Kausar, Rabia Hussain Kanwal, Saira Batool, Anum Javed
Abstract:In Pakistan, elderly population though increasing but it has been neglected by the researchers and policy makers which resulted in compromised quality of life of the ageing population. Two regions, Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) were selected for comparison as Lahore and Multan (Punjab) are highly urbanized, large cities whereas Gilgit and Skardu are remote and mountain bounded valleys in GB. This study focuses on psychological and emotional functioning of elderly and a series of measures translated and adapted in Urdu language was used to assess quality of life, psychological and mental well-being, actual and perceived social support, attachment patterns, forgiveness, affects, geriatric depression, and emotional disturbance patterns (depression, anxiety, and stress) in elderly. A gender-equated sample of 201 elderly participants, 93 from GB (60 from Gilgit, 33 from Skardu) and 108 from Punjab (61 from Lahore, 47 from Multan) with over 60 years age was collected from the multiethnic community of Punjab and GB through purposive convenient sampling technique. Findings revealed that elderly from Multan have better psychological and emotional functioning, higher levels of social support, tendency to forgive, better mental wellbeing and quality of life and lower levels of stress, anxiety, depression, negative affect and attachment avoidance and anxiety related to partner as compared to the elderly from Lahore. Furthermore, both elderly male of Gilgit & Skardu have adequate mental well-being including subjective well-being and psychological functioning which showed positive aspects of mental health but elderly female are more attached to their home and neighbourhood which shows their social and environmental mastery. Gilgiti elderly male reported more degree of positive affect such as enthusiasm, active, alertness, excitement and strong whereas among elderly from Skardu shows more negative affect i.e. aversive mood states, irritability, hostility, and general distress. The need of psychosocial therapy and family counseling for the elderly in urban areas has been identified, which can facilitate in reducing or preventing the depressive and stressful tendencies. The findings are expected to have implications for improving quality of life of the elderly, designing interventions, support system and rehabilitation services to help them. However, findings may attract attention of policy makers and researchers as currently this is the most neglected population in Pakistan.
Keywords: psychological, emotional, aging, elderly, quality of lifeProcedia PDF Downloads 442
2 Multicomponent Positive Psychology Intervention for Health Promotion of Retirees: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Helen Durgante, Mariana F. Sparremberger, Flavia C. Bernardes, Debora D. DellAglio
Abstract:Health promotion programmes for retirees, based on Positive Psychology perspectives for the development of strengths and virtues, demand broadened empirical investigation in Brazil. In the case of evidence-based applied research, it is suggested feasibility studies are conducted prior to efficacy trials of the intervention, in order to identify and rectify possible faults in the design and implementation of the intervention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a multicomponent Positive Psychology programme for health promotion of retirees, based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Positive Psychology perspectives. The programme structure included six weekly group sessions (two hours each) encompassing strengths such as Values and self-care, Optimism, Empathy, Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Meaning of life and work. The feasibility criteria evaluated were: Demand, Acceptability, Satisfaction with the programme and with the moderator, Comprehension/Generalization of contents, Evaluation of the moderator (Social Skills and Integrity/Fidelity), Adherence, and programme implementation. Overall, 11 retirees (F=11), age range 54-75, from the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre-RS-Brazil took part in the study. The instruments used were: Qualitative Admission Questionnaire; Moderator Field Diary; the Programme Evaluation Form to assess participants satisfaction with the programme and with the moderator (a six-item 4-point likert scale), and Comprehension/Generalization of contents (a three-item 4-point likert scale); Observers’ Evaluation Form to assess the moderator Social Skills (a five-item 4-point likert scale), Integrity/Fidelity (a 10 item 4-point likert scale), and Adherence (a nine-item 5-point likert scale). Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. Descriptive statistics as well as Intraclass Correlations coefficients were used for quantitative data and inter-rater reliability analysis. The results revealed high demand (N = 55 interested people) and acceptability (n = 10 concluded the programme with overall 88.3% frequency rate), satisfaction with the program and with the moderator (X = 3.76, SD = .34), and participants self-report of Comprehension/Generalization of contents provided in the programme (X = 2.82, SD = .51). In terms of the moderator Social Skills (X = 3.93; SD = .40; ICC = .752 [IC = .429-.919]), Integrity/Fidelity (X = 3.93; SD = .31; ICC = .936 [IC = .854-.981]), and participants Adherence (X = 4.90; SD = .29; ICC = .906 [IC = .783-.969]), evaluated by two independent observers present in each session of the programme, descriptive and Intraclass Correlation results were considered adequate. Structural changes were introduced in the intervention design and implementation methods, as well as the removal of items from questionnaires and evaluation forms. The obtained results were satisfactory, allowing changes to be made for further efficacy trials of the programme. Results are discussed taking cultural and contextual demands in Brazil into account.
Keywords: feasibility study, health promotion, positive psychology intervention, programme evaluation, retireesProcedia PDF Downloads 103
1 A Qualitative Study of Experienced Early Childhood Teachers Resolving Workplace Challenges with Character Strengths
Authors: Michael J. Haslip
Abstract:Character strength application improves performance and well-being in adults across industries, but the potential impact of character strength training among early childhood educators is mostly unknown. To explore how character strengths are applied by early childhood educators at work, a qualitative study was completed alongside professional development provided to a group of in-service teachers of children ages 0-5 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Study participants (n=17) were all female. The majority of participants were non-white, in full-time lead or assistant teacher roles, had at least ten years of experience and a bachelor’s degree. Teachers were attending professional development weekly for 2 hours over a 10-week period on the topic of social and emotional learning and child guidance. Related to this training were modules and sessions on identifying a teacher’s character strength profile using the Values in Action classification of 24 strengths (e.g., humility, perseverance) that have a scientific basis. Teachers were then asked to apply their character strengths to help resolve current workplace challenges. This study identifies which character strengths the teachers reported using most frequently and the nature of the workplace challenges being resolved in this context. The study also reports how difficult these challenges were to the teachers and their success rate at resolving workplace challenges using a character strength application plan. The study also documents how teachers’ own use of character strengths relates to their modeling of these same traits (e.g., kindness, teamwork) for children, especially when the nature of the workplace challenge directly involves the children, such as when addressing issues of classroom management and behavior. Data were collected on action plans (reflective templates) which teachers wrote to explain the work challenge they were facing, the character strengths they used to address the challenge, their plan for applying strengths to the challenge, and subsequent results. Content analysis and thematic analysis were used to investigate the research questions using approaches that included classifying, connecting, describing, and interpreting data reported by educators. Findings reveal that teachers most frequently use kindness, leadership, fairness, hope, and love to address a range of workplace challenges, ranging from low to high difficulty, involving children, coworkers, parents, and for self-management. Teachers reported a 71% success rate at fully or mostly resolving workplace challenges using the action plan method introduced during professional development. Teachers matched character strengths to challenges in different ways, with certain strengths being used mostly when the challenge involved children (love, forgiveness), others mostly with adults (bravery, teamwork), and others universally (leadership, kindness). Furthermore, teacher’s application of character strengths at work involved directly modeling character for children in 31% of reported cases. The application of character strengths among early childhood educators may play a significant role in improving teacher well-being, reducing job stress, and improving efforts to model character for young children.
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https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=forgiveness
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I Tried to Climb the Ladder" (but it was an Illusion) Life has changed - but Art continues
In describing this new work, Paton explains that there are several themes emerging from the Primitive Series, and this work, in particular, explores the emotional state of the Artist in uncertain times. The work also reveals the abstract structures and intangible qualities inherent to the materials used to construct the piece.
READ MORE: Featured Artsy Editorial available at the link below
https://www.artsy.net/starvd-a...
A new body of work by Jason McDonald. Drawing on his recent botanical photographic study of Southeast Asia, these works embody the natural beauty of Singapore and the uniquely evolved structure of its society.
ARTIST BIO: Jason McDonald is an enigmatic abstract photographer and painter whose approach to experimentation and abstract expressionism brings a fresh perspective to accessible contemporary art.
A self-taught photographer and painter, McDonald has a natural gift for composition and perspective that belies his young age. New to the art world, his public persona is reserved, and he carefully monitors the boundary between his personal and private life as he develops his artistic talent further.
Since the early 2000s, McDonald has been finding and revealing the unseen abstractions that surround us in everyday life. His sophisticated abstract photographs capture precise compositions of nature, architecture, and various other aspects of the contemporary physical world. In contrast, his abstract expressionist paintings isolate hidden feelings about society, the city streets, and the new culture that awaits us.
McDonald's photographic work is grounded in an investigation of abstract painting through familiar images, including stark black and white patterns, shapes found in nature, and particularly words are manipulated and used to inspire the resulting piece.
His abstract landscapes startle the eye with their brilliance and shimmer, as they illustrate the ethereal abstraction evident in passing moments of the built environment.
ARTIST BIO: An art maker for almost two decades, although initially trained in computer science with a successful career as a technologist and architect. Raised by British parents, having lived and worked in Europe, the US, and Asia, he studied with the Julian Ashton Art School at the Rocks Sydney, one of the most influential art schools in Australia.
Primarily based in Singapore, he is considered a purist painter with a foundation in traditional, classical art techniques. Still, he chooses to work in a highly abstracted manner across the mediums of encaustic painting, drawing, photography, new, and mixed media.
An artist that takes great joy in creating impactful visual compositions, with a sustained interest in form and color, his work draws upon the traditional techniques of painting, in particular minimalism and abstract expressionism, but is also influenced by contemporary design, social commentary, and above all, the emotional impact of music. The resulting approach is resolutely contemporary in both method and conception. Using color as a vehicle, his work triggers emotional responses through both sophisticated and playful palettes.
His predominantly abstract works are the outcome of intensive and methodical, planned preparation – the canvases are worked on, set aside, scraped clean, and worked on again. Typically taking weeks to prepare a single "eggshell" canvas, the finished work can be composed of upwards of thirty layers of paint and handcrafted experimental mediums, meticulously tested for their archival properties.
Paton works in a series of interlinked yet often autonomous works, in which a dialogue is established between repetition and variations in color and form. Although his paintings might appear to depict something 'real'—a familiar form, for example—there is, in fact, no 'original'.
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https://www.starvd.art/blog
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First, I will very briefly summarize the high points of the first two presentations to set the stage for this one. In the first one, I reviewed scientific research that indicated that what we believe about the world and what we occupy our minds with impacts our health. Scientific studies were reviewed that demonstrated that being involved with the New Testament teachings in our lives is healing. In the second presentation, what Jesus declared about the power of the human mind was examined. Research demonstrating the power of the placebo effect and what has been called “spontaneous remission of incurable diseases” confirms his statements.
Embedded within the details of the first two presentations, though, is an important theme that points the way towards a deeper understanding of the nature and causes of human illness and disease. Instead of the causes and risk factors for each disease being specific to that disease, we are finding that trauma and unpleasant experiences increase the likelihood that many different diseases might develop, or causes them to get worse, in a very general fashion. Instead of each disease only responding to medications and other physical interventions specific to that disease, we are finding that being involved with uplifting and positive ideas in our lives tends to prevent or heal all disease, also in a very general fashion.
As we follow this theme further, and as we include more insights from the New Testament Gospels that are supported by extensive scientific research in our exploration, we will expand our understanding of human disease. We will uncover the origins of most mental and physical illness, and we will discover how our misunderstanding of the true nature of chronic diseases has impeded our ability to both prevent them and heal them. Research has also shown that the use of these insights promotes longer and happier lives.
Let us now look at some important New Testament passages pointing towards the true causes of illness.
What are “unclean spirits”?
First, consider what everyone believed about the nature of disease when Jesus was teaching two thousand years ago. Obviously, there was no knowledge of things like microbes, genes, and human anatomy that we take for granted today. Lacking these modern insights, illness was assumed to be the result of the actions of evil spirits, sometimes called Satan or devils. Those with disease were believed to be possessed by these spirits, and if their disease was cured, it was concluded that the spiritual possession was “cast out.” Lacking our modern knowledge, these concepts were natural inferences that were quite compelling.
To fully comprehend what Jesus was teaching about illness and its cure, we should keep in mind that he had to use concepts and language that the people he was addressing could relate to, and he could only reach them through the terminology of their beliefs. Because disease was believed to be the result of evil spirits, it was taught in these terms. To further complicate things, virtually all his teachings involved spiritual concepts that the people of his time had no words to clearly describe, therefore his teachings almost always involved metaphors. Consider also that Jesus did not write anything as he was teaching. Since what we have available to us in the Gospels is only what his disciples remembered of his teachings, their recollections were likely to have been further distorted by their ideas about what caused disease.
To better clarify what I am saying here, I will provide a few passages from the Gospels that illustrate these insights along with commentary that describes our modern understanding of what the Gospel writers were describing.
This first passage, from Matthew 17:14-18, describes a boy who probably had a seizure disorder, and Jesus’ cure was described as the rebuking of the devil that possessed him:
“And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to sating, Lord, have mercy on my son; for he is a lunatic, and sore vexed; for oftimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? Bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil: and he departed from him: and the child was cured in that very hour.”
We now know many of the causes of seizures and how to control or cure them, but none of our treatments involve the casting out of devils. This is not to say that Jesus did not cure this boy as described, only that the ancient description of what happened was, of necessity, distorted and misleading, if taken literally.
Another example is found in Luke 13:11-16, where we are told that Jesus cured a woman of a prolonged infirmity which had her bowed forward so she could not stand upright. This was likely arthritis or osteoporosis, but Jesus was quoted as saying Satan had bound her for eighteen years and that he had then loosed Satan’s binding. In Matthew 12:22, a man blind and unable to speak was brought to Jesus. The man was described as being possessed with a devil, and Jesus cured him also.
In further passages we are told that all of the diseases that Jesus cured were from the same source. In Matthew 8:16, it was reported how a number of people seeking healing were brought to Jesus and they were all described as being possessed by devils. This illustrates clearly that in Jesus’ time, illness was attributed to possession by devils:
“When the even was come, they brought hime many that were possesed by devils; and he cast out the spirits with his word, and he healed all that were sick.”
In Matthew 10:1, the writer of this Gospel also describes the power that Jesus gave to his disciples to heal as being the power to cast out evil spirits.
“And when he called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of illness.”
For people in ancient times to conclude that the cause of human illness was due to the action of “unclean spirits” was not completely unreasonable. Since the Gospel teachings were addressing a cause of disease that was invisible, it was natural to assume it was spiritual. It also seemed to be a single, powerful force with evil intent, since it produced so many different deadly diseases, and it appeared to act as if it was possessing the individual and continuously damaging the unfortunate person possessed by it. In the language of this metaphor of being possessed by evil spirits, there might have been ways to free the diseased person from their possession. The result would then seem like the “casting out” of the “unclean spirit.”
Next, I will describe the high points of a newly developing field of research that started with a seminal study of what has been called “adverse childhood experiences” and how they might impact human health and disease later in life. This research is pointing the way towards a deeper understanding of chronic illness that is remarkably similar to the ancient image of being possessed by “unclean spirits.”
The ACE Study story
In the mid 1980’s, Vincent Felitti MD, was helping patients in an obesity treatment program for the Kaiser Permanente HMO in California. He made two important observations of the people he was treating. First, he noted that some of the most successful patients dropped out of the program, rejecting the strategies that had been effective, and regaining the weight they lost. He also noticed how many of his obese adult patients had reported being abused as children, reporting these experiences much more often than his normal weight patients. To explore the implications of his observations, he interviewed 286 of his patients in depth and confirmed his suspicion that overeating was often a partial solution to emotional problems that started with being traumatized as children.
Then, in 1990, he presented a report on these observations at an obesity conference. After his presentation, Robert Anda MD, who had been researching the connection between depression and heart disease, suggested that they collaborate with their research. Dr. Anda proposed a formal study of Kaiser Permanente patients that would broaden the approach to looking at the relationship of childhood trauma to the emergence of emotional and physical health problems later in life.
The research team developed a 10-question survey to measure adverse childhood experiences, calling it the “ACE questionnaire”. They then enrolled 9,508 Kaiser Permanente patients in their research project who had well documented medical histories. This rich source of personal historical information allowed them to easily compare the survey results with each research subject’s medical histories as adults. They found that not only where trauma exposures a lot more common than expected, the relationship with illness later in life was much more powerful than they would have imagined. These findings were ground-breaking. Prior to this study, early-life traumas were not considered as potential causes for adult disease.
But are the dramatic results of this study reliable? Yes. They have been replicated in hundreds of subsequent studies, including surveys in other countries and racial groups. Subsequently, more focused research has not only further confirmed the initial reports, it has also greatly expanded our understanding of the various factors involved. As I proceed in this analysis of some of the root causes of human disease, I will abstract pertinent findings and conclusions from this large body of research to provide a sound introduction to help understand what it is all telling us. As in my previous presentations, some of the most important research studies I am drawing from will be cited in the references at the end.
As a first step in this exploration, I will examine the findings of how childhood traumas become sources of continuous emotional discomfort and distress later in life. This will then give us the foundation for understanding other important health consequences that appear to also result from early-life physical and emotional injury.
Adverse childhood experiences and chronic emotional discomfort
Before looking at the relationships the Adverse Childhood Experience Study found, it may be helpful to consider the categories of distress the ACE questionnaire used. All types of abuse were addressed: physical, emotional, and sexual, as well as neglect on the part of caregivers. Dysfunction within the household, such as drug abuse, mental illness, alcoholism, being witness to violence, and family members being in jail, were also part of the survey. All of these were considered to be adverse experiences for those children exposed to them and were quantified in the survey.
It may also be helpful if I describe what I am calling chronic emotional discomfort. I am including signs or symptoms of either emotional discomfort or distress that appear to become part of the personality structure of the individual with the traumatic experiences. These would include traits like chronic anxiety, long lasting or frequent episodes of depression, chronic insomnia, low self-esteem, and a lack of self-confidence. These types of long-lasting discomfort or dysfunction would also include frequent complaints of physical symptoms when no physical causes can be found to explain them.
Research studies have shown that there is clearly something about early life distress and trauma that is carried forward into later life and disrupts the comfort and peace of mind of those who have endured these experiences. The original ACE study used 8 different categories of adverse experiences and found that they were additive in their impact on later life emotional states. The additive nature of these different kinds of trauma produced a sort of “dose-response” relationship between the total number of different kinds of traumatic experiences and the risk of developing various kinds of chronic emotional discomfort.
While the total number of early life trauma experiences show the same relationship with all of the different kinds of later emotional symptoms, I will focus here on depression as an example. As the number of ACE’s reported from the survey increased for study subjects, the likelihood of developing depression later in life increased in a graded fashion. For example, for those with no history of abuse or distress reported in the ACE questionnaire, the risk of depression later in life was 14%. For those with 4 or more categories of adverse experience reported, the risk of depression increased to 50.7%. This amounts to a 260% increase in the risk of depression for those with 4 or more ACE’s reported compared to those with none. (See Table 4 in the appendix for more details.) Other research studies have confirmed these findings and have shown that all kinds of chronic discomfort are strongly associated with adverse experiences in childhood.
Since the consequences of early life trauma are found decades later in adult life, they have an enduring, negative impact. Other studies that have specifically examined the effects of early life trauma on adult mental health have found that maturation and time do not reduce the effects. For many of those who have been traumatized, these effects persist across the lifespan. What is it about the experiences of trauma or prolonged emotional distress that is so likely to become embedded in the emotional make-up of the traumatized individual throughout the rest of his or her life? We can look to brain imaging studies of people with a history of ACE’s for a clue. While I will not get into the details at this point, brain imaging studies show specific changes in the structure and function of the traumatized individual’s brain that are clearly associated with these detrimental experiences. (See reference 4 for more details.) Whatever it is that is happening, it tends to become recorded within the neuronal structure of the brain.
I can tell you from what I find in treating people with these emotional problems in my medical practice that standard treatments rarely, if ever, cure the problems. For example, even when anti-depressant medications are effective in completely resolving an episode of depression, more episodes of depression are quite common. In some cases, anti-depressant medications need to be continued long-term, since stopping them results in a rapid return of depression. Another example is the treatment of anxiety. Anti-anxiety medications are usually needed on a chronic basis, and when therapy and counseling are effective, they are also usually needed in the long-term. Low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence and frequent somatic complaints are even less likely to respond to our standard medical or psychological treatments. All of these kinds of emotional problems seem to become permanent personality traits.
Does this mean that there is nothing that can be done to negate the consequences of these experiences? The answer is clearly no, but since we have not been aware of the importance of these factors in the past, this has greatly impeded our ability to develop effective treatments. I will address this vitally important question in detail in a later presentation, but for now I will continue the description of the consequences that are initiated by adverse experiences.
In the next step in my description of an ongoing chain of consequences from adverse experiences, I will describe what the ACE study showed us about how adverse they are often associated with self-destructive habits.
Adverse childhood experiences and detrimental lifestyle choices
How often does the advice of health care workers, friends, and family members result in people stopping the abuse of alcohol, quitting smoking, or avoiding the use of illicit drugs? Clearly, advice is nearly useless and even the threat of going to jail or developing diseases like lung cancer are rarely enough to stop some of these self-damaging habits. Why are they so resistant? The ACE study and similar research reports may be starting to provide answers.
Just like what was found with the risk of emotional problems dramatically increasing with a history of childhood traumas and other detrimental experiences, poor life-style decisions are also strongly associated with these adverse experiences earlier in one’s life. The number of ACE’s reported in the survey were strongly associated with cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, the use of illicit drugs, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and sexual promiscuity. What has been found with all of these detrimental habits is the same kind of dose-response relationship as was found with chronic emotional discomfort. As the number of ACE’s increase, the likelihood of someone acquiring these detrimental habits also increases. (See tables 4 and 5 in the appendix for more details from the original ACE study)
If we select the alcoholism as an example, those with no ACE exposures were found to have a 2.9% risk of being an alcoholic when they were surveyed as an adult. In contrast, for those with 4 or more ACE’s reported, there was a 16.1% risk. This means that someone with 4 or more ACE’s is 455% more likely to become an alcoholic than someone with no ACE’s. Just as we found for the chronic emotional discomfort that was associated with adverse earlier experiences, all the different kinds of detrimental lifestyle choices increased with the total ACE burden.
Are the different kinds of chronic emotional discomfort and the habitual, detrimental habits connected in some way? If you ask people who overeat or who drink alcohol excessively or use drugs, they usually are quite clear in telling you that they feel better while engaging in these self-destructive behaviors. They also report that the even though the benefits are temporary, they still continue their self-destructive behaviors because of the compelling emotional reward they provide. It appears that many poor lifestyle choices are a kind of self-treatment for chronic emotional discomfort. This is probably why they are so difficult to eliminate. In giving advice, we are not addressing the reason the habits develop in the first place, and advice by itself does not help to eliminate the need.
There is yet another important dimension to the problems we are describing here. These are not just individual issues; they are multi-generational. People addicted to drugs or alcohol, those with mental illnesses and those who are chronically angry and abusive as a result of their early life experiences, have children who they then expose to similar distress. If we learn to understand what is going on here and begin to use effective treatments to eliminate the root causes, we will not only be helping our patients, we will also be helping their children and their children’s children.
In the next section of this presentation, I will leave the topics of emotions and behavior and begin to address what the ACE study is telling us that will expand our understanding of the causes of physical disease processes. Physical illnesses are the next step in the chain of consequences that follow adverse experiences.
Adverse childhood experiences and serious physical illnesses
When I first read the results of the original ACE research report, it was the association between childhood trauma and adult physical disease that really surprised me. In the past, when medical scientists considered the risk factors for physical illness, traumatic early life experiences were not something that was considered to be pertinent to explaining why diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes develop. A careful review of the research studies that followed the original ACE study report, though, clearly confirms the ACE study findings. We now know that emotional trauma is a potent risk factor for physical illness.
For example, In the original Ace study, 3.7% of adults with no history of childhood trauma were diagnosed with ischemic heart disease. But of the adults with 4 or more categories of trauma in childhood, 5.6% had ischemic heart disease. This means that this disease was much more likely to develop in those who were traumatized as children. If you look at the prevalence of cancer, and you compare those with no trauma history to those with over 4 categories, there is almost twice as many who develop cancer. Diabetes, stroke, COPD, and liver disease also showed a potent dose -response pattern between the number of trauma categories found in the survey and the risk of these diseases. (See table 7 in the appendix for more details)
These results are telling us that emotional trauma in childhood, as measured in the ACE study survey, confers risk that adds to that of the traditional risk factors that medical researchers have focused on in the past. Even when statistical techniques are employed to control for these traditional risk factors, childhood traumas remain as potent factors helping to further explain who will eventually develop these chronic diseases.
Another way to confirm these surprising findings is to look at the lifespan of the people with emotional traumas in their childhood, compare their accumulated trauma burden to their risk of early death. When people from the original study were followed over the next ten years, the lifespan of those with no traumas was 79.1 years. In contrast, those who had reported six or more trauma categories in their childhood, on average, lived only 60.6 years. Incredibly, those with no trauma exposure reported on the ACE survey lived almost 20 years longer than people with a heavy trauma burden from their early life. This is exactly what we would expect if early life traumas are dramatically increasing the likelihood of serious medical illnesses.
Up until this point in this presentation, I have focused primarily on the findings of the original ACE study. It would be a mistake, though, to conclude that the ACE questionnaire captures all of the important traumas and distress that produce chronic illness. Next, I will discuss how these important findings can be expanded to give us an even more accurate understanding of the ways that painful emotional experiences increase the risk that serious physical diseases will develop.
It is not just ACE’s
There are two important ways that we need to expand our understanding of emotional traumas and disease beyond what the ACE study findings have shown us.
First, it is not just childhood. It is clear from the existing research literature that emotional trauma at any point in life has a negative impact on our future emotional and physical health and this impact is clearly additive and cumulative. For instance, studies of soldiers who were surveyed for childhood traumas prior to wartime tours of duty found that those with prior trauma histories were much more likely to develop depression and PTSD after returning to civilian life. Further confirmation is from research studies that have looked at the brain structure changes associated with trauma. They show that the typical changes that follow trauma in childhood also begin to develop following similar traumas later in life.
Second, long-term damage is not limited to the kinds of distress surveyed in the original ACE questionnaire. For example, studies of children who have been bullied show the same kinds of brain changes and the same kinds increased risks of emotional and physical diseases as those found in the original ACE study. Wartime traumas, the loss of loved ones, and being exposed to pervasive social prejudice are also potent risk factors for later emotional and physical illness as well as a higher risk of early death.
We can summarize these research findings by concluding that all kinds of traumatic experience, at any time in life, have these negative consequences. The more intensely distressing and the longer they are continued, the more damage that is done. This is comparatively new information that has not yet changed how the medical profession deals with chronic disease. In the next section, I will endeavor to briefly compare what most physicians and medical scientists still believe about the nature of human disease to what this new data is telling us. We need an updated understanding.
Understanding chronic human disease 2.0
We know that the human body is an amazingly complex organic machine. For several centuries now, we have been accumulating ever greater detail about its structure, metabolic processes, and genetic inheritance. But along with this dramatic increase In our understanding of the mechanics of how the human body operates, we have concluded that its diseases must be the result of, and completely explained by, the physical disruption of the body’s structural components and organs. With this focus on the mechanics, we have lost track of the incredibly important impact of the human mind and emotions on our health. The placebo effect and the “spontaneous remission” of incurable disease, discussed in an earlier presentation, are clear examples of this power of the human mind. In this presentation, the evidence of the chronic damage that emotional trauma creates within our brain and body are further indications of this power.
Along with this modern medical focus on the physical disruptions of the human body as the cause of disease, we have catalogued thousands of named diseases. As we have analyzed these physical determinants of each disease, we have also concluded that each has a unique set of causative factors. In contrast to this modern analysis, in the first presentation of this series, research was presented that demonstrates how religious beliefs and practices tend to heal all disease. While a different set of physical risk factors is associated with each disease process, comforting religious beliefs tend to heal all of these different kinds of diseases in a very general manner. To this understanding we now add that emotional traumas also produce a general tendency in the opposite direction: toward the development of all different kinds of emotional and physical discomfort and disease.
As another consequence of our modern, predominantly physical explanation for why disease develops, there is a large explanatory gap in our ability to predict who will develop chronic disease later in life. The traditionally described physical factors explain less than half of the risk. This large gap in our ability to predict and prevent chronic disease exists because we have not adequately appreciated the true power of the human mind and emotions to either produce damage or promote healing. This has been a major impediment to our efforts to prevent chronic diseases and to slow the aging process
From the results of the research presented here, we have seen that emotionally distressful experiences change the structure of the brain and the metabolic function of the body on a long-term basis. We often experience this damage as anxiety, depression, fatigue, insomnia, and other forms of chronic discomfort or even distress. We have also seen evidence that many of our damaging lifestyle choices are ways to self-manage this chronic emotional discomfort. Eventually, the toxic effects of these emotional states and their metabolic derangements cause the body to breakdown and malfunction, resulting in chronic disease.
I have argued in this discussion that the concept of disease as it was described in the New Testament Gospels points us toward insights that modern science has largely ignored, and that important passages in the Gospels anticipated modern research findings concerning the power of our mind and emotions in promoting either health or disease. To me, it seems clear that what was described in ancient times as “unclean spirits” was the invisible emotional damage and brain structural changes that produce disease. In ancient times, lacking our modern understanding of the human brain and its control of metabolic processes, these effects seemed spiritual and driven by some sort of evil power. The natural conclusion from this ancient model of disease was that the ill person was possessed by this evil power and needed the unclean spirit to be “cast out.” As I have argued earlier, what was being taught by Jesus has the power to heal, even if the ancient understanding of the true cause of disease has resulted in our modern misinterpretation of his true meaning.
This leads to the key question that has motivated me to present this research and the expanded understanding of the causes of human disease that it supports: Can we reverse the damage once it has been acquired, preventing its destructive effects?
Can chronic emotional discomfort and its subsequent physical illnesses be eliminated?
Even though research reports like those based on the ACE questionnaire seem to indicate that adverse experiences and their undesirable consequences usually stay with us for the remainder of our lives, this does not necessarily mean there is nothing we can do about them. One indication is that not everyone who is exposed to childhood trauma suffers the long-term effects. There are circumstances that are somehow protective, even though exactly what they are remains to be better understood. Yet another indication is that being involved with uplifting and inspiring theological teachings leads to long term improvements in our health and well-being. A third indication is that there is now a large research literature that is documenting treatment techniques which help to reverse chronic emotional discomforts such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, and fatigue. While it has not yet been widely accepted and included in modern medical care, treatments that result in long lasting improvement in our emotional state are being shown to also improve our health, prevent disability, and extend our lives.
In the next presentation, I will begin summarizing what we already know about what can be done to better prevent and treat some of the deadliest chronic diseases that often disable us and shorten our lives. You may be surprised by how much has been learned, and by how little it is being put into practice. I will subtitle this presentation: “…and greater works than these shall he do…”
This research promises a lot of benefits both for those we might want to help, and for us, personally, as we work to help others. Psychological benefits include greater peace of mind, increased energy and enthusiasm, increased self-confidence, and better sleep. Physical benefits include lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, improved immune function, better memory, and prevention or healing of disease in general.
References
This is the original “adverse childhood experiences” research report:
- Felitti VJ, Anda RF, et al. Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. Am J Prev Med 1998; 14:245-258
Here are a couple large surveys that confirmed the original ACE report in other populations:
- Bellis MA, Hughes K, et al. Measuring mortality and the burden of adult disease associated with adverse childhood experiences in England: a national survey. J Public Health 2015; 37:445-454
- Llabre MM, Schneiderman N, et al. Childhood trauma and adult risk factors and disease in Hispanics/Latinos in the US: results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Sociocultural Ancillary Study. Psychosom Med 2017; 79:172-180
This research report, published in 2006, includes an excellent survey of what was known about the effect of traumatic experiences on changes in brain structure. In 2006 it was already conclusively demonstrated that traumatic experience is associated with long term detrimental changes in brain structure and function:
- Anda RF, Felitti VJ, et al. The enduring effects of abuse and related adverse experiences in childhood: a convergence of evidence from neurobiology and epidemiology. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2006; 256:174-186
This research study used a different survey to measure childhood sources of distress than was used in the ACE study, included a different population, and confirmed the dramatic psychological problems that were found in the ACE study:
- McCauley J, Kern DE, et al. Clinical characteristics of women with a history of childhood abuse: unhealed wounds. JAMA 1997; 277:1362-1368
This research report uses the same database as the original ACE study, but goes into much more detail about the increased risk of ischemic heart disease and mortality form adverse early life experiences:
- Dong M, Wayne GH, et al. Insights into causal pathways for ischemic heart disease: Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. Circulation 2004; 110:1761-1766
The ACE questionnaire covered many of the most common causes of early life trauma but not all. This report adds the damage caused by being bullied as one example of other traumas that impact health and well-being in adults:
- Copeland WE, Wolke D, et al. Adult psychiatric and suicide outcomes of bullying and being bullied by peers in childhood and adolescence. JAMA Psychiatry 2013; 70:419-426
Appendix
The following tables (4, 5 & 7) are from the original ACE study report, cited as reference 1, above:
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https://chuckgebhardtmd.com/2022/01/01/scientific-support-for-new-testament-teachings-3-nbsp/
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BALTIMORE – Maternal depressive mood during the prenatal and postnatal periods is related to child sleep disturbances, according to recent pilot data from a longitudinal cohort study in kindergarten children.
“The most surprising thing about our results was the mediation role of child behavior in the maternal emotion-children’s sleep quality relationship, this demonstrates that emotion during pregnancy affects child behavior which further affects child’s sleep, said principal investigator and lead author Jianghong Liu, PhD, RN, FAAN, an associate professor at the Schools of Nursing and Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. “Furthermore, we found that happiness increased across the trimesters and that happiness during the second and third trimester was protective against child sleep problems.”
Participants included 833 kindergarteners with mean age of about six years old. Women’s emotional status, including prenatal/postnatal depressive emotion and perceived happiness throughout trimesters, was rated by a self-designed set of questions with a 5-point scale for happiness and a 3-point scale for depression. Sleep problems were assessed using the sleep subdomain of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Child behavioral problems were measured using the CBCL total score. General linear models were performed to examine the adjusted associations between childhood sleep problems and maternal emotional status.
Adjusted models showed that children of women who expressed either depressive emotion during the postnatal period (β=3.13, p=0.003) or during both the prenatal and postnatal periods (β=2.65, p=0.04) were more likely to exhibit sleep disturbances. Similarly, increased levels of happiness in the second and third trimester were significantly associated with decreased risk for children’s sleep problems. Results show a significant mediation effect of child’s behavior on the maternal emotion and child sleep relationship.
According to Liu and her co-authors (Xiaopeng Ji, Guanghai Wang, Yuli Li and Jennifer Pinto-Martin), these results are noteworthy because they highlight the importance of prenatal maternal emotional health and its impact on child sleep outcomes.
“These results promote the caretaking of maternal health and happiness during pregnancy and encourage the roles of familial and community support in aiding expecting mothers. This will benefit not only maternal health but also the long term behavioral and sleep health of their child,” said Liu.
The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented Tuesday, June 5, in Baltimore at SLEEP 2018, the 32nd annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS), which is a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.
Funding for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Health NIH /NIEHS grants R01-ES-018858, K02-ES-019878 and K01-ES015877.
Abstract Title: Child Behavioral Problems Mediate The Relationship Between Maternal Emotions During The Prenatal And Postnatal Period And Kindergarten Children’s Sleep Disturbances
Abstract ID: 0815
Poster Presentation: Tuesday, June 5, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Board 035
Oral Presentation: Wednesday, June 6, 1:45 p.m. to 2 p.m., Room 328
Presenter: Jianghong Liu, PhD
For a copy of the abstract or to arrange an interview with the study author or an AASM spokesperson, please contact AASM Communications Coordinator Corinne Lederhouse at 630-737-9700, ext. 9366, or [email protected].
About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) improves sleep health and promotes high quality, patient-centered care through advocacy, education, strategic research, and practice standards. The AASM has a combined membership of 10,000 accredited member sleep centers and individual members, including physicians, scientists and other health care professionals. For more information about sleep and sleep disorders, including a directory of AASM-accredited member sleep centers, visit www.sleepeducation.org.
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https://aasm.org/maternal-depressive-emotion-associated-with-childrens-sleep-problems/
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Participants were randomly asked to follow either the clockwise or the anticlockwise route, and were provided with a map of the exhibition on which the six relevant rooms were highlighted.
Art and the language of emotion. However, we rotiz not directly measure this, and further research is needed to better understand how percetion can be best provided with information in order to make the most of an art exhibition or museum visit. Simple stimuli are learned faster, and boredom may thus set in more quickly compared to complex stimuli. We also compared the effect of viewing environment laboratory versus museumand effects of familiarity with the artworks.
Do people prefer curved objects?
Overexposure, however, results in boredom and thus leads to depreciation of the stimulus. A An example of a hand-out displaying one of the exhibition rooms in the museum with artworks included in our stimulus set, to aid participants in identifying the correct paintings and their corresponding numbers on the rating sheet. Error bars represent the standard error of the mean. December 1; 44 4: Participants were asked to rate the artworks on four dimensions one rating per dimension: However, he points out that evaluating the content of the artwork can induce a wider range of emotions not restricted to aesthetics, e.
Introduction People have created and appreciated visual artworks throughout history and across different cultures. Hence, exploring a stimulus renders positive reinforcement. Although expertise explains part of the appreciation adn art, it does not account for emotions that may be triggered by visual features of the artwork itself.
This was driven by portraits being rated as more calm mean 3. In contrast, the consistency in affective evaluations across observers substantiates earlier reports by our group [ 3940 ]. Although a judgement of beauty may indeed be influenced by an emotional response, it is also thought to be heavily influenced by artistic style, art-historic knowledge and so on see [ 15 ].
B Examples of the stimuli. Some researchers have highlighted the concept of felt versus perceived emotion [ 38 ]. Contrary to our expectations, we found no main effects or interactions with respect to art expertise. Previous theories on the emotional response to art have focused either on the intentional expression of a particular emotion by the artist [ 27 — 29 ] or on the experience of the observer [ 30 — 32 ].
In the former case, the hypothesis is that the artwork contains specific features that influence the perception of emotion. Leder, Belke, Oeberst andd Augustin [ 15 ], for example, have argued that knowledge of style and context of the artwork are perceptino to having an aesthetic experience.
These findings are directly relevant amd museums, as they suggest that promoting artworks in an exhibition for example by providing a preview of the artworks in the exhibition online, along with brief background information may increase the overall experience of non-expert museum visitors.
Participants were all art novices with no particular background in art. The art expertise score refers to a questionnaire adapted from the Assessment of Art Attributes see Measures section in which participants indicated, among others, the number of hours per week spent on creating visual art, number of museum visits per year, and so on.
appfeciation Published online Aug 5. Hence, the relationship between familiarity and aesthetic preference seems intricate, and findings from previous studies percepton equivocal.
In the present study we investigated the effect of art expertise on art appreciation using both basic emotion judgments valence and arousal and more aesthetic judgments of beauty and liking. The artworks were divided into two stimulus sets henceforth referred to as set 1 and set 2 in a pseudo-random manner based on their size, ensuring that artworks from each exhibition room were divided roughly equally over the two sets and that each set contained similarly sized artworks.
A The experimental paradigm used in session I laboratory session. The training comprised a minute video clip presented on a laptop set up in a booth in the reception area of the museum. Example of materials used in the museum session. In the museum session participants were given a paper questionnaire on which they circled their answers.
In addition, even when participants rate a specific emotional question e. However, this study included a limited set of paintings and, art expertise not being the main focus of the study, the observed differences between the groups were not further discussed.
We were also interested to see whether artworks would be better appreciated in a museum, which is the culturally defined location where artworks are supposed to be best viewed as opposed to a dimly lit lab room. Psychol Aesthetics, Creat Arts.
This assumption is especially relevant for abstract artworks, where no recognisable objects are depicted apprdciation could trigger semantic associations.
Melcher DP, Bacci F. Thus, although a simple minute lesson on the artists and art history related to an exhibition was sufficient to alter the degree to which viewers liked artworks, the effects of the training were aet clear-cut and need to be further investigated in future studies, perhaps by testing different types and durations of training.
Sixty participants 40 novices, 20 art experts rated a set of abstract artworks and portraits during two occasions: In one study, for example, participants with varying levels of art knowledge were asked how much they liked a set of abstract artworks [ 7 ]. Based on previous studies, we predicted that art expertise would affect aesthetic appreciation mainly with respect to beauty and liking judgments.
The current study We investigated the roles of observer experience and training, familiarity, and the physical context in which the artwork is viewed, on judgments of emotion, beauty and preference for abstract artworks and representational artworks in this case, portraits. Relationships between aesthetic response scales applied to paintings. Components of aesthetic experience: Emotional Responses to Art: Participants were students of the University of Trento, members of the local community, artists, and art teachers.
With respect to providing specific art historic and stylistic information, we found some evidence that this helps art novices to appreciate representational artworks that they had encountered on a previous occasion.
J Aesthet Art Crit. We found no significant main effects or interactions with regard to Valence ratings.
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http://ktia.pro/art-perception-and-appreciation-by-ortiz-87/
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We present a new method for obtaining the residence time of coral reef waters and demonstrate the successful application of this method by estimating rates of net ecosystem calcification (NEC) at four locations across the Bermuda platform and showing that the rates thus obtained are in reasonable agreement with independent estimates based on different methodologies. The contrast in Be-7 activity between reef and offshore waters can be related to the residence time of the waters over the reef through a time-dependent model that takes into account the rainwater flux of Be-7, the radioactive half-life of Be-7, and the rate of removal of Be-7 on particles estimated from Th-234. Sampling for Be-7 and Th-234 was conducted during the late fall and winter between 2008 and 2010. Model results yielded residence times ranging from 1.4 (+/- 0.7) days at the rim reef to 12 (+/- 4.0) days closer to shore. When combined with measurements of salinity-normalized total alkalinity anomalies, these residence times yielded platform-average NEC rates ranging from a maximum of 20.3 (+/- 7.0) mmolCaCO(3) m(-2) d(-1) in Nov 2008 to a minimum of 2.5 (+/- 0.8) mmolCaCO(3) m(-2) d(-1) in Feb 2009. The advantage of this new approach is that the rates of NEC obtained are temporally and spatially averaged. This novel approach for estimating NEC rates may be applicable to other coral reef ecosystems, providing an opportunity to assess how these rates may change in the context of ocean acidification.
Experimental studies have shown that coral calcification rates are dependent on light, nutrients, food availability, temperature, and seawater aragonite saturation (Omega (arag)), but the relative importance of each parameter in natural settings remains uncertain. In this study, we applied Calcein fluorescent dyes as time indicators within the skeleton of coral colonies (n = 3) of Porites astreoides and Diploria strigosa at three study sites distributed across the northern Bermuda coral reef platform. We evaluated the correlation between seasonal average growth rates based on coral density and extension rates with average temperature, light, and seawater Omega (arag) in an effort to decipher the relative importance of each parameter. The results show significant seasonal differences among coral calcification rates ranging from summer maximums of 243 +/- A 58 and 274 +/- A 57 mmol CaCO3 m(-2) d(-1) to winter minimums of 135 +/- A 39 and 101 +/- A 34 mmol CaCO3 m(-2) d(-1) for P. astreoides and D. strigosa, respectively. We also placed small coral colonies (n = 10) in transparent chambers and measured the instantaneous rate of calcification under light and dark treatments at the same study sites. The results showed that the skeletal growth of D. strigosa and P. astreoides, whether hourly or seasonal, was highly sensitive to Omega (arag). We believe this high sensitivity, however, is misleading, due to covariance between light and Omega (arag), with the former being the strongest driver of calcification variability. For the seasonal data, we assessed the impact that the observed seasonal differences in temperature (4.0 A degrees C), light (5.1 mol photons m(-2) d(-1)), and Omega (arag) (0.16 units) would have on coral growth rates based on established relationships derived from laboratory studies and found that they could account for approximately 44, 52, and 5 %, respectively, of the observed seasonal change of 81 +/- A 14 mmol CaCO3 m(-2) d(-1). Using short-term light and dark incubations, we show how the covariance of light and Omega (arag) can lead to the false conclusion that calcification is more sensitive to Omega (arag) than it really is.
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http://scrippsscholars.ucsd.edu/aandersson/publications/ag/V?sort=author&order=asc
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One of the principle ways in which reef building corals are likely to cope with a warmer climate is by changing to more thermally tolerant endosymbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) genotypes. It is highly likely that hosting a more heat-tolerant algal genotype will be accompanied by tradeoffs in the physiology of the coral. To better understand one of these tradeoffs, growth was investigated in the Indo-Pacific reef-building coral Acropora millepora in both the laboratory and the field. In the Keppel Islands in the southern Great Barrier Reef this species naturally harbors nrDNA ITS1 thermally sensitive type C2 or thermally tolerant type D zooxanthellae of the genus Symbiodinium and can change dominant type following bleaching. We show that under controlled conditions, corals with type D symbionts grow 29% slower than those with type C2 symbionts. In the field, type D colonies grew 38% slower than C2 colonies. These results demonstrate the magnitude of trade-offs likely to be experienced by this species as they acclimatize to warmer conditions by changing to more thermally tolerant type D zooxanthellae. Irrespective of symbiont genotype, corals were affected to an even greater degree by the stress of a bleaching event which reduced growth by more than 50% for up to 18 months compared to pre-bleaching rates. The processes of symbiont change and acute thermal stress are likely to act in concert on coral growth as reefs acclimatize to more stressful warmer conditions, further compromising their regeneration capacity following climate change.
Copyright: © 2010 Jones, Berkelmans. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: This study was made possible by funding from the Australian Institute of Marine Science and Central Queensland University. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Coral reefs are generally thought to be highly vulnerable to climate change as they live in a narrow range of thermal tolerance. Recent research however, indicates that scleractinian (reef-building) corals may have considerable scope for acclimatization to warmer conditions , , . The key to acclimatization may be their capacity to ‘shuffle’ the levels of symbiotic zooxanthellae genotypes (taxonomic units below the clade level) that are now known to occur within the tissues of most corals , . Symbiont shuffling occurs when the relative dominance of symbiont types changes. Under temperature stress, thermally sensitive symbiont types are displaced in favor of thermally tolerant types . For instance, changing to thermally tolerant Symbiodinium type D in one study was found to increase thermal tolerance between 1.0–1.5°C in a common Indo-Pacific coral species, A. millepora . Symbiont change on reefs must essentially involve a community shift in the symbionts of multiple coral species to realize an increase the thermal tolerance of the entire reef . Field studies have yet to demonstrate how widespread the phenomenon of shuffling is, whether all corals have the ability to shuffle symbiont types, or what ecological benefits may result from ‘new’ host-symbiont combinations.
The symbiont type harbored by reef corals can influence the nutritional status and overall fitness of the holobiont. Corals rely heavily on their symbionts for their energy requirements through the translocation of photosynthetically fixed carbon (estimated to be as high as ∼95% of the total energy requirement) , . In zooxanthellate corals, some of this energy is used to drive carbonate accretion . This deposition of carbonate (calcification) is the process by which reef-builders form their hard skeletons. Processes that affect photosynthesis have the potential to have a simultaneous effect on host calcification . The link between symbiont genotype, photosynthetic function and carbon fixation has already been established. For instance, Cantin et al. found a positive correlation between the tissue incorporation of radio-labeled carbon (which represents photosynthetically-derived carbon-based energy) and the relative maximum rate of electron transport through photosystem II (rETRmax, a secondary measure of photosynthetic function) in A. millepora juveniles with C1 and D symbionts. Type D juveniles had lower rETRmax and fixed less 14C than those with type C1. Because photosynthesis is directly related to the amount of energy available to the host for calcification, this is likely to reflect in lower calcification and skeletal growth rate. This is supported by studies of growth in juvenile A. millepora in which increased skeletal growth has been demonstrated in type C1 compared to type D symbionts , . Clearly, predominant symbiont genotype can influence host physiology. Symbiont community change by shuffling therefore has the potential to influence the growth dynamics of entire reef communities. While these studies show that symbiont type can affect the growth of juvenile corals, differences in the growth rates of adult corals with thermo-tolerant and –sensitive zooxanthellae types have so far not been studied.
The growth rate of reef-building corals has a substantial influence on the resilience and regeneration capacity of tropical reefs. The hard skeletons of scleractinian corals form the framework of reefs, providing food and habitat for other marine organisms . Following disturbance, such as bleaching, the growth rate of the key structural corals, such as species belonging to the genera Acropora and Pocillopora, is the most important factor in reef recovery , . Frequent disturbance without strong coral re-growth results in phase shifts to macro-algal and soft coral-dominated communities . The growth rate of hard coral species is an important factor in preventing these phase shifts . Factors that affect the process of calcium carbonate accretion in structural corals, such as Pocillopora and Acropora, have downstream influence on the habitat and food supply of other marine organisms . The warmer and potentially more acidic marine conditions that are predicted to occur with climate change pose an as yet unquantifiable threat to the carbonate structure of coral reefs . Retardation of coral re-growth by symbiont change could exacerbate these processes, accelerating the demise of coral reefs as we know them.
This study investigates one of the most important elements of reef resilience to climate change, namely skeletal growth. A. millepora was chosen for this study as this is an abundant and dominant reef-builder on the leeward shores of islands in the Keppel region of the Great Barrier Reef , . Colonies on these reefs naturally host thermally-sensitive type C2 Symbiodinium, thermally-tolerant type D or a combination of both types. The results indicate that the growth rate of A. millepora is significantly affected in hosts containing the thermally tolerant symbiont type compared to those with the thermally sensitive type but that the stress of the bleaching confounds any costs or benefits of symbiont type.
The skeletal growth rate of A. millepora explants in the laboratory varied significantly with predominant symbiont genotype. The buoyant weight gain of explants with type D symbionts for the four weeks of the study was 29% less than that gained by C2 explants (p<0.05, Figure 1, Table 1). There was no significant effect of temperature on explant growth and no significant interaction between symbiont type and temperature treatment.
Figure 1. Growth rates of Acropora millepora explants in the laboratory.
Acropora millepora explants with type D symbionts had significantly lower growth than explants with type C2 symbionts. Boxes represent the buoyant weight gained over a week expressed as a percentage of the initial buoyant weight of the explant. White boxes represent colonies with type C2 symbionts and grey boxes represent colonies with type D symbionts. Box boundaries represent the 75th and 25th percentiles. Thick lines within the boxplots represent the mean and thin lines represent the median. Whisker bars above and below the boxes represent the 95th and 5th percentiles.
Table 1. ANOVA of the growth rate of Acropora millepora with C2 and D symbionts.
Chlorophyll and zooxanthellae density measurements varied significantly with the predominant symbiont genotype and with treatment temperature but there were no significant interactions (Figure 2 a–f, Table 2). Zooxanthellae densities for type D explants (averaged across temperature treatments) were 22% lower than densities for C2 explants (p<0.05). Zooxanthellae densities at 29°C were 21% lower than densities at 23°C (p<0.05). The algal cell chlorophyll a content of type D explants was 16% lower than for type C2 explants (p<0.05) while chlorophyll c2 for type D explants was 17% lower (p<0.05). At 29°C, the mean algal chlorophyll a was 20% higher than concentrations at 23°C (p<0.05) while chlorophyll c2 was 19% higher (p<0.05). At the end of the laboratory study, zooxanthellae densities and algal cell chlorophyll a and c2 compared well with values measured in nearby colonies sampled in the field at Miall Island (data not shown). Fv/Fm measurements of C2 and D colonies were stable between 0.6 and 0.8 throughout the experiment indicating that there was no measureable photo-damage and/or photo-inhibition , , , , , , .
Figure 2. Algal densities and chlorophyll pigments for Acropora millepora in the laboratory.
Boxplots showing the significant effects of (a, c, e) temperature on zooxanthellae densities and chlorophyll a and c2, and (b, d, f) symbiont genotype on zooxanthellae densities and chlorophyll a and c2, in Acropora millepora explants during a laboratory growth experiment. White boxes represent colonies with type C2 symbionts or those at 23°C and grey boxes represent colonies with type D symbionts or those at 29°C. Box boundaries represent the 75th and 25th percentiles. Thick lines within the boxplots represent the mean and thin lines represent the median. Whisker bars above and below the boxes represent the 95th and 5th percentiles. Missing and out of range values are not shown. Dots represent data that fall outside the confidence limits.
Table 2. ANOVA of symbiont densities and algal chlorophyll a and c2 for Acropora millepora in the laboratory.
The first field growth experiment was conducted before a major bleaching event which affected the Keppel Islands in February 2006 . At this time, the weekly growth rate of A. millepora colonies varied significantly with symbiont genotype (Figure 3, Table 3). The growth rate of D colonies was 38% lower than that of C2 colonies (p<0.05).
Figure 3. Growth of Acropora millepora with C2 and D symbionts in the field.
Boxplots showing the significantly higher weekly growth rate of Acropora millepora colonies with type C2 symbionts compared to colonies with type D symbionts before a bleaching event. Boxes represent the weekly buoyant weight gain as a percentage of the initial buoyant weight of the colony. White boxes represent colonies with type C2 symbionts and grey boxes represent colonies with type D symbionts. Box boundaries represent the 75th and 25th percentiles. Thick lines within the boxplots represent the mean and thin lines represent the median. Whisker bars above and below the boxes represent the 95th and 5th percentiles. Missing and out of range values are not shown. Dots represent data that fall outside the confidence limits.
Table 3. ANOVA of weekly growth of Acropora millepora colonies before a bleaching event.
The growth rates of A. millepora colonies in the field also varied significantly with season (Figure 4, Table 4). Growth rates were higher in spring and autumn than in winter. Growth rates were 27% higher in spring than in autumn (p<0.05) and 71% higher in spring than in winter (p<0.0.5) and 34% higher in autumn than in winter (p<0.05). There was no interaction between symbiont type and season.
Figure 4. Seasonal growth of Acropora millepora colonies.
The growth rate of colonies of Acropora millepora varied significantly with season in the year before a bleaching event. Boxes represent the weekly buoyant weight gain expressed as a percentage of the initial buoyant weight of the colony. White boxes represent colonies with type C2 symbionts and grey boxes represent colonies with type D symbionts. Box boundaries represent the 75th and 25th percentiles. Thick lines within the boxplots represent the mean and thin lines represent the median. Whisker bars above and below the boxes represent the 95th and 5th percentiles. Missing and out of range values are not shown. Dots represent data that fall outside the confidence limits.
Table 4. ANOVA of seasonal growth of Acropora millepora before a bleaching event.
The bleaching event in early 2006 severely affected A. millepora growth rates irrespective of symbiont genotype (which correlated with bleaching severity). The growth of A. millepora colonies followed a similar seasonal pattern to the first study before the bleaching however colonies gained only half of the buoyant weight (p<0.05, Figure 5, Table 5). The highest growth rate in 2006 was in spring, six months after the bleaching event, 76% lower than the spring of 2005 before the bleaching (p<0.05, Table 5). Growth rate in autumn 2006 (12 months after the bleaching) was 46% lower than in autumn 2005 before bleaching (p<0.05). The winter 2006 growth rate (nearly 18 months after the bleaching), was 47% lower than the growth rate in the winter 2005 before the bleaching (p<0.05). The highest growth rates of A. millepora colonies after the bleaching event were in spring and the lowest growth rates were in autumn and winter.
Figure 5. Growth of Acropora millepora colonies was severely affected by bleaching.
The weekly growth rate of Acropora millepora colonies was severely affected by a bleaching event in January/February 2006. Boxes represent the weekly buoyant weight gain expressed as a percentage of the initial buoyant weight of the colony. Box boundaries represent the 75th and 25th percentiles. Thick lines within the boxplots represent the mean and thin lines represent the median. Whisker bars above and below the boxes represent the 95th and 5th percentiles. Missing and out of range values are not shown. Dots represent data that fall outside the confidence limits.
Table 5. ANOVA of Acropora millepora growth during the combined field studies.
Because of the low number of type C2 colonies left by the end of the first field experiment and the shifting background population of symbiont types, it was not possible to conduct a robust statistical analysis of the effects of symbiont type on growth. However, the overall growth rate of all the colonies in the second experiment (after bleaching) was 47% lower than the lowest growth rate (that of type D colonies) in the first experiment.
The growth rate of reef-building corals is likely to be significantly compromised by two separate and independent processes as they acclimatize to a warmer, more stressful, climate. Firstly, growth will be affected by symbiont population shuffling to more thermally tolerant types in response to thermal stress. The second process is the significant affect of bleaching stress itself on coral growth. Thermal stress involving bleaching is a key driver of symbiont shuffling. A community shift from thermally sensitive type C2 to thermally tolerant types D and C1 symbionts occurred in A. millepora colonies at Miall Island in the southern Great Barrier Reef following severe bleaching in 2006 . Before the bleaching, colonies with predominantly type D symbionts had significantly lower growth rate than colonies with type C2 symbionts. Under normal (non-stressful) conditions, this shift is likely to have caused ∼38% lower growth in surviving colonies with predominantly type D symbionts. However, the effects of the bleaching event itself far out-weighed the effects of symbiont genotype, reducing growth in all colonies by 56% compared to the growth rate in the year before the bleaching. Even in corals with type D symbionts, that were apparently unaffected by heat stress at the peak of the bleaching event, growth was significantly reduced for at least 18 months after the bleaching event. It is unknown how long this stress event continued to impact coral growth as the experiment was terminated before there was any sign of recovery of growth rates to pre-bleaching levels.
This study provides conclusive evidence that symbiont genotype is a significant determinant of skeletal growth rate in A. millepora but suggests that although acclimation by symbiont shuffling may improve survival; it does not necessarily represent a long term benefit to host physiology, at least in terms of growth. Our finding that symbiont genotype influences adult coral growth supports previous studies that have demonstrated symbiont genotypic influences in juvenile corals in terms of their growth and carbon acquisition . While corals with thermally tolerant type D symbionts had a clear advantage over type C2 colonies in terms of survival , it is clear that at least in terms of skeletal growth, there are still significant heat stress effects on either the symbiont, the host or the holobiont. Our results suggest that acclimation by symbiont shuffling may not represent as beneficial an acclimatory response to warmer more stressful conditions as has previously been suggested. However, (and more importantly) if climate change causes reef-wide symbiont community change to more thermally tolerant types then there will be significant concurrent effects of symbiont change and thermal stress on reef growth and regeneration capacity.
Studies of scleractinian corals have previously found that bleaching can affect coral growth up to one year after bleaching. A correlation between growth variation and bleaching severity was found in A. millepora colonies in a study by Baird and Marshall . While moderately bleached colonies grew ∼20%, severely bleached colonies either remained the same size or shrank over a six week period following a natural bleaching event . Two earlier studies of Montastraea annularis confirm the effects of bleaching on skeletal extension rates for up to a year after the event. The growth rate of bleached M. annularis colonies was reduced by ∼80% and the growth rates of both bleached and unbleached colonies was reduced by 66–98% . While it is difficult to compare measurements of buoyant weight gain to those of skeletal extension and colony area used in these studies, this confirms that severe bleaching can have a debilitating effect on coral growth rate up to a year and possibly longer following recovery. Following the 2006 bleaching at Miall Island, there was also evidence of a shift back to thermally sensitive C2 symbionts in the colonies within 18 months of the bleaching . In this case, the effects of bleaching are expected to persist even longer than symbiont community change, suggesting that the growth differences that are a result of symbiont identity are transitory and relatively minor in comparison to the effects of heat damage to cells and photosystems. However, if climate change causes repeated anomalously warm summers, type D symbionts could become more widespread and permanent on reefs, resulting in the additive effects of these two processes acting to depress coral growth.
Some of the growth differences in A. millepora explants in the laboratory study can be explained by the lower symbiont densities of type D explants. However, since a correlation between Symbiodinium genotype and zooxanthellae densities has not previously been demonstrated , a significant proportion of the growth anomaly (∼13% at 23°C) can be attributed solely to symbiont genotype. This was confirmed by re-analyzing the laboratory growth data after standardizing the percentage growth rate of explants to zooxanthellae densities. The model results were consistent with the unstandardized growth data, confirming the link between symbiont identity and growth rate.
The growth differences of adult A. millepora with symbionts of contrasting thermal tolerance in the field and laboratory were not as dramatic as those found for juveniles of this species. Little et al. found a far greater (200–300%) growth difference between juvenile A. millepora with type D and those with C1 symbionts and Mieog et al. found a 50% growth difference. Three factors may be responsible for this disparity. The first two factors may be the effect of isometric scaling with the size of the subject and the age of the coral tissues . As tissues age, cell senescence causes a reduction in the proportion of the coral's energy allocated to growth and an increase in the energy allocated to reproduction. Older, larger colonies will partition less of their resources into growth than smaller, younger colonies. Coral recruits invest all their energy in tissue and skeletal growth in the absence of reproductive effort. The third rationale may lie in the identity of the symbionts compared in the studies. Little et al. and Mieog et al. compared A. millepora juveniles with type D to those with C1, whereas in the present study, adult corals with type D symbionts were compared to those with type C2 symbionts. The growth differences between adult A. millepora and juveniles of this species may assume more parity in the context of these factors. A further factor may lie in the effects of environmental variables which can influence growth rates in the field. Little et al. studied growth at Magnetic Island whereas the present study took place at Miall Island, 800 km south of Magnetic Island (along-shelf distance). Mieog et al. found differences at Magnetic Island but not in the Keppels; clearly demonstrating that environmental factors are at play. Irrespective of these factors, the range of growth values found between and within studies indicate that further studies are required before it will be possible to fully quantify the effects of symbiont genotypes on growth in the field as corals acclimatize to climate change.
In terms of symbiont effects on growth, one possible explanation for the lower growth of type D compared to type C2 A. millepora under normal conditions may lie in the photokinetics of the symbionts. Rapid light curves (RLC's) were used to show a strong positive correlation between rETRmax of photosystem II and the incorporation of radio-labelled carbon into host tissues in juvenile A. millepora with type D and C1 symbionts . Corals with type C1 symbionts had 87% higher rETRmax which correlated with more than double 14C incorporation rates. While a direct link between reduced photosynthetic carbon fixation of thermally tolerant symbionts and lower holobiont growth rate has yet to be demonstrated, one of the key mechanisms of thermal tolerance involves the composition and fluidity of the thylakoid membranes that house the photosystems . Because these mechanisms in plants , and micro algae are linked to reduced growth, it is likely that the lower electron transport rate of type D symbionts in the study by Cantin et al. may provide an explanation for the 38% lower growth in the field (under non-stressful conditions) in the present study. Lower photosynthetic function may help type D symbionts to cope with excess electrons and reactive oxygen species during heat stress, thereby maintaining normal photosynthetic function. However, the growth differences found in the field and laboratory in this study and those of Little et al. suggest that heat tolerance comes at a cost to growth rates even at non-stressful temperatures.
In the second field study, A. millepora colonies with type D Symbiodinium had reduced growth in spite of retaining their symbionts during the bleaching event. There are a number of possible explanations for this. The photosynthetically fixed carbon from intact type D symbionts may not be available to their hosts for skeletal growth. This is the concept of type D symbionts as ‘greedy’ partners under stressful conditions. It is possible that surviving stress tolerant symbiont genotypes retain a greater portion of their photosynthetically fixed carbon for cell metabolism and repair, thereby ensuring their own survival but effectively starving the host coral. This would not occur under non-stressful conditions (i.e. before the bleaching) during which photokinetics remain a more likely explanation for the observed growth differences. A second explanation may be that during the warmer conditions of the summer bleaching event, in spite of retaining their symbionts, A. millepora with type D symbionts used more energy for respiration, which is positively correlated with temperature . The increased respiratory demand would have occurred in both bleached and unbleached corals, resulting in reductions in growth in both C2 and D corals, irrespective of symbiont losses. This does not explain why growth rates remained low throughout the following year as temperatures became less stressful. The third explanation may be that type D symbionts had increased rates of photo-inhibition during the bleaching event which reduced carbon fixation. At high temperatures (e.g. 32°C), type D Symbiodinium has been shown to undergo protective photoinhibition . Diversion of photon energy via photoprotective processes is a mechanism to cope with heat stress as temperature can damage the algal cell's capacity to repair proteins . Photoinhibition mimics reduced habitat irradiance, reducing photosynthesis . Finally, the effects of heat stress on ‘host factors’ may play a part in reducing photosynthate translocation to the corals which retained their type D symbionts . It is likely that a combination of these mechanisms may cause the loss of skeletal growth in type D corals. What is clear is that in spite of increasing the heat tolerance of A. millepora colonies, hosting type D Symbiodinium does not protect the coral from the more subtle effects of the bleaching on processes such as growth.
The relative differences in growth rate of A. millepora in the field and the laboratory (nearly double) are likely to be caused by the interactions of influences such as light, morphology and changes in heterotrophic feeding behaviour. Theoretically at least, increased heterotrophy in the field , where zooplankton and particulate matter are available, should reduce incorporation of the heavier carbon isotope 13C into the coral skeleton because zooplankton and particulate matter are lower in δ13C (ratio 13C:12C relative to Vienna Peedee Belemnite Limestone Standard) than seawater . In the laboratory, corals were supplied with filtered seawater which has comparatively low δ13C due to the absence of zooplankton. A second explanation is that the field growth rates incorporate both winter and summer rates. When compared to the growth rate of in spring (when temperatures were most similar to those in the laboratory), laboratory growth rates (at 23°C) assume greater parity.
This study has provided some insights into the synergistic effects and magnitude of symbiont genotype and thermal stress on coral growth. These two influences are likely to have implications to the future resilience and regeneration capacity of reefs. However more work is required to determine how applicable these effects are to other coral/algal associations and localities. The results of the field studies suggest that symbiont genotype will affect the growth rate of some reef corals, and that this will be compounded by the long-term effects of severe heat stress on these corals if they survive. Predictions of annual bleaching events within the next 30–50 years could result in more frequent disturbances which have the potential to shift the community composition of some reefs from hard-coral to macro-algae and soft coral-dominated communities . Some of the most structurally important scleractinian corals may be able to acclimatize to gradually warmer waters by hosting thermally tolerant symbionts but, the pressures of annual heat stress, ocean acidification and permanent symbiont changes on growth may act synergistically in compromising the competitiveness of these species to recover and compete between events.
This study followed the guidelines of the Central Queensland University (CQU) Code of Conduct for Researchers and was conducted in accordance with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and CQU Memorandum of Understanding and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Regulation (1983). The study did not require clearance by the CQU Animal Ethics Committee.
The growth rate of colonies with either C2 or D symbionts was measured in two studies. One study took place in the field on the reef slope at Miall Island in the Keppel region. To support the results of the field study, the second study took place under controlled laboratory conditions at two temperatures (23°C and 29°C). These temperatures represent the average stressful summer and non-stressful spring/autumn temperature ranges for corals at this site. The explants used in the laboratory experiment were sourced from the reef flat at Miall Island. The field experiment was repeated opportunistically following a natural bleaching event in February 2006 to further investigate the effect of bleaching on the growth differences between C2 and D corals.
Collection and maintenance of corals.
In March 2005, 16 colonies of the Indo-Pacific stony coral A. millepora, Ehrenberg, 1834, with known Symbiodinium type C2 or type D were transplanted from the Keppel Islands region (a cool, clear southern inshore section of the Great Barrier Reef) to Magnetic Island (central Great Barrier Reef, ∼800 km north of Keppel). Corals were kept for a period of three months at Magnetic Island to allow recovery from transportation and acclimatization prior to the experiment. Temperatures ranged between 23°C and 27°C in the Keppels and between 24°C and 27°C at Magnetic Island during this time. Corals were kept on wire mesh racks at approximately the same depth that they were collected. In May 2005, the colonies were removed from the racks at Magnetic Island and transported to the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) where they were used for the growth experiment.
Six explants were cut from each of the 16 colonies (9 colonies with rDNA ITS1 type C2 and 7 colonies with ITS1 type D Symbiodinium) and distributed randomly and equally between three tanks (treatment replicates) within each of two temperature treatments (23°C and 29°C). Aerated seawater was supplied to the tanks at a flow rate of ∼1000 l h−1 and heated to the target temperatures (23°C and 29°C±1°C, mean ± S.D.). Coral explants were fixed to plastic stands with a cyanoacrylate-based adhesive (Loctite 454™ super glue gel) and then placed on elevated rotisseries. Each rotisserie was turned 180° twice daily to ensure even exposure to light and water flow. Corals were gradually acclimated for 10 days to light conditions in the tanks at the treatment temperatures. For the duration of the four week experiment, corals were supplied with 3.5 hours of shaded light (30–36 µmole photons m−2 s−1) followed by 5 hours of un-shaded light (87–107 µmole photons m−2 s−1), followed by another 3.5 hours of shaded light and 12 hours darkness each day to approximate their natural diurnal light cycle.
Light was provided by 10×400 W metal halide lamps (10,000°K colour temperature, BLV Germany) with a spectral quality suitable for coral photosynthesis. To monitor the health of explants with respect to the laboratory conditions, the dark-adapted maximum quantum yield of each explant was determined every second day by measuring Fv/Fm with a mini-PAM fluorometer (Heinz Walz, Germany) at the same time each morning after 8 hours of darkness. Measurements were made with a Diving-PAM fluorometer (Heinz Walz, Germany) sensor 5 cm underwater just above the coral explants with the tip of the fibre-optic probe touching the base of the explant surface on a vertical plane. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) measurements were made in the presence of a weak measuring light (F0) and then during a 1 s (8000 µmol photon m−2.s−1) saturating pulse of light (Fm). Damping and gain were set at 2 and the measuring light was set at 1 s µmol photons m−2.s−1.
The predominant Symbiodinium type in the colonies used in both field and laboratory experiments was verified just before the start of the experiments using Single Stranded Conformational Polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of the Inter-transcribed Spacer Region 1 (ITS1) of algal nuclear ribosomal DNA as described in Jones et al. . Only colonies with intense SSCP bands representing type C2 and type D (EU189443, EU1894505) were chosen for the studies although the presence of other types below 5% abundance is not ruled out .
Coral explants were weighed to three decimal places at the end of each week for four weeks to determine equivalent skeletal buoyant weight using the methods described in Jokiel et al. .
To determine the influence of zooxanthellae densities and algal pigment concentrations on coral growth, explants were snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at −20°C immediately following the experiment. Frozen branches were stripped of tissue using an air gun and the resultant slurry was macerated with a tissue homogenizer for 20 s. The homogenate volume was recorded and a 9 ml aliquot was drawn off and preserved with 1 ml of formalin (32% w.w−1). Zooxanthellae counts were made on eight independent drops (0.0001 mm3) from each sample using a New Improved Nuebauer haemocytomer under a compound light microscope. Zooxanthellae numbers were standardized to coral tissue surface area using the 3D digital image analysis method described in Jones et al. .
A separate 10 ml aliquot was drawn from the remaining tissue homogenate and the algal pellet was separated from the host tissue by centrifugation (3000 g for 5 min) at 4°C. Chlorophyll was extracted overnight from the algal pellet using 100% methanol at 4°C. The first 10 samples were extracted three times to determine the extraction efficiency. Absorbance at 668 nm and 635 nm was measured with a spectrophotometer (Hitachi U-3200). Total branch chlorophyll a was calculated from the equation of Jeffrey and Haxo after adjustment for extraction efficiency and standardized to algal cells.
In March 2004, 43 pieces (15–20 cm) of A. millepora colonies from the Keppel region were cut from larger colonies from the reef flat and pruned to approximately similar sizes . Colonies were genotyped in March 2004, at the start of the experiment using SSCP analysis of the algal nrDNA ITS1 region. Due to the low abundance of type D colonies at Miall Island when the study began, thirty six C2 colonies and only five D colonies were included in the first of the two field experiments. Initial buoyant weight measurements were made on the coral colonies in March 2004. Buoyant weight measurements (to the nearest gram) were performed by carefully transporting the colonies submerged in seawater to the weighing equipment a few 100 m from the study site. Colonies were carefully transported back to the study site after the buoyant weight measurements were completed and secured with plastic cable ties onto wire racks 75 cm above the sea bed at a depth of 3–4 m. Buoyant weight measurements were repeated seasonally every three months for a total of 9 months at the end of autumn (March to June 2005), winter (June to September 2005) and spring (September to December 2005).
The field growth experiment was repeated for another 12 months after a bleaching event in February 2006. Seven C2 and 15 D colonies were placed on the racks in May 2006 and allowed to recover from the bleaching until the experiment started in August 2006. The D colonies were sourced from the field while the C2 colonies were sourced from colonies in the first experiment that bleached but survived due to low abundance of C2 colonies in the field post-bleaching . Symbiont genotypes were verified in May 2006 and then just before the start of the experiment in August 2006 using SSCP analysis. Only colonies with strong C2 or D SSCP bands were chosen for the experiment (verified by the intensity of the band) .
However, by the start of the study in August (3 months later), nearly all of the 22 colonies on the racks had undergone some change in symbiont proportions; gaining C2, D, or another thermally tolerant type, C1. The dynamic nature of the symbiont community after bleaching made a comparison of the growth rate of colonies as a function of symbiont genotypes difficult. Nevertheless, results from the second field experiment are included because they provide an insight into the overall growth performance of A. millepora pre-and post bleaching.
Colonies were weighed every three months at the end of spring (August to November 2006), summer (November to January 2007), autumn (January to May 2007) and winter (May to August 2007). Colonies used in the growth studies were not sampled for symbionts density or chlorophyll content to avoid compromising skeletal weight changes. Nearby C2 colonies showed ∼80% decline in symbiont densities following the bleaching. Nearby colonies also had lower algal chlorophyll a and c2 content irrespective of symbiont genotype (data not shown).
To examine overall growth, the weekly buoyant weight measurements were expressed as a percentage of the initial buoyant weight of the explant and averaged over the four weeks of the study. Data for the percent average weekly buoyant weight gain of the explants were analyzed with a nested ANOVA using symbiont Type (fixed, two levels), Temperature (fixed, two levels), Tank (random, three levels, nested within temperature) as factors in the model. There were no significant differences between growth in the treatment tanks and data were averaged across the three tanks and the model re-run with an orthogonal ANOVA model using the fixed factors symbiont Type and Temperature. Unstandardized predicted values and standardized residuals were used to check the assumption of normality. Levene's test was used to verify homogeneity of variances.
To examine their influence on explant growth, data for zooxanthellae densities and chlorophyll a and c2 concentrations in the laboratory experiment were analyzed with separate multivariate ANOVA's using symbiont Type (two levels) and Temperature (two levels) as fixed factors in the models and Tank (three levels) as a random factor nested within temperature. Unstandardized predicted values and standardized residuals were used to check the assumptions of normality. Levene's test was used to verify homogeneity of variances. Zooxanthellae densities and chlorophyll a and c2 values were aggregated across all three treatment tanks. Zooxanthellae densities and algal cell chlorophyll a and c2 concentrations were examined with an orthogonal multivariate ANOVA using Temperature (two levels) and Type (two levels) as fixed factors in the analysis.
To examine growth variation of A. millepora colonies with respect to symbiont type in the first field study, before the bleaching, a one-factor ANOVA was performed on the weekly growth rates using symbiont Type as the fixed, predictor variable (two levels). Growth for each colony was expressed as the weekly buoyant weight gain as a percentage of the initial buoyant weight of the colony at the start of the study. The assumption of normality was verified using plots of the unstandardized predicted values by the standardized residuals and Levene's test was used to verify the homogeneity of variances. Data were natural-log transformed to improve the normality of the distribution.
To examine the seasonal variations in growth of A. millepora colonies with different symbionts types in the first field experiment, data for the weekly buoyant weight gain during each three-month season were analyzed with a repeated-measures ANOVA using symbiont Type as the fixed variable (two levels) and Season (three levels) as the repeated measure in the model. The growth rate was expressed as the weekly buoyant weight gain of each colony in the study over the three month season as a percentage of the initial buoyant weight of the colony. The model residuals were examined to verify the validity of the assumption of normality and Levene's test was used to verify the homogeneity of variances. Data were natural-log transformed to improve the normality of the distribution.
To examine the variation in seasonal growth of A. millepora colonies as a result of the bleaching event in early 2006, the weekly growth rates for each season in the two studies were analyzed with ANOVA using the fixed factor Bleaching (before or after bleaching), and the random factor Season (three levels) as predictor variables. The growth rate was expressed as the weekly buoyant weight gain as a percentage of the initial buoyant weight of the colony. The assumption of normality was verified using plots of the unstandardized predicted values by the standardized residuals. Levene's test was used to verify the homogeneity of variances. Data were natural-log transformed to improve the normality of the distribution. Simple pair-wise comparisons were performed to further investigate significant differences in growth using Sidak's adjustment for multiple comparisons . All statistical tests were completed using SPSS Version 15.0.
Conceived and designed the experiments: RB. Performed the experiments: AMJ RB. Analyzed the data: AMJ RB. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: RB. Wrote the paper: AMJ RB.
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https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0010437
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Aspects of skeletal growth in the Indo-Pacific staghorn coral Acropora formosa
Oliver, James Kelaway (1987) Aspects of skeletal growth in the Indo-Pacific staghorn coral Acropora formosa. PhD thesis, James Cook University.
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Abstract
This thesis examines variations in the branch extension of the staghorn coral Acropora formosa at different spatial and temporal scales. The relationship between branch extension and tissue or area specific calcification is first examined. This is followed by investigations of variation in extension within a colony and between colonies at different depths. Seasonal variations in extension are also examined for several colonies at two different sites. Finally the reproductive biology of A. formosa is described and the possibility of competition in energetic investment between gametogenesis and growth is investigated.
If a simplified model of branch shape and structure is adopted, then linear measurements of branch extension can provide a good index of total skeletal deposition and the rate of calcification. The model assumes that all branches consist of a solid cylinder of uniform width and density, and a tapered cap of varying density. Empirical data which support the predictions of this model are presented. In addition it is shown that the weight of newly extended skeleton is less satisfactory as a measure of total skeletal deposition, than linear extension.
Intra-colony growth variations between different tips in a colony are shown to be correlated with tip colour, shape and skeletal structure. White-tipped branches lack zooxanthellae, are lightly calcified, have a well developed axial corallite, and exhibit a range of extension rates. On the other hand, brown- tipped branches possess zooxanthellae, are heavily calcified, have smaller axial corallites, and exhibit no active branch extension. It is suggested that brown tips arise in zones of unfavourable micro-environment, such as are found in the interior of large arborescent colonies. This may provide a mechanism for avoiding anastomosis, and maintaining the overall form of branching coral colonies.
Significant variations in extension rate were found between colonies growing at three different depths at Davies Reef, a midshelf platform reef. There was a trend in which extension increased with increasing depth. This trend, although obvious in the first year of sampling, became obscured during the second year, possibly due to over-harvesting. A reciprocal transplant experiment between the shallow and deep colonies indicated that the observed growth differences were environmentally induced, rather than being due to genetically based differences between the colonies. Although extension rates were lower at the shallow site, branching was much higher, and resulted in a higher overall rate of calcification at the shallow site. It is proposed that the higher extension rates at the deep site, are made possible by an increase in translocated metabolites from a greater area of tissue than at the shallow site.
Significant seasonal variations in branch extension were found in 7 colonies for 2 different sites (Davies Reef and Nelly Bay, an inshore fringing reef). Extension rates exhibited 2 maxima and 2 minima per year. Minima occurred during mid-winter and mid to late summer. A multiple linear regression analysis between extension and a variety of environmental parameters was able to explain 28% of the variance in the growth rates. An inhibitory effect for high temperature was incorporated into a temperature index, and this index was found to be the most important parameter in the regression model. It is hypothesized that high summer, and low winter temperatures cause the observed growth minima.
Acropora formosa has an annual gametogenic cycle and spawns once a year during mass multispecific spawning events. The period of peak gametogenesis does not appear to be correlated with any period of reduced branch extension. Isolated colony fragments, as small as single branches 35mm in length, still develop gonads of nearly normal size and fecundity. On the other hand juvenile corals up to 143mm in mean diameter were sterile. Branch fragments greater than 40mm in length, isolated from the parent colony half way through the gametogenic cycle, appear to continue normal gonad development.
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https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/27234/
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Coral reefs are spectacular ecosystems found along tropical coastlines where they provide goods and services to hundreds of millions of people. While under threat from local factors, coral reefs are increasingly susceptible to ocean warming from anthropogenic climate change. One of the signature disturbances is the large-scale, and often deadly, breakdown of the symbiosis between corals and dinoflagellates. This is referred to as mass coral bleaching and often causes mass mortality. The first scientific records of mass bleaching date to the early 1980s (Hoegh-Guldberg et al., 2017).
Kamenos and Hennige (2018, hereafter KH18), however, claim to show that mass coral bleaching is not a recent phenomenon, and has occurred regularly over the past four centuries (1572–2001) on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. They support their claim by developing a putative proxy for coral bleaching that uses the suggested relationship between elevated sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and reduced linear extension rates of 44 Porites spp. coral cores from 28 GBR reefs. If their results are correct, then mass coral bleaching events have been a frequent feature for hundreds of years in sharp contrast to the vast majority of scientific evidence.
There are, however, major flaws in the KH18 methodology. Their use of the Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature (ERSST) dataset (based on ship and buoy observations) for reef temperatures from 1854 to 2001, ignores the increasing unreliability of these data which become sparse, less rigorous, and more interpolated going back in time. To demonstrate how the quality of these data degrades, we plot the average number of SST observations per month that contribute to each 200 x 200 km ERSST pixel (Figure 1A, black line). Note that from 1854 to 1900 the four ERSST pixels used by KH18 averaged only 0.85 observations per month, and 82% of these months had no observations at all. Given the heterogeneous nature of SST at local and regional levels, using such broad-scale data as ERSST, is likely to produce substantial errors at reef scales (Figure 1A, red line prior to 1900).
Figure 1. Variation in precision and accuracy of sea surface temperature (SST) over time for the northern most ERSST pixel of the Great Barrier Reef (other pixels are similar). (A) Average number of observations per month (Black line) versus thermal stress (Degree Heating Months; DHM) calculated from more than 15 observations per month (black dotted line) within ERSST pixel (blue DHM trace), or less than 15 observations per month (red DHM trace). Blue dashed line indicates a DHM of 1.0, which is considered to be the thermal stress required to trigger mass coral bleaching. (B) Standard deviation of temperature difference from 1 month to the next for three-year intervals from the same ERSST pixel. Standard deviation, and hence variability, decreases dramatically after 1900. (C) Ability of ERSST pixel (i.e., 200 x 200 km2, thick black line) to accurately estimate thermal stress using ground truthed satellite measurements in four 5 x 5 km2 reef pixels, covered by the single larger ERSST pixel. The four satellite pixels shown are co-located with Conical Rocks (dark gray), Agincourt Reef (Red), Snapper reef (Blue), and Low Isles (light gray). Notably, measurements for the ERSST pixel predict bleaching in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2011 when there was none and does not predict bleaching stress in 1987 when there was. (D) SST (red line, annual; blue line, averaged over 11 years) from of the single ERSST pixel vs. the annual blended surface temperature for the entire Southern Hemisphere (black line after Mann et al., 2008).
To further explore these issues, we also plotted the average mean heat stress (as Degree Heating Months, DHM) since 1854 for the four ERSST pixels (containing the 28 reefs of KH18) alongside the mean number of monthly observations for each year. The KH18 analysis suggested that the putative heat stress “extremes” were very frequent prior to 1900 (Figure 1A, red line). These values were, however, drawn from very low numbers of observations that increase the month-to-month variability for periods prior to 1900 (Figure 1B) demonstrating that the higher DMH values are artifacts of the data scarcity within ERSST going back in time. The effect of pixel size is demonstrated by comparing the modern record (regular satellite measurements of Degree Heating Weeks (DHW) across 5 x 5 km2 pixels) with that of the ERSST data (infrequent samples across 200 x 200 km2 pixels) for the period 1986–2017. The results show a degradation of signals at the reef level by the infrequent ERSST measurements (Figure 1C), resulting in incorrect predictions of the heat stress required to trigger mass bleaching and mortality.
Secondly, the study combines putative heat stress with Porites growth rates, using the assumption that low linear extension during periods of high SST might be a proxy for coral bleaching. Although reduced linear extension has been observed in association with recorded bleaching events (Cantin and Lough, 2014), it is neither an unequivocal nor a unique signature of bleaching. There are other potential environmental causes for such declines, which KH18 acknowledge but ignore the implications of, as well as some sources of variability that can be simply attributed to measurement technique; coral growth going off-axis in the core slice and random variations in growth rates typical of massive coral records such as these. KH18 also failed to acknowledge that 14 of the 44 core records represent two cores each from seven coral colonies. This should have provided an opportunity for demonstrating the robustness of the approach as these seven pairs of records should provide the same bleaching histories. Similarly, the “bleaching proxy” could also be tested using the multiple cores available for 10 of the 28 reefs. Finally, the coral extension records should have been validated against the original X-ray images of cores to verify that minimal growth years are not actually sub-annual bands.
The third major problem is the use of two long-term, large-scale temperature reconstructions (Mann et al., 2008; Tierney et al., 2015) to “verify” the bleaching reconstruction for the centuries prior to 1854. KH18 used decadal-smoothed annual reconstructed temperatures for the Southern Hemisphere and Western Pacific (both hemispheres) to detect temperature anomalies for the GBR from 1570 to 1995. To understand how unreliable this approach is, we examined the relationship between average annual temperature anomalies for the Southern Hemisphere (Mann et al., 2008) and the average annual SST anomaly for the northern most ERSST pixel (Figure 1D, red = annual, blue = 11 year moving average). Not surprisingly, the ERSST are uncorrelated with long-term proxy data at a hemispheric scale, and since ERSST are not correlated with reef-scale thermal stress (Figure 1C), then neither data set is representative of coral stress on the GBR. Correlation with the Western Pacific reconstruction is likely to be at least as poor.
KH18 try to demonstrate the accuracy of their bleaching reconstruction (KH18, Figure 3) by exploring a total of 10 years in which bleaching was reported on the GBR. The annual patterns are similar to Oliver et al. (2009) although we have been unable to trace their data source due to an incorrect citation. Only 1998, however, can be considered a mass bleaching event, since all other bleaching observations involved less than 1% of the GBR (KH18, Figure 3Bi). Their reconstruction yielded 11 bleaching years (defined by them as being ≥20% of colonies bleached), although only five of these matched years are reported in their figure (see Figure 3Bi vs. Figure 3Bii, KH18). KH18 also used DHMs derived from ERSST to determine their “threshold extension attainable during a bleaching year”. It is interesting that this analysis predicted bleaching (DHM ≥ 1) only once in 1998 for the period 1979 to 2001, and yet KH18 state that extension rates for DHM ≥ 1 were less than those during years with DHM <1, and claim that this validated their extension thresholds. If this is correct, use of these extension rates for the reconstruction of bleaching years should have predicted only one bleaching event greater than 20% in this period instead of 11 claimed by the authors (KH18, Figure 3Bii). This reduces the comparison to a single point. The only way we could envisage this outcome is for the DMHs calculated by KH18 to be incorrect.
In conclusion, the many serious flaws in KH18 severely destroy its value as a contribution to understanding climate change impacts on coral reefs. Many of us have reviewed this paper repeatedly over the past 5 years (over 14 instances that we know of). The lack of response to reviewers' concerns, repeated submission to other journals without change, and highly questionable use of datasets that many of us have developed, is extremely regrettable and misleading. Given these major problems, we respectfully call for KH18 to be withdrawn.
Author Contributions
All authors listed have made a substantial, direct and intellectual contribution to the work, and approved it for publication.
Funding
OH-G was supported by the ARC Centre for Excellence in Coral Reef Studies and an ARC Laureate Fellowship at the University of Queensland. ReefSense staff were fully supported as was this study partially supported by NOAA grant NA14NES4320003 (Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites - CICS) at the University of Maryland/ESSIC.
Disclaimer
The scientific results and conclusions, as well as any views or opinions expressed herein, are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA or the Department of Commerce.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
References
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Mann, M. E., Zhang, Z., Hughes, M. K., Bradley, R. S., Miller, S. K., Rutherford, S., et al. (2008). Proxy-based reconstructions of hemispheric and global surface temperature variations over the past two millennia. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 105, 13252–13257. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0805721105
Oliver, J. K., Berkelmans, R., and Eakin, C. M. (2009). “Coral Bleaching in Space and Time,” in Coral Bleaching: Patterns, Processes, Causes and Consequences, eds M. Van Oppen, and J. Lough (Berlin: Springer-Verlag), 21–39.
Tierney, J. E., Abram, N. J., Anchukaitis, K. J., Evans, M. N., Giry, C., Kilbourne, K. H., et al. (2015). Tropical sea surface temperatures for the past four centuries reconstructed from coral archives. Paleoceanog. Paleoclim. 30, 226–252. doi: 10.1002/2014PA002717
Keywords: coral bleaching, 400 years, mortality, climate change, ERSST datasets, errors
Citation: Hoegh-Guldberg O, Skirving WJ, Lough JM, Liu C, Mann ME, Donner S, Eakin CM, Cantin N, Carilli J, Heron SF, Miller S and Dove S (2019) Commentary: Reconstructing Four Centuries of Temperature-Induced Coral Bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef. Front. Mar. Sci. 6:86. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2019.00086
Received: 16 November 2018; Accepted: 14 February 2019;
Published: 12 March 2019.
Edited by:Stefano Goffredo, University of Bologna, Italy
Reviewed by:Christian Robert Voolstra, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
Jaap Kaandorp, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Copyright © 2019 Hoegh-Guldberg, Skirving, Lough, Liu, Mann, Donner, Eakin, Cantin, Carilli, Heron, Miller and Dove. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
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https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2019.00086/full
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C.R. wrote in with a question about coral reefs and coral growth rates:
I have a friend who is a geologist here at [name of college]. He is open to young earth but read Jerry Coyne’s claims about reef growth being slow. What is your most persuasive article on this common old-earth argument? I think he could be a potential YEC if I give a good answer to some of his questions.
Here is how my friend explained Coyne’s excerpt:
They correlated the radiometric dating to coral growth rings. They got a radiometric date of 380 Ma for a Devonian coral reef, and they also figured out somehow that the rotational speed of Earth is slowing down due to tidal friction. The length of a day increases by 2 seconds every 100k years, therefore there had to be more days in a year in the distant past than in present times.
If we do the math, 380 million years ago there was around 396 days a year, each 22 hours long. Corals today not only have annual growth rings, but daily growth rings (I have no idea how can they identify which is the marker ring what closes the 1 year cycle though), so we should be able to count these rings in the fossil coral, and if the radiometric dates are correct, than we should have 396 daily rings each year. After they counted the rings, they got around 400 daily rings for an annual growth period, which is very close to the calculated 396.
It seems like they were able to biologically confirm the accuracy of the radiometric age of the sample.
Dr Robert Carter, who has a PhD in coral reef ecology, answers.
Chris,
There is a lot of confusion on this topic. The issues deal with the difference between a coral reef and an individual coral, tides and tidal braking, the recession of the moon, the palaeontology of extinct animals, how the environment influences the growth of a coral, and various types of “banding” and “growth rings” seen in coral skeletons.
I know that Coyne is an extremely dogmatic atheopath, so I love it that I get an opportunity to correct something he wrote. But I wonder what your friend’s real authority is? Is he truly searching, or is this an excuse he is using to resist the idea that the earth was created, and not billions of years ago? Maybe you can read him better than me, so I dug deeply to come up with the best explanation I could muster and I spent a long time looking into the scientific literature. Maybe our joint efforts can help a struggling Christian.
It turns out that Coyne is citing some material from the 1960s. John Woodmorappe reviewed Coyne’s book Why Evolution is True. In the section Coral bands, Earth’s rotation, and isotopic age-dating methods, he said:
One novelty of this book is Coyne’s resurrection of the claimed agreement, based on a cited 1963 study, between coral growth bands and the inferred 400-day Devonian year (pp. 24–25). He is not telling the full story. More recent studies [reference1] include those that cast doubts on the reliability of such methods. There are problems with such things as the placement of band boundaries according to unconscious self-fulfilling preconceptions, the lack of bands grown during stressful years, marine life whose bands are not periodic in the first place, uniformitarian assumptions about the paleoenvironments from which the sampled fossil organisms had been taken, the “reinforcement syndrome” or “consensus” effect caused by the tendency to publish studies that seem to confirm previous ones, and still other problems that could be mentioned.
This is an excellent summary of the problem, but Coyne’s argument can be broken down even further. Let’s study up on a few key issues before getting into the meat of the argument.
Coral vs. coral reef
People have a hard time separating the growth rate of an individual animal (a coral) from the net growth rate of a community of animals (corals, sponges, bivalves, algae, and other things). The growth of a reef over time depends on the growth of many things. But you also have to subtract the negative contribution of those things that are degrading the accumulating calcium (e.g., parrot fish, boring clams, boring sponges, and even rainwater). The rate of growth of a reef has little to do with the rate of growth of individual coral animals.
I corrected an old example that CMI used to use in my talk Spectacular Coral Reefs. Years ago, somebody found a coral growing on a shoe, and many people associated fast coral growth rates with fast reef growth rates. But the reason this is not a good argument is that the coral in the photo is one of the fastest growing corals (Pocillopora damicornis). It does not create a thick skeleton (you can crush it in your hands) and is a very weedy coral. On the one hand, yes, coral colonies can grow rapidly, and the reef must be able to reach the ocean’s surface in only a few thousand years within the biblical timeline. But, on the other hand, just because a single coral species can grow quickly does not necessarily mean that entire reef systems do. We have to treat each case separately.
Just for fun, here’s a picture of a baby coral:
Figure 2 is a picture of a surviving recruit from a coral reproduction experiment my laboratory was performing in the late 1990s. We had collected eggs and sperm from the mass spawning event in the Florida Keys and were attempting to raise corals from the resulting larvae. This little guy already has several polyps and the tentacles, which are retracted in the photo, are already full of the photosynthesizing algae (brown specks) the corals farms for food. This individual is less than half a centimetre in diameter. It did not live more than a few weeks, but such is the fate of such tiny things in any environment. Can you see those spikes beneath the translucent skin? If you zoomed up on those, you would see very small crystals and patterns of crystal growth.
Reefs in the geological record
Another thing many people, including some geologists, struggle with is what a ‘reef’ is in the fossil record. There are no Devonian coral reefs. Oh, there are Devonian corals, but coral reefs as we know them today do not appear in the fossil record until very recent times. And the corals from the Devonian are not related to modern scleractinian (hard) corals. Devonian rugose and tabulate corals are 1) extinct, 2) had a different growth pattern (they do not have 6-fold symmetry), 3) had different biochemistry (calcite skeletons instead of aragonite),2 and 4) never formed massive, interconnected limestone frameworks. Thus, one must do a lot of extrapolating if one wants to correlate the growth bands on these extinct animals to those of modern reef corals.
The lack of coral reefs in the rock record is a testament to the young age of the earth. Think about it. During the height of the ‘last’ Ice Age, the Great Barrier Reef was dry ground. In fact, the crest of the limestone ridge that was to become the GBR was at 100 meters in elevation above sea level. The entire GBR formed in less than 10,000 years in the secular timescale. And, once those reefs hit sea level, they stopped growing vertically, so they took less time than that to form. Evidence shows there was but one Ice Age, after the Flood, that ended approximately 4,000 years ago. Thus, the evolutionary timeframe and the creationist timeframe are highly similar. I have no problem believing the GBR formed in just a few thousand years.
So where are the massive coral reefs in the rock record? The largest coral colony I have seen, in a photo, at a university in Germany, is maybe 2 meters across.3 This could easy to grow in the 1,600 years between Creation and the Flood. The “massive” rugose corals Berkowski and Belka were studying (see below) were all of 30 cm in diameter.
Growth rings and bands
To understand what Coyne is talking about, we have to understand the different types of coral growth “rings”. If you cut a thin slice out of a large coral skeleton and put it on a light table, or if you X-ray the slice, with some species you can see density bands. These are thought to be annual markers, and in many cases this should be true. As a polyp grows, it occasionally lifts up in the skeletal cup in which it is growing and puts down a new floor. Staining data indicates this follows a lunar signal.4 But the skeletal elements can also be thickened over time. So, there are multiple factors that affect skeletal density. The rate that this happens affects the density of the skeleton in that area. Thus, when the polyps are extending quickly, they leave larger spaces between consecutive floors and the skeleton is less dense in that area. This is a seasonal effect, but it is not a growth ‘ring’, like in a tree. Figure 3 is a beautiful example from a recent paper.3 Note that this was from a CT scan and the image was adjusted heavily to increase contrast:
But what are the environmental cues that cause density banding? As Berkowski and Belka (2008) said:
In living corals growth-band formation is largely mediated by seasonal variations in temperature but other environmental factors, such as nutrient supply, salinity, depth, water turbidity or insolation can also influence the growth of the coral skeleton. This is why it is not possible to correlate more dense and less dense bands of skeletal tissue with a certain environmental condition … Dense bands are usually associated with warm water and low insolation, while the low-density bands are formed in the season of relatively cooler water temperatures and high insolation. But reversal in band formation can also be observed.5
Thus, any number of environmental signals can cause density banding. The bands are not necessarily annual, especially in the weedier corals living in marginal environments. Keep this in mind as we get into additional details below.
This is not the only banding we can see in coral skeletons. Corals growing near the mouth of a river can pick up tannins in their skeleton. This can also provide a seasonal signal, if, say there is a rainy season and a dry season. The skeleton might fluoresce dimly under black light, with seasonal bands or bands associated with the runoff from major storms.
There are also daily growth patterns, lines and marks and things like that, but you can only see those under magnification. If you can correlate the daily pattern to a seasonal signal, you could theoretically count up the number of days in a year. Yet, the argument has nothing to do with the growth ‘rings’ and ‘bands’ I discussed above. Instead, it revolves around some rings one can see on the outside of the fossils.
Now that we understand the biology of the corals, we must talk about gravity, tides, and the length of a day in the evolutionary deep-time model.
The recession of the moon
The argument about banding in Paleozoic corals revolves around the fact that the moon is slowing the earth down. We know this is true, but the amount of slowing is highly dependent on historical models with many unknown parameters.
It is well known that the moon causes tides. Galileo (1564–1642) rejected the ‘occultic’ idea of some invisible force from the moon acting at a distance. He thus incorrectly used tides as proof of the earth’s rotation. Bede (672–735 AD) had it right: the moon somehow caused the tides. Newton’s Law of Gravity (1687) told us how it works in reality. The earth and moon are attracted to each other. Thus, they are always moving toward one another. But, since they are also moving sideways, they constantly miss each other and end up traveling with respect to one another in an elliptical manner. It they were moving too quickly, they would fly apart. If they were moving too slowly, they could crash together. But the two orbit each other in a perfectly balanced, completely stable way.
The gravitational acceleration toward the moon is different at different places on the earth. When the moon is overhead, you are 12,700 km (nearly 8,000 miles) closer to the moon than you will be 12 hours and 25 minutes later.6,7
Since the earth is solid, however, the whole thing moves as one giant sphere.8 But water is free to move across the surface. Water can’t lift off the surface and water does not stretch, so a “high” tide happens when water slides toward the moon from areas not directly under it. Figure 5 should help explain this.
You don’t sense that you are ‘falling’ toward the moon, but the oceans give it away. Water on the side closest to the moon accelerates the fastest. Water on the far side from the moon is ‘left behind’ as the earth falls. To a person standing on the earth, this gives the appearance that the water’s surface is rising and falling as the earth turns beneath the moon.
The oceans cannot continually lap the earth because there are continents in the way. Given a 12-hour period and a convoluted continental system, the net result is a complex mix of tidal ranges across the world (figure 6).
It is those red areas in figure 6 that are of most concern to us. When water sloshes up onto a shallow shelf, it slows down and bulges up. But since the earth turns more quickly than the moon orbits, the tidal bulge is always lagging the spin of the earth. Thus, it drags on the earth, slowing it down. But that drag is felt by the moon, which is pulled ahead.
We can measure this. NASA astronauts left corner mirrors on the moon. Today, we can bounce laser pulses off those mirrors and precisely time how long it takes the photons to arrive back on earth. This is simple matter of operational science and we know the moon is receding at 3.808 +/- 0.004 cm/yr. We also know that the length of a day on earth is slowing down by about 0.002 sec/century. One way we can estimate this is by comparing what we see today to 2,700-year-old Babylonian astronomical observations.
Based on the current rate of recession, we can estimate the age of the moon and the amount of slowing of the day in the distant past. This is not a simple calculation. The rate strongly depends on the amount of mid latitude, shallow oceanic shelves. This is assumed to have changed greatly over evolutionary time. It also depends on the proportional distance of the moon from the geocentric point. If the moon were orbiting at the same rate as the earth turns, there would be no tidal braking. Currently, the moon is about 10× farther away (385,000 km) than the point of geosynchrony (35,786 km), but this depends on the rate of rotation of the earth. A faster-rotating earth would require a faster-orbiting satellite to obtain geosynchrony. Thus, a geosynchronous satellite would have to orbit closer in. If there were 22 hours in a Palaeozoic day, geosynchrony would be about 95% of the current value. That doesn’t sound like a big difference, but it you are trying to extrapolate out to billions of years you would need to know this. Also, the effect of tidal braking is inversely proportional to the sixth power of distance, e.g. it is very distance-dependent, so the calculations have to be spot-on to be at all accurate.
Yet, as the relationship between a month and a day changes, if the earth-moon system is ever in synchrony, extreme harmonic oscillations in the tidal cycle might result. So, the amount of braking depends on the changing period of the lunar month, the changing length of day, and the relative configuration of the continents. At current rates, the moon cannot be more than 1.3 billion years old. Any further back, and the moon would so close to the earth that it would shatter. This is because the gravitational tug of the earth on the near side vs. the far side would be greater than the self-gravitation of the moon itself. This is called Roche Limit.9
But if the earth is slowing down, where is all that energy going? The First Law of Thermodynamics tells us that energy and mass must be conserved. If energy is transferred, it has to go somewhere. In this case, the kinetic energy of the earth is being transferred to the moon. The rotational energy of the earth is being turned into gravitational potential energy and the moon is moving farther away from us. I use that terminology on purpose. Energy is being transferred to the moon, but it is not ‘speeding up’. In fact, the length of a month is increasing because things that are further away orbit more slowly (compare the 88-day orbit of Mercury to the 248-year orbit of Pluto).
Another way to think about it is to use the Law of Conservation of Angular Momentum. Angular momentum = mvr (mass × velocity × radius). If the earth’s angular momentum is lessening because its velocity is decreasing, the moon’s angular momentum must increase by the same amount. But, not only is the moon tidally locked, with one face permanently pointing toward the earth, you would not expect it to pick up ‘spin’ due to tides on earth. Thus, the distance between the earth and moon (r) increases, i.e. the moon is receding.
So now we have a method to decrease the number of days in a year over time and also to increase the number of days in a month. The ‘banding in Paleozoic corals’ argument focuses on the number of days in a year, but most people ignore the number of months in a year or days in a month.
What annual bands?
I can now address Coyne’s statements. The argument he is using is extremely outdated. In fact, it was contradicted in the scientific literature just a few years after it was made, in the 1960s. I detailed the calculations and inferences in my article ‘Ancient’ coral growth layers, in which I was responding to similar claims made by Biologos. It seems Coyne is just parroting some talking points. They seem strong, but not after carefully analysing them. Please refer to the article for details.
But here’s the gist: you can examine skeletal patterns in many corals. But there is no “this is the dividing line between one year and another” marker, so you have to do a little guessing and then take an average.
But when we think of coral reefs, most people think of clear tropical waters bathed in bright sunlight. If you know about the reproductive habits of corals, you may know about the mass-spawning episodes that happen after sunset in the middle of the summer (I have witnessed many). However, there are also corals that live in more marginal environments. They tend to be weedy, small, and they do not do that mass-spawning thing. Instead, they generally have internal fertilization and will hold the eggs inside the polyps until they develop into planula larvae. Larvae are released on a monthly schedule, following the moon.
In his comprehensive review of the paleoecology of Paleozoic corals, Scrutton (1998) mentioned the day-length argument only in passing.10 And yet Scrutton is one of the key players in this argument. His work from 1964 was incredibly important and was a significant improvement on Wells’ work from the year prior.11 Wells was one of the giants among coral reef scientists in his day. Yet, Scrutton (1964) said he found it impossible to demarcate annual bands, casting a strong negative light on the claims of Wells. But Scrutton did notice strong monthly patterns.
If the bands are monthly, there is no annual pattern to be seen, and so nobody knows what Wells was talking about. Referring to the quote from Woodmorappe at the beginning of this article, Wells might have been subject to “unconscious self-fulfilling preconceptions”. If nobody can back up his claims because there are no clear “annual” markers, we have to reject his methods.
Thus, the whole argument devolves into a circular system that assumes X number of days in a Devonian year, combined with a huge guess about how many growth lines are seen in a ‘year’ of coral growth, while ignoring how many days were supposed to be in a Devonian month. If you don’t make those assumptions, however, you get the same number of days in a month as we have today. I explained this in my ‘Ancient’ coral growth rates paper12 and follow-up communications13 in the Journal of Creation.
If those are monthly signals, the number of days in a month is about the same as today. If you ignore the circular reasoning about the length of a Devonian day, the number of days in a year is about the same as it is today. The whole scheme falls apart.
References and notes
- Rosenberg, G.D. and Runcorn S.K. (Eds.), Growth Rhythms and the History of the Earth’s Rotation, John Wiley and Sons, London, New York, 1975. Return to text.
- Calcite and aragonite are different polymorphs of CaCO₃. Aragonite is metastable and tends to turn to calcite over time when exposed to water. When this happens, there are obvious changes in the skeleton, like infilling and/or the creation of a ‘mirror image’ of the coral where the original dissolves away and leaves behind a calcite negative. There are good reasons to believe the original skeleton of the rugose corals was calcite. Return to text.
- Scrutton, C.T., Periodicity in Devonian coral growth, Palaeontology 7(4):552–558, 1964. Return to text.
- DeCarlo, T.M. and Cohen, A.L., Dissepiments, density bands and signatures of thermal stress in Porites skeletons, Coral Reefs 36:749–761, 2017. Return to text.
- Berkowski, B. and Belka, Z., Seasonal growth bands in Famennian rugose coral Scruttonia kunthi and their environmental significance, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 265:87–92, 2007. Return to text.
- Since the moon orbits the earth in the same direction as the earth turns, one lunar day is 24 hours and 50 minutes long. Return to text.
- Gravity is inversely proportional to the inverse square of the distance, so there is greater acceleration toward the moon on the close side and less on the far side. The difference is the tidal force, which is inversely proportional to the inverse cube of the distance. The interested reader can do the math or look up the answer online. Return to text.
- There are also ‘earth tides’. Daily and diurnal bulges in the earth occur due to the presence of the moon and sun. But the periodicity is out of step with the oceanic tides. Also, the degree is often smaller. And, even if the earth bulges up by a meter, in places, the water in that region would be lifted by the same amount, so you could not see any effect on oceanic tides. Earth tides do have to be factored in when performing calculations with the GPS system and when predicting particle trajectories in the Large Hadron Supercollider, however, so it is not like the effect is not important. Also, ‘moon tides’ are probably what keeps the face of the moon locked into place. Return to text.
- Henry, J., The moon’s recession and age, J. Creation 20(2):65–70, 2006; creation.com/moonage. Return to text.
- Scrutton, C.T., The Palaeozoic corals, II: structure, variation and palaeoecology, Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society 52(1):1–57, 1998. Return to text.
- Wells, J.W., Coral growth and geochronometry, Nature 4871:948–950, 1963. Return to text.
- Carter, R.W., ‘Ancient’ coral growth layers, J. Creation 26(3):50–53, 2012; creation.com/ancient-coral. Return to text.
- Carter, R., ‘Ancient’ coral growth layers: yearly or monthly, J. Creation 28(2):55–56, 2014. Return to text.
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https://creation.com/coral-lunar-recession
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Per Capita Income (PCI) is one of the most widely used indicators for gauging the economic performance and changing fortunes of local economies. It is used as a yardstick to assess the economic well being of a region's residents and the quality of consumer markets. It serves as a barometer for calibrating the economic performance of a region over time and to judge differences in relative economic prosperity between regions. Shifting trends in local per capita income growth have important social and political ramifications and significant implications in formulating local economic development strategies and initiatives.
Personal income is the income that is received by persons from all sources. It is calculated as the sum of wage and salary disbursements, supplements to wages and salaries, proprietors' income with inventory valuation and capital consumption adjustments, rental income of persons with capital consumption adjustment, personal dividend income, personal interest income, and personal current tranfer receipts, less contributions for government social insurance. This measure of income is calculated as the personal income of the residents of a given area divided by the resident population of the area. In computing per capita personal income, BEA uses the Census Bureau's annual midyear population estimates.
Personal income is measured as a flow throughout the year, while the measurement of population is at one point in mid-year. Therefore, per capita income is distorted if a significant change in population occurs during the year.
For smaller counties in particular, per capita income in any given year may be exceptionally high or low for the short run because of unusual local conditions, such as a bumper crop, a catastrophe, or a major construction project as the building of a dam or nuclear power plant.
Farm incomes are notorious for being especially volatile year-to-year, owing to changing weather, commodity market conditions, and alterations in government programs. Therefore, the per capita income of farm-dependent counties may exhibit sharp fluctuations over time.
The presence of large institutional populations--such as residents attending a local college or the residents of a local prison or state mental institution--can significantly lower the per capita income estimates of an area. Such results may not reflect the relative economic well being of the non-institutional population and may mislead if care is not given to their interpretation.
Figure 1 depicts Lander County's annual per capita personal income over 1969-2017 in current and constant (2012) dollars. Constant dollar measurements remove the effects of inflation. They allow for comparison of changes in the real purchasing power of Lander County over time.
When measured in current dollars, Lander County's per capita personal income increased 1,389.3%, from $3,949 in 1969 to $58,807 in 2017. When measured in constant 2012 dollars to adjust for inflation, it advanced 181.0%, from $19,728 in 1969 to $55,440 in 2017.
Figure 2 traces Lander County's and Nevada's annual real per capita personal income for the period 1969-2017 to illustrate real per capita personal income patterns over time. During this 49-year period, Lander County's real per capita personal income rose from $19,728 in 1969 to $55,440 in 2017, for a net gain of $35,712, or 181.0%. In comparison, Nevada's real per capita personal income increased from $23,492 in 1969 to $43,516 in 2017, for a net advance of $20,024, or 85.2%.
Figure 3 shows Lander County's real per capita personal income growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with Nevada, the United States. The growth indices shown here express each region's real per capita personal income in 1969 as a base figure of 100, and the real per capita personal incomes in later years as a percentage of the 1969 base figure. This method allows for more direct comparison of differences in real per capita personal income growth between regions that may differ vastly in size.
Lander County's overall real per capita personal income growth was 181.0% over 1969-2017 outpaced Nevada's increase of 85.2%, and outpaced the United States' increase of 147.9%.
Figure 4 portrays the trends for per capita personal income relative to the national average by tracing Lander County and Nevada per capita personal income as a percent of the national average over 1969-2017.
In 1969, Lander County's per capita personal income amounted to 100.5% of the national average; in 2017, it approximated 113.9%. Similarly, in 1969, Nevada's per capita personal income totaled 119.6% of the national average; in 2017, it consisted of 89.4%.
Figure 5 displays the short-run pattern of Lander County's real per capita personal income growth by tracking the year-to-year percent change over 1970-2017. The average annual percent change for the entire 48-year period is also illustrated on this chart to provide a benchmark for gauging periods of relative high--and relative low--growth against the backdrop of the long-term average.
Over the past four decades some counties have experienced extreme swings in growth, and often such swings have tended to coincide with the decades themselves. Figure 6 again shows the annual percent change in Lander County's real per capita personal income since 1970, but this time they are overlayed with average growth rates for the decade of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010-2017.
During the 1970s, Lander County's annual real per capita personal income growth rate averaged 2.55%. It averaged 3.05% during the 1980s, 0.88% during the 1990s, 2.64% throughout the 2000s, and 2.37% thus far this decade (2010 to 2017).
Figure 7 compares the decade average growth rates for Lander County noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for Nevada and the nation. As the chart reveals, Lander County's average annual real per capita personal income growth outpaced Nevada's average throughout the 1970s (2.55% vs. 2.17%), outgained Nevada's average in the 1980s (3.05% vs. 1.09%), trailed Nevada's average during the 1990s (0.88% vs. 2.09%), outpaced Nevada's average during the 2000s (2.64% vs. -0.19%), and surpassed Nevada's average over the 8 year period of the last decade, 2010-2017 (2.37% vs. 1.53%).
Finally, relative to nationwide real per capita personal income growth trends, Lander County topped the nation in the 1970s (2.55% vs. 2.35%), surpassed the nation in the 1980s (3.05% vs. 2.21%), fell under the nation throughout the 1990s (0.88% vs. 2.02%), outperformed the nation in the 2000s (2.64% vs. 1.10%), and outpaced the nation over 2010-2017 (2.37% vs. 1.95%).
To offer the most comprehensive set of interactive options in support of your research, NV-REAP calculates and crunches most of the data and generates the narrative and graphic analysis on demand in response to your request.
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https://nevada.reaproject.org/analysis/comparative-trends-analysis/per_capita_personal_income/tools/320015/320000/
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Evaluation du potentiel biologique, économique et social de la coralliculture dans le sud-ouest de Madagascar
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AuthorTodinanahary, Gildas G. B.
Date2016
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AbstractIn the context of the global decline of coral reef biodiversity and considering the development of live corals marketing, the coral aquaculture is a promising technique to develop in a near future. In Madagascar, community-based aquacultures are alternative to fishing and to wild organisms harvesting. The present study was conducted within the PIC (“Programme Interuniversitaire Ciblé”) ARES-CCD program titled “Development of community-based coastal polyaquaculture in the Southwest and the North of Madagascar”. The main objectives of the study consisted (i) to identify the biodiversity of the most common scleractinians, to evaluate their recruitment potential and to choose the first best candidates for coral farming (ii) to find out the best method of transport for exporting live farmed corals and (iii) to evaluate the potential of coral farming in the villages of the South-West of Madagascar. The scleractinian biodiversity of Madagascar is mainly known from one study performed in the Bay of Toliara (SW of Madagascar) in the seventies. In the present study, we reinvestigated this biodiversity 40 years later and we initiated the implementation of a molecular database based on 18S rDNA fragments as an easy tool for identification of adults and recruits. Results showed lower species diversity compared to the previous studies and to similar sites in the Indian Ocean region. However, most of the well-represented genera were recorded. The appearance of previously unrecorded species suggests that the scleractinian communities are changing instead of only declining. In addition, we obtained 18S rDNA sequence fragments for 20 of the most dominant species. Fifteen groups are distinguishable by pairwise comparison: 13 are monospecific, 1 includes 5 species and the last includes 2 species. Sequence fragment of 13 recruits were also obtained and BLAST searches against the adult genotypic database permitted to increase the resolution of recruit’s identification from the level of family (with the traditional taxonomic key) to the level of species or genus. Identified recruits were Pocillopora sp., Porites profundus, P. rus, Pavona clavus and Lobophyllia corymbosa. We finally discuss about the use of the genetic database. The reproduction period of scleractinians in the SW region was evaluated by a weekly monitoring of the presence of coral larvae (planula) in plankton, by a monthly evaluation of the new settled corals (1 year < Recruits) and a monitoring of the juveniles’ recruitment (1< Juveniles < 2 years). Planula was present in plankton 9 months a year. It was abundant from the beginning of the warm wet season (September to November). The annual recorded density of planula varied from 1.30 planula m-3 to 16.17 planula m-3 depending on the studied stations, with a peak larval density in November and December suggesting that most of corals release their fertilized eggs few days or weeks before November/December. Compared to other regions, the recruitment rate observed in the SW of Madagascar was high (100 to > 1000 recruits m-2 year-1). It also varied from seasons and peaks of recruitment was observed between October and December. We observed a huge difference of recruit records and juvenile records between the stations. Results of juveniles monitoring revealed high rates (> 10 juveniles m-2) compared to other regions and to the threshold, but it revealed high mortality of the recruits. The coral species Acropora nasuta and Seriatopora caliendrum were used to experiment community-based coral aquaculture in Madagascar. Suitable rearing techniques were experienced. Survival and growth rate of the coral nubbins were monitored during wet, warm and dry, cold seasons. Coral nubbins were reared at a depth of 1m, with a temperature of 26.31±2.07°C, a salinity of 32.67±1.19 psu, and a sedimentation rate of 0.55±0.28 mg cm-2 d-1. Coral nubbins reared during the wet, warm season showed a final survival rate of 67±6% and 57±4% respectively for A. nasuta and S. caliendrum, while in the dry, cold season, the survival rates were respectively of 85±7% and 69±1%. A. nasuta had a significantly higher survival rate than S. caliendrum during both seasons. During the wet, warm season, growth rates were respectively 0.46±0.16%d-1 and 0.54±0.16%d-1 for A. nasuta and S. caliendrum. In the dry, cold season, A. nasuta had 0.63±0.18%d-1 of growth rate, while S. caliendrum grew 0.65±0.15%d-1. Significant difference was observed between both species during the wet, warm season, but not during the dry, cold season. Furthermore, both species grew faster during the dry, cold season. These results are in the range of reference values for corals. Transporting live coral nubbins is one of the most important constraints in coral economy. Nowadays, they must be transported by air, and preferably in less than 20h using concentrated oxygen, if not, post-transportation coral mortality drastically increases. In order to better understand the effect of the transportation conditioning the physiology of the nubbins and their mortality after transportation, we performed series of transportation simulations on Seriatopora hystrix and tested different volumes of water (including dry method, 125 ml, 190 ml and 325 ml), different oxygen concentrations in the gas phase of the container (21%, 40% and 85%) and enlightened transportation box (with 24 LED Handy Lamp which provided light irradiance of >100 μmol.m-2.s-1 in the box during the first 12h). Nubbins continued to grow during transportation and pumped calcium carbonates, which rapidly reduced the alkalinity of the water and therefore the pH. Dissolved oxygen was also rapidly reduced. The concentration of inorganic nitrogen, particularly the ammonium ions increased after 24h and abruptly reached maximum and lethal values at 48h. The dry method was inappropriate for small coral nubbins rather than wet methods. In less than 48h, the higher the water volume was, the better the nubbin grow after transportation. Yet, in less than 48h, the higher the oxygen concentration was, the better the nubbin grew after transportation. Beyond 48h, in all cases, the water conditions became abruptly critical for the nubbins and can induce their death. To determine economical feasibility, the coral market was investigated and the yields were also calculated using the technical, biological and social parameters of the production. Then, the appropriate business model and appropriate clients were determined. The activity is profitable from less than 76 coral nubbins sold per month. Profit can already be perceivable from the second year and a total of more than EUR 27,000 is earned after 5 years of developing project, for an initial investment of EUR 1,978. Marine animals retailer companies and biodiversity conservation NGOs are the appropriate clients and partners for coralliculture farming in Madagascar. The findings of the present study proved that community-based coral aquaculture is technically and biologically feasible using very low coast materials and spending negligible working time for the community compared to fishing and practicing other types of aquaculture like sea cucumber or algae farming. Also, the economical evaluation of a coral farming project also proved that it could be fully profitable at a small-scale production, notably a community scale. Thereby, it could be an alternative source of revenue to the fishermen communities and contribute to reduce the fishing pressures to the coral reefs. But the integration of the coral farming within existing and well- established community-based polyaquaculture is suggested to ensure its viability.
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https://aquadocs.org/handle/1834/9523
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The response of species to global warming depends on how different populations are affected by increasing temperature throughout the species' geographic range. Local adaptation to thermal gradients could cause populations in different parts of the range to respond differently. In aquatic systems, keeping pace with increased oxygen demand is the key parameter affecting species' response to higher temperatures. Therefore, respiratory performance is expected to vary between populations at different latitudes because they experience different thermal environments. We tested for geographical variation in respiratory performance of tropical marine fishes by comparing thermal effects on resting and maximum rates of oxygen uptake for six species of coral reef fish at two locations on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. The two locations, Heron Island and Lizard Island, are separated by approximately 1200 km along a latitudinal gradient. We found strong counter-gradient variation in aerobic scope between locations in four species from two families (Pomacentridae and Apogonidae). High-latitude populations (Heron Island, southern GBR) performed significantly better than low-latitude populations (Lizard Island, northern GBR) at temperatures up to 5°C above average summer surface-water temperature. The other two species showed no difference in aerobic scope between locations. Latitudinal variation in aerobic scope was primarily driven by up to 80% higher maximum rates of oxygen uptake in the higher latitude populations. Our findings suggest that compensatory mechanisms in high-latitude populations enhance their performance at extreme temperatures, and consequently, that high-latitude populations of reef fishes will be less impacted by ocean warming than will low-latitude populations.
Copyright: © 2010 Gardiner et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Funding: This work was financed by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, and the University of Oslo. PLM is supported by an Australian Research Council Fellowship. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are set to increase mean global temperatures by 2–4°C in the next century . Ocean temperatures have already increased by 0.1°C in recent decades and sea surface temperatures are predicted to increase up to 3°C within the next century , , . The effect of higher temperatures on species' distribution and abundance includes range shifts, population collapses, local extinctions, and phase shifts –. These patterns emerge from the combined responses of populations to increasing temperature throughout the species' geographic range. Local adaptation to thermal gradients can cause populations in different parts of the geographic range to exhibit different responses to temperature variation –. Consequently, comparing the effects of temperature increases in different populations is essential for generating robust predictions about the impact of global warming on animal communities at large spatial scales.
Comparing phenotypic variation in a species' performance traits across a thermal gradient could produce several patterns –. (1) Thermal optima could be locally adapted to match the thermal environment, such that populations from warmer locations outperform populations from cooler locations at higher temperatures, but populations from cooler locations outperform populations from warmer locations at cooler temperatures (Fig. 1a). This pattern of thermal performance would be consistent with optimality models of thermal adaptation and developmental acclimation . (2) Thermal performance curves could exhibit co-gradient variation, whereby populations from warmer locations tend to outperform populations from cooler locations at all temperatures (Fig. 1b). This pattern of thermal performance is predicted when genetic and environmental influences on performance are positively associated across the thermal gradient . (3) Thermal performance curves could exhibit counter-gradient variation, whereby populations from cooler locations outperform populations from warmer locations at all temperatures (Fig. 1c). This pattern of thermal performance is predicted when genetic and environmental influences on performance are negatively associated across the thermal gradient . (4) Finally, there might be no difference in thermal performance curves between populations (Fig. 1d). This pattern would be predicted if populations do not acclimate to the local thermal environment and high gene flow between populations restricts local adaptation to a thermal gradient. Each of these alternatives has different implications for how species would respond to increasing average temperature across their geographic range.
Figure 1. Theoretical patterns of thermal performance.
A comparison of thermal performance in populations from warmer versus colder environments could exhibit (A) Local adaptation as predicted by optimality models in which thermal tolerance and optima has diverged amongst populations according to their local thermal experience. (B) Co-gradient variation whereby genetic and environmental influences are positively associated across a thermal gradient. (C) Counter-gradient variation whereby genetic and environmental influences are negatively associated across a thermal gradient or (D) No divergence in thermal performance amongst warm and cold locations. Figure modified from Fig 3.19 in Angiletta (2009) .
In aquatic systems, comparisons of geographic variation amongst conspecific populations has predominantly focused on polar and temperate climates, and counter-gradient patterns have often been detected , . Counter-gradient variation can arise when there is a trade-off between traits or processes in order to compensate for detrimental effects of the environmental gradient on performance, such as that induced by temperatures above a population's thermal optima , . For example, physiological processes may be locally adapted to maintain growth and developmental rates against a thermal gradient that has a negative effect on these traits , . Whether similar compensatory mechanisms occur in tropical marine species is largely unknown. While some tropical species appear to live close to their upper thermal limits , , the capacity to acclimate may increase species flexibility to succeed in warmer temperatures . With tropical ocean temperatures predicted to increase up to 3°C over the next 100 years , , investigating the response of tropical marine taxa to higher temperatures has become increasingly important.
In water breathing animals, such as fish, a key mechanism affecting performance with increasing temperatures is aerobic capacity. The capacity of the circulatory and ventilatory systems to keep pace with higher oxygen demand at higher temperatures is thought to determine a species' viability in a warmer environment , . Populations that can maintain their aerobic capacity at warmer temperatures have a higher thermal tolerance, and are thereby predicted to persist longer, than populations that experience a decline in aerobic performance as temperature increases. Recently Nilsson and colleagues demonstrated strong inter-familial differences in thermal tolerance amongst coral reef fish species. A temperature rise of just 2°C above current summer averages caused a loss of aerobic capacity in two cardinalfish species but only slight declines in aerobic performance of three damselfish species. Their results predict rising sea temperatures will alter reef fish community structure by causing more substantial declines in cardinalfish populations than in the damselfish populations. Deleterious effects of rising temperature on aerobic performance has already led to population collapses and ecosystem shifts in polar and temperate regions , and similar effects might be expected to occur in tropical marine systems.
This study compares thermal performance curves of tropical fishes in two locations on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, which are separated from each other by over 1200 km and that experience markedly different thermal regimes. Resting oxygen consumption (MO2Rest), maximal oxygen consumption (MO2Max) and aerobic scope (MO2Max - MO2Rest) were measured for six common coral reef fishes at temperatures up to 5°C above the summer average at Heron Island on the southern Great Barrier Reef and at Lizard Island on the northern Great Barrier Reef. These locations have average summer temperatures of 27.5°C and 28.9°C, respectively, and average annual thermal ranges of 6.3°C and 4.8°C respectively. Specifically, we tested if thermal effects on respiratory performance of the six species varied between the two locations in a manner consistent with local adaptation to differences in average summer temperatures. Under this scenario, populations from the warmer, lower latitude would outperform populations from the cooler, higher latitude when exposed to warm temperatures. However, given evidence for gene flow among populations of fishes on the Great Barrier Reef , , local adaptation might be restricted and similar patterns of respiratory performance at the two locations may be expected. Alternatively, compensatory mechanisms might produce counter-gradient patterns of thermal performance. In this case populations from the cooler, high-latitude location would outperform populations from the warmer low-latitude location when exposed to warmer temperatures.
This research was undertaken with approval of the James Cook University animal ethics committee (permit: A1270) and according to the University's animal ethics guidelines.
Thermal effects on respiratory performance were estimated for populations of six common coral reef fishes at Lizard Island (14°40′S 145°28′E) and Heron Island reef (23°27′S, 151°57′E) on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Experiments were conducted during the months in which maximal summer sea surface temperatures are typically reached for each location. Northern populations were sampled between December and January in 2008 and 2009. These Lizard Island data are from Nilsson and colleagues supplemented with new measurements for Pomacentrus moluccensis. Southern population experiments were sampled between February and March 2009 at Heron Island Research Station. Average sea surface temperatures (1982–2008) for the three warmest months (January-March) are 28.9°C in the Lizard Island region and 27.5°C in the Heron Island region (Rayner et al. 2003, 2006). The warmest months are January in the Lizard Island region (mean 29.2°C) and February in the Heron Island region (mean 27.85°C). The average range of annual sea surface temperatures (warmest monthly mean - coldest monthly mean) are 4.8°C for Lizard Island and 6.3°C for Heron Island. Temperatures were obtained from http://badc.nerc.ac.uk/data/hadisst.
Six locally abundant species of reef fish from two families were examined: two cardinalfish (Ostorhinchus cyanosoma and O. doederleini) and four damselfish (Dascyllus aruanus, Chromis atripectoralis or Chromis viridis, Acanthochromis polyacanthus and Pomacentrus moluccensis). Wet mass (g) of fish used at each location and in each temperature treatment are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Mean body mass (wet weight, g) of reef fish used in metabolism experiments at each location (Heron and Lizard Island) and temperature group.
Fish were captured from shallow lagoon and slope areas using clove oil anesthetic solution , small hand nets, or a 5 m barrier net. Methods of aquarium, feeding and temperature regimes, as well as the measurement of respiratory rates followed those previously described by Östlund-Nilsson and Nilsson and Nilsson et al. . In brief, control and treatment fish were placed in identical 50-L aquaria and fed twice daily to satiation with commercial fish pellets. Control fish were maintained at the average summer temperatures for each location. Once fish had adjusted to aquaria conditions (commenced feeding and showed no abnormal behaviours), treatment temperatures were slowly increased over 1–3 days with aquarium heaters. Lizard Island experimental temperatures were 31, 32 and 33°C, in addition to a control temperature of 29°C. Heron Island experimental temperatures were 29, 31, and 32°C with a control temperature of 27°C. Maximal daily variation for treatment temperatures was ±0.5°C. Fish were kept at each temperature for 4–7 days before oxygen consumption was measured. A longer period was considered unnecessary since we have previously found that this has no significant effect on oxygen consumption in coral reef fish of these families . Fish were starved for 24 h prior to measuring MO2Rest, then fed ad libitum during a 24 h rest period before MO2Max was measured. It has been suggested that the aerobically fuelled muscle mass in some fish is not large enough to force them to reach the maximum rate of oxygen uptake during maximal swimming performance . Therefore, fish were fed prior to estimating MO2Max to ensure their oxygen demands were high enough to engage the full capacity of the respiratory system.
MO2Rest and MO2Max were measured for 5–12 individuals per species and location. MO2Rest indicate the cost of maintaining basic metabolic functions and was measured as described by Östlund-Nilsson and Nilsson . In short, one fish at a time was put in a sealed cylindrical 750-ml Perspex chamber fitted with an oxygen electrode (OXI 340i from WTW, Germany). After running water through the chamber for 1–1.5 h (or longer if the fish showed signs of agitation) it was sealed and the fall in the dissolved oxygen concentration was recorded over 45–60 min. Experiments were ceased if dissolved oxygen fell below 60%. MO2Max was measured as described by Nilsson et al. except that a slightly larger chamber (500 ml) was used. In short, water was set in motion in a circular chamber by a 6 cm stirrer magnet and a wire mesh separated the fish from the magnet. A central cylinder created a circular swim chamber for the fish. Water speed was increased to a point where the fish only just keep up swimming against the current using the pectoral (aerobic) swimming mode. The fall in oxygen concentration in the sealed swimming chamber was recorded for 5–10 min during which time there was a linear fall in oxygen concentration. Oxygen levels during swimming trials were between 90 and 100% of air saturation. MO2Rest and MO2Max were determined for each individual, but different individuals were used for each temperature and location treatment.
The effect of location on MO2Rest, MO2Max and aerobic scope at the common treatment temperatures of 29, 31 and 32°C was compared using two-way fixed factor ANOVA. Because oxygen uptake varies with body mass, we first regressed oxygen consumption against body mass within each treatment temperature at each location. The residuals of the regressions were then used in the ANOVA. This approach accounted for any differences in body size of the test fish between locations.
The range of temperatures tested differed between locations; 27–32°C at Heron Island and 29–33°C at Lizard Island. Therefore, in order to assess the effect of temperature rise on oxygen consumption across the full temperature range used, separate one-way ANOVAs were also conducted for each location. To account for minor differences in body size among temperature treatments the residuals from a regression of oxygen consumption against body mass for each location were used in the ANOVA. Following one-way ANOVA, Dunnett's two-sided t-tests were used to compare the treatment temperatures against the control temperature (Heron = 27°C, Lizard = 29°C). Analysis of variance assumptions were verified using residual plots and Levene's test. Due to heterogeneous variances in one location for one species, a Kruskal-Wallis test was required to compare the effect of temperature on resting metabolism.
At common treatment temperatures, four out of the six species showed significantly higher MO2Rest and MO2Max at the high-latitude location (Heron Island, southern GBR) than at the low-latitude location (Lizard Island, northern GBR) (Figs. 2–3, Table 2a–b).
Figure 2. A latitudinal comparison of oxygen consumption in cardinalfish.
Maximum (open circles) and resting (solid circles) rates of oxygen consumption of two cardinalfish species from a high-latitude Great Barrier Reef location (Heron Island: solid lines) and a lower latitude Great Barrier Reef location (Lizard Island: dashed lines). Values are means ± SE from 5–12 fish.
Figure 3. A latitudinal comparison of oxygen consumption in damselfish.
Maximum (open circles) and resting (solid circles) rates of oxygen consumption of four damselfish species from a from a high-latitude Great Barrier Reef location (Heron Island: solid lines) and a lower latitude Great Barrier Reef location (Lizard Island: dashed lines). Values are means ± SE from 5–12 fish.
Table 2. Statistical results of two-way ANOVA analyses on the effects of latitude and increasing temperature on (a) MO2Rest, (b) MO2Max and (c) aerobic scope for two cardinalfish species and four damselfish species.
At common treatment temperatures (29, 31 and 32°C) the MO2Rest values of one cardinalfish, O. doederleini, was approximately 20% higher for Heron Island fishes compared with Lizard Island fishes. Similarly the MO2Max of this species was 20–30% greater in fish from Heron Island than in fish from Lizard Island (Fig. 2). Similar proportional differences among latitudes occurred for O. cyanosoma, but were not statistically significant (Table 2a–b). Heron Island fish were smaller than Lizard Island fish for this species (Table 1) affecting metabolic comparisons.
MO2Rest of the cardinalfish species increased with temperature at both locations (Fig. 2, Table 3a). A 4°C increase in temperatures at Heron Island (from 27°C to 31°C) caused a 33% increase in MO2Rest for O. cyanosoma and doubled the MO2Rest in O. doederleini. A further temperature rise to 32°C increased MO2Rest by an additional 25% in O. cyanosoma while MO2Rest in O. doederleini was not significantly affected At Lizard Island a 4°C increase in temperature (from 29°C to 33°C) doubled MO2Rest in both O. cyanosoma and O. doederleini.
Table 3. Multiple comparison test results comparing the effect of rising temperatures on (a) MO2Rest, (b) MO2Max and (c) aerobic scope for two cardinalfish species and four damselfish species at two reef locations.
At both locations MO2Max of cardinalfish were relatively stable within the temperature range of 29–32°C (Fig. 2). At Heron Island, both cardinalfish species had higher MO2Max at 29°C than at 27°C, while no further increase occurred at higher temperatures (Fig. 2, Table 3b). In Lizard Island O. cyanosoma, a temperature increase to 33°C induced high mortality rates as MO2Max fell to the MO2Rest value (leading to a total loss of aerobic scope, see below). In Lizard Island O. doederleini maximum metabolic rates dropped by approximately 25%.
While MO2Max at common temperatures were higher in southern GBR populations for most of the damselfish, the effect of temperature on MO2Rest was dependent upon location (Fig. 3). A significant interaction between location and temperature occurred in MO2Rest for D. aruanus and A. polyacanthus (Table 2a). For D. aruanus, MO2Rest at Lizard Island generally increased with temperature. However, MO2Rest at Heron Island fluctuated as temperature increased (Fig. 3, Table 2a), leading to a significant interaction between location and temperature. MO2Rest in A. polyacanthus populations rose with temperature but incremental increases were more variable in Heron Island fish than Lizard Island fish. Temperature and location did not interact for MO2Rest of P. moluccensis and C. atripectoralis. Resting rates in P. moluccensis were higher in Heron Island populations than Lizard Island populations at all common temperatures (Fig. 3). In contrast, MO2Rest values of C. atripectoralis were similar between locations at all common temperatures (Fig. 3).
Increased temperatures of up to 4°C did not cause collapse of respiratory performance in damselfish at either location (Figs. 3–4). In general MO2Max rates were stable at temperatures above the control average summer temperature. No significant decreases in MO2Max were observed for damselfish (Table 3b). Southern populations of D. aruanus and northern populations of C. atripectoralis were the only ones to display any decline in MO2Max when 29°C was exceeded (Fig. 3). Heron Island damselfish had lower MO2Max at 27°C than at 29°C and in most cases MO2Max was significantly lower at the control temperature (27°C) than at higher temperatures (Table 3b).
Figure 4. A latitudinal comparison of aerobic scope in cardinalfish and damselfish.
Aerobic scope (MO2Max - MO2Rest) in two cardinalfishes and four damselfishes from a high-latitude Great Barrier Reef location (Heron Island: open circles, solid lines) and a lower latitude Great Barrier Reef location (Lizard Island: solid circles, dashed lines). Values are means ± SE from 5–12 fish.
The higher-latitude populations (Heron Island), had either higher or the same aerobic scope as lower-latitude populations (Lizard Island) (Fig. 4). The effects of location and temperature were statistically independent for all species (Table 2c). In total four species, one cardinalfish (O. doederleini) and three damselfish (D. aruanus, P. moluccensis and A. polyacanthus), displayed significantly higher aerobic scope at Heron Island than at Lizard Island (Table 2c, Fig. 4). The damselfish D. aruanus showed the greatest location difference, with aerobic scope 80–130% greater in Heron Island fish than Lizard Island fish, within the common temperature range of 29–32°C. Aerobic scope of P. moluccensis and A. polyacanthus was 30–60% and 18–45% times higher at Heron than Lizard Island, respectively. Aerobic scope of O. doederleini was 25–40% greater at Heron Island. No difference in aerobic scope between locations was observed for two species, the cardinalfish O. cyanosoma and the damselfish C. atripectoralis (Table 2c).
Temperature effects on aerobic scope within each location were variable among species and families (Table 3c, Fig. 4). A 4°C increase at Lizard Island caused a virtually complete loss of aerobic capacity in populations of the two cardinalfish species. Aerobic scope in southern populations initially rose with temperature before declining after thermal increases above 29–31°C. Compared to their 27°C control temperature, aerobic scope of O. cyanosoma was significantly higher at 31°C and O. doederleini was significantly higher at 29°C (Table 3c, Fig. 4). Indeed, no significant declines were seen in the aerobic scope of the Heron Island cardinalfish. However, like on Lizard Island, we did detect a high mortality of Heron Island cardinalfish kept at 33°C for a few days, precluding any experiments at this temperature.
With the exception of D. aruanus, the aerobic scopes of Heron Island damselfish were always higher at the experimentally elevated temperatures than at their average summer temperature control of 27°C (Fig. 4). Thus, Heron Island populations of C. atripectoralis, P. moluccensis and A. polyacanthus each had significantly higher aerobic scopes at 29, 31 and 32°C than at 27°C (Table 3c) D. aruanus was the only damselfish species at Heron Island for which elevating temperatures above the 27°C summer average did not significantly affect aerobic scope. For these fish, scope was 10% lower at 32°C than at the control temperature. Increased temperatures did not significantly affect the aerobic scope of Lizard Island damselfish except for C. atripectoralis, where a fall was seen at 33°C compared to 29°C (Table 3c).
In one cardinal fish (O. doederleini) and one damselfish (P. moluccensis), aerobic scope was virtually identical when measured at the control temperature of the respective location (Fig. 4). In other words, for these species 27°C values from Heron Island were the same as 29°C values from Lizard Island. This suggests that either local adaptation or thermal acclimation in these species leads to a constancy in aerobic scope at the prevailing summer temperature.
We detected significant differences in respiratory performance of reef fish populations at two widely separated locations on the Great Barrier Reef, but generally not as predicted by optimality models of thermal adaptation. Reef fish in the warmer, northern Great Barrier Reef location did not cope better with higher temperatures than their conspecifics in the cooler, southern region. Instead, the southern populations had either greater or equivalent aerobic scope than the northern populations when tested at common temperatures. This counter-gradient variation in absolute aerobic capacity was mostly driven by southern populations exhibiting up to 80% higher MO2Max compared with the northern populations. Southern populations generally also had higher levels of MO2Rest than northern populations when tested at common temperatures. The capacity to maintain aerobic scope as temperature increases is thought to be the primary mechanism determining the response of water breathing species to global warming , . Due to their lower aerobic scope at higher temperatures, our results suggest that populations of tropical reef fishes living in already warm low-latitude locations will be more sensitive to future increases in ocean temperatures than conspecific populations living in cooler high-latitude locations.
Counter-gradient patterns in thermal performance typically involve some form of metabolic compensation for the negative effect of thermal gradients on particular traits , . Such mechanisms may drive the higher maximal oxygen consumption observed in our higher latitude populations. There are at least four major physiological factors guiding the maximal rate of oxygen uptake in vertebrates ; (1) cardiac output that determines the rate of blood flow through the respiratory organ (e.g. gills) and perfusion of the rest of the body, (2) respiratory surface area (e.g. gill surface area), (3) the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, which is dependent on hemoglobin concentration, and (4) the degree of downloading of oxygen from blood to the tissues. The higher absolute values for MO2Max and aerobic scope displayed by the Heron Island populations in four out of six species could be explained by either larger respiratory surface areas or higher blood hemoglobin contents in these higher latitude populations. Fishes, like other vertebrates, can regulate blood hemoglobin content through erythropoesis and recent studies have revealed that some fish have a significant capacity for changing the gill surface area both as adults and during development , . The higher MO2Rest of Heron Island populations could also be explained by such differences, because a larger gill surface area will lead to higher energetic costs for maintaining ion-homeostasis and a higher red blood cell content leads to increased blood viscosity and therefore higher energetic costs for maintaining blood circulation. The adaptive advantage for higher latitude populations having a higher MO2Max, a larger respiratory surface areas or a higher blood hemoglobin content is currently unknown, but could be related to detrimental effects of cooler water on one or more life-history traits. In particular, increased metabolic rate could help maintain growth and developmental rates in cooler water, as observed in some temperate water fishes and other aquatic species , . Other factors, including differences in water flow regimes and short term temperature extremes, or differences in fish community structure (e.g. predators and competitors), might also contribute to differences in respiratory performance between fish from Lizard Island and Heron Island.
In contrast to the differences in aerobic scope seen in some Heron Island fish compared with Lizard Island fish, there was no clear evidence for differences in the thermal optima between fish from the two sites. However, further experiments would be required to confirm the apparent similarities in thermal optima between locations. Thermal optima of some ectotherms are fine-tuned to their local thermal environment. For example, the optimal thermal temperature of Pacific salmon populations varies in direct relationship with their historically experienced river temperatures . If Heron Island fish populations were adapted to the average summer temperatures experienced at that location, MO2Max and aerobic scope should have been highest at 27°C. Instead, aerobic scope for all six species at Heron Island was highest between 29–31°C, well above the average summer temperatures experienced at this latitude. Due to north - south dispersal gradients on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) , Heron Island populations may receive considerable gene flow from northern populations causing their apparent thermal optimum to be more suited to the summer reef temperatures of lower latitude reefs (e.g. 29–31°C).
Two species did not exhibit a significant difference in aerobic scope between locations. One of these species, O. cyanosoma, exhibited similar responses in MO2Rest and MO2Max to the other species tested; however, the increase in MO2Max at Heron Island compared with Lizard Island was primarily due to differences in body mass between locations. Heron Island O. cyanosoma were slightly smaller and thus had higher metabolic rates than Lizard Island fish. For C. atripectoralis, there was clearly no effect of location on MO2Rest, MO2Max, or aerobic scope. Within locations, temperature affected MO2Rest and MO2Max of C. atripectoralis as expected, but there was no difference in the magnitude of oxygen consumption between locations. Despite evidence of some genetic structure between C. atripectoralis populations on the northern and southern GBR , , our results reveal no apparent difference in the capacity for thermal acclimation in this species.
Overall, our results suggest that Heron Island fish may perform better under warmer water conditions likely to occur in the future. In contrast, increases in average summer temperatures of ≥2°C at Lizard Island are likely to affect community structure . These lower-latitude populations appear to be living at or above their thermal optima and near their critical thermal limits. Whether the differences in respiratory performance we detected between locations are due to phenotypic or genotypic differences (ie. local adaptation, developmental plasticity, or a combination of the two) remains to be determined. Testing between these alternative will require sophisticated breeding experiments where offspring from the two populations are reared throughout their entire life-span at a range of different temperatures. There is some evidence that the differences in respiratory performance could have a least some genetic basis. Three of the damselfishes species tested here (A. polyacanthus, C. atripectoralis, P. moluccensis) exhibit genetic structure between the northern and southern GBR , , with the strongest structure exhibited by A. polyacanthus. Furthermore, some cardinalfishes, including O. doederleini exhibit genetic structure similar to that exhibited by A. polyacanthus at local spatial scales. Thus, there is evidence for some level of genetic differentiation between Heron Island and Lizard Island populations, which is consistent with a hypothesis of local adaptation in respiratory performance. However, recent evidence for developmental plasticity in thermal acclimation by one of the species, A. polyacanthus (Donelson, unpublished data) suggests that there may also be flexibility in metabolic responses to temperature gradients that are established during the juvenile phase. Most likely, local genetic structure and developmental plasticity interact to generate the patterns of thermal performance we observed at each location.
It is evident that coral reef fish families and species differ in their tolerance to thermal changes. Greater aerobic sensitivity to increasing temperature was exhibited by the two cardinalfish species compared with the four damselfish species, at both Lizard Island and Heron Island. Familial differences may be related to behavioural differences in each group's activity patterns. Damselfish and cardinalfish are both well known as one of the most and one of the least active coral reef fish groups respectively . Species with active behaviour, such as damselfish, are aerobically fitter and thereby predicted to cope better with increased metabolic energy demands (such as temperature) compared to groups, such as cardinalfish, with less daily energy expenditure , .
Geographic range differences among the study species may also contribute to differences in thermal tolerance. Lizard Island is close to the latitudinal extent of thermal and geographic ranges for the two cardinalfish species used in this study which are either not present or very rare in equatorial reef areas . Other cardinalfish species whose distributions do extend to equatorial areas might have greater tolerance of higher temperatures. Amongst the damselfish, P. moluccensis, A. polyacanthus and C. atripectoralis have broader latitudinal ranges than D. aruanus. In the Great Barrier Reef region, the distribution of D. aruanus does not extend to the equator, being replaced by the sister species, D. melanurus in northern Papua New Guinea , . In contrast, the other three damselfish species have distributions that extend to the equator. Despite these differences, we did not detect consistent differences in the respiratory performance of D. aruanus compared with the other damselfish species, except that it exhibited the largest change in aerobic scope between locations of any species. Clearly, determining if geographic ranges of tropical reef fishes are associated with respiratory thermal sensitivity will require more detailed knowledge on the geographical ranges and thermal performance curves of these species.
Whether warming oceans will shift the distributions of tropical marine species polewards depends strongly on the metabolic capacity of populations to keep pace with increased oxygen demand , . If the strong counter-gradient patterns seen here are prevalent among reef fish, and other tropical marine ectotherms, then lower latitude populations inhabiting warmer waters will be more sensitive to global warming than populations of the same species at higher latitudes. Where dispersal mechanisms permit we might expect species with distributions currently centered in low latitudes to expand their distribution polewards. The long term viability of populations at low latitudes will depend on their ability to acclimate or adapt to warmer seas. Given the lack of evidence we detected for fine-tuning of thermal optima to match average or maximum summer temperatures, prospects for rapid adaptation to warming ocean temperatures by low-latitude populations may be limited.
We thank M. Bonin, C. Neligh, J. Stella, M-E. Portwood, S. Östlund -Nilsson, LIRS and HIRS staff for their excellent and essential field assistance particularly during cyclonic activities. We are particularly grateful to Janice Lough for assistance with GBR sea surface temperature data. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful advice regarding this manuscript.
Conceived and designed the experiments: NMG PLM GEN. Performed the experiments: NMG GEN. Analyzed the data: NMG. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: PLM GEN. Wrote the paper: NMG PLM GEN. Contributed funding and materials: PLM GEN.
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https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0013299
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Coral reefs exhibit marked spatial and temporal variability, and coral reef organisms exhibit trade-offs in functional traits that influence demographic performance under different combinations of abiotic environmental conditions. In many systems, trait trade-offs are modelled using an energy and/or nutrient allocation framework. However, on coral reefs, differences in biomechanical vulnerability have major demographic implications, and indeed are believed to play an essential role in mediating species coexistence because highly competitive growth forms are vulnerable to physical dislodgment events that occur with high frequency (e.g. annual summer storms). Therefore, an integrated energy allocation and biomechanics framework is required to understand the effect of physical environmental gradients on species’ demographic performance. However, on coral reefs, as in most ecosystems, the effects of environmental conditions on organisms are measured in different currencies (e.g. lipid accumulation, survival and number of gametes), and thus the relative contributions of these effects to overall capacity for population growth are not readily apparent. A comprehensive assessment of links between the environment and the organism, including those mediated by biomechanical processes, must convert environmental effects on individual-level performance (e.g. survival, growth and reproduction) into a common currency that is relevant to the capacity to contribute to population growth. We outline such an approach by considering the population-level performance of scleractinian reef corals over a hydrodynamic gradient, with a focus on the integrating the biomechanical determinants of size-dependent coral colony dislodgment as a function of flow, with the effects of flow on photosynthetic energy acquisition and respiration.
Introduction
Coral reef research has a rich history of exploring the physical constraints on organism performance across environmental gradients (Rosen, 1975; Connell, 1978; Done, 1983; Massel and Done, 1993; Fulton et al., 2005; Madin and Connolly, 2006). One reason for this large body of work is the biogenic nature of the reef framework: for reef-building organisms, physical effects on individual-level performance have important ecosystem-level effects, including implications for the physical structure of the habitat itself. For example, for most coral species, recruitment requires space on a substratum that is relatively free of sediment and fleshy macroalgae, and subsequent survival and growth requires warm temperatures, sufficiently high aragonite saturation states, adequate light and substratum integrity. For reefs to form and be maintained, settlement and growth rates of calcifying organisms, particularly corals, must be high enough to outweigh calcium carbonate dissolution due to chemical processes, and bio-erosion caused by the activity of boring worms, sponges and other infauna, and feeding by reef fishes.
In addition, several important environmental gradients occur over relatively small temporal and spatial scales within reefs. For instance, solar irradiance attenuates at scales of centimetres to metres with depth and turbidity, resulting in marked changes in the composition of reef-builders and reef-associated species along such gradients (Done, 1983; Anthony and Fabricius, 2000). This dependence of coral growth on irradiance, as well as sensitivity to exposure at high tide, results in the development of shallow, sub-tidal platforms that give rise to dramatic gradients in water motion with distance from the reef crest and with depth (Madin et al., 2006). Flow affects boundary layer width, and thus gas exchange and photosynthesis (Nobel, 1983). At the whole-reef scale, flow influences flushing times on reefs, and thus mediates diurnal swings in pH due to photosynthesis, calcification and respiration. Moreover, wave energy on reef platforms can intensify by orders of magnitude in a matter of hours as tropical storms pass (Massel and Done, 1993). These rapid temporal changes leave physical damage across relatively broad regions, although such damage can be patchy because of local variability in reef structure and disturbance history (Fabricius et al., 2008). Such distinct local-scale environmental transitions, and the trade-offs that organisms must make to live upon them, appear to be a primary driver of high diversity in coral reef systems (Connell, 1978; Chesson, 2000; Dornelas et al., 2006).
The interaction of an organism with its environment can be quantified through suitably chosen phenotypic and/or functional traits that strongly influence performance (Westoby et al., 2002). This approach has been successfully used in the study of plant communities to understand ecological distributions in relation to environmental resources (Wright et al., 2004), but has not yet been widely applied in the coral reef literature. The interaction of functional traits and the dynamics of ambient physical and chemical conditions results in phenotypic trade-offs that differentiate individual-level success over environmental gradients. For instance, for corals and some other sessile organisms, there is a trade-off between competitive ability and mechanical stability (Jackson, 1979; Denny, 1988). Adopting an arborescent growth form to extend rapidly into the water column, overtop neighbours and maximise resource acquisition (e.g. photosynthesis and particle capture), also increases vulnerability to breakage and dislodgement in wave-exposed locations and, particularly, during hydrodynamic disturbances (e.g. storms).
There is a continuum of approaches to understanding the performance of organisms in their environment. One end of this continuum involves the application of first principles from geometry, chemistry, physics and engineering in order to quantitatively predict some aspect of individual-level performance. An example of this approach is the use of engineering theory to understand the dislodgement (whole-colony mortality) of reef corals based on their shape and their hydrodynamic environment (Madin and Connolly, 2006). At the other extreme, large numbers of variables are measured, and exploratory data analysis is used to identify environmental variables that correlate with organism performance (Baird et al., 2009; Díaz and Madin, 2011). In between these extremes are studies that utilise mechanistic reasoning to predict how organism performance will change qualitatively along environmental gradients. Sometimes, the mechanistic reasoning that underpins these hypotheses is experimentally calibrated or tested (Hoogenboom and Connolly, 2009), but this is not always so (Bosscher and Meesters, 1993). When adequately validated, first principle approaches have the benefit of constraining the functional form and magnitude of the relationship, whereas correlative approaches run a greater risk of mistakenly attributing observed relationships to the particular causal pathways under consideration. Consequently, mechanistic responses of organisms that have been captured with theory, and calibrated empirically, can provide scaffolding on which to understand ecological-level phenomena, such as population performance.
The fundamental niche concept is most useful when based on the underlying mechanisms that determine how specific environmental conditions influence organism performance (Chase and Leibold, 2003; Kearney, 2006; McGill et al., 2006; Kearney et al., 2012). However, environmental gradients may influence different aspects of organism performance in different ways. For example, for reef corals, living in a wave-exposed, high flow location may facilitate high net photosynthesis, but may also be associated with increased vulnerability to colony mortality. To understand how the fitness of different species is influenced by wave exposure, it is necessary to translate these different kinds of effects into a common currency (McGill et al., 2006). We propose that particularly good candidates for such a currency are measures of an individual’s contribution to future population growth, such as its lifetime reproductive output, or the intrinsic population growth rate, under a particular set of environmental conditions. Lifetime reproductive output is a measure of total fecundity over the mean lifespan of individuals in a cohort. This measure may be especially useful for marine populations with planktonic dispersal phases, because knowledge of larval survival and settlement is not required. However, if recruitment feedback into the population can be estimated, and is a function of local reproductive output, then intrinsic population growth rate is likely to be another useful currency of ecological performance.
In shallow, wave-exposed habitats, flow is a major force influencing community structure (e.g. community composition and relative abundances change substantially along gradients of flow). Flow influences organisms through both biomechanical and physiological pathways. Therefore, to understand the trade-offs that underlie ecological responses to flow, we need to understand how these biomechanical and physiological effects interact to influence organism performance. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a modelling framework that explicitly integrates two field-validated mechanistic models to consider the effects of wave exposure on colony growth and reproduction, via the influence of flow on photosynthesis and respiration (Hoogenboom and Connolly, 2009), and also on the risk of colony dislodgment during severe storms (Madin and Connolly, 2006). We then translate this integrated model of individual-level performance into a population-level currency, lifetime reproductive output, to explore the shape of the fundamental niche of a reef coral species commonly found over a hydrodynamic gradient.
Materials and methods
Modelling approach
Corals are a symbiosis between photosynthetic algal symbionts known as zooxanthellae, and a colonial animal host that grows by producing an aragonite skeleton. In the case of reef-building corals, reproduction occurs both via colony growth (which is asexual) and by the establishment of new colonies (which occurs mainly via larval production and settlement). (Additional complications to coral reproduction, such as colony fission and fragmentation, are not considered here.) The ecological performance of corals is highly size-dependent, as colony size influences the acquisition of energy and its expenditure on maintenance and growth (Anthony et al., 2002; Sebens et al., 2003; Hoogenboom and Connolly, 2009), fecundity (Hall and Hughes, 1996; Baird et al., 2009) and susceptibility to mechanical mortality (Massel and Done, 1993; Madin and Connolly, 2006). Because of the sedentary nature of juvenile and adult corals, these demographic rates are relatively easy to quantify, at least once recruits are large enough to be identified. In contrast, most corals broadcast-spawn gametes that develop into larvae that settle onto reefs after what can be an extended period of time in the plankton (Connolly and Baird, 2010). Therefore, the proportion of a coral’s offspring that survive and successfully recruit to a reef somewhere within the species dispersal range cannot, at present, be measured directly. The inability to quantify recruit production per coral colony means that it is difficult to estimate population growth rate. To avoid this problem, we focus here on lifetime reproductive output of gametes, which can be quantified from observations on individuals after settlement. We assume that this quantity is approximately proportional to the production of successful recruits, and thus is a reasonable surrogate for individual performance, because reef hydrodynamic gradients are apparent over small scales compared with the scale of coral larval dispersal (at least for the majority of coral species, which broadcast-spawn gametes), and thus offspring produced in different habitats are likely to have similar dispersal kernels, and thus similar post-settlement fates.
To illustrate our approach, we modelled the lifetime reproductive output of an ecologically important and widespread reef-building coral, Acropora hyacinthus, along a hydrodynamic gradient. Environmental variation is incorporated into this model based on existing data describing variation in the flow regime between the exposed reef crest to a distance of 120 m over the reef flat on the southeast reef at Lizard Island (Great Barrier Reef, Australia). This location is especially suitable because the relationships between colony size and key individual-level characteristics (e.g. mechanical vulnerability) have been quantified locally for the study species. The new model developed here combines an existing mechanistic model of colony survival based on hydrodynamic thresholds for colony dislodgement (Madin and Connolly, 2006) with a model of colony growth and reproduction that is based on an existing model of photosynthetic energy acquisition (Hoogenboom and Connolly, 2009) in combination with a simple energy allocation model.
Survivorship
Reproduction and growth
Colony reproduction depends upon colony energy acquisition and the way in which colonies apportion energy between metabolic costs of tissue maintenance, growth of new tissue and skeleton, and production of gametes (e.g. Anthony et al., 2002). Corals acquire energy through two processes: symbiont photosynthesis and heterotrophic feeding. Here, we consider only photosynthetic energy acquisition because, for healthy corals in shallow habitats with oligotrophic waters (like those at Lizard Island), heterotrophic feeding generally makes a small contribution to the total energy budget (e.g. Muscatine et al., 1989). We note, however, that nutrient acquisition through feeding is particularly important for production of new tissue (Ferrier-Pages et al., 2003), and discuss this potential effect of flow-enhanced particle feeding on energy allocation in the Discussion.
Photosynthetic energy acquisition, EP, is a function of colony size, water flow velocity and light intensity. Flow influences coral energy acquisition because it mediates the delivery of gases required for photosynthesis and respiration. To model changes in growth and fecundity of A. hyacinthus over a hydrodynamic reef gradient [i.e. the colony size and reproductive functions, xd(a) and rd(xd(a)), respectively], we first model yearly photosynthetic energy acquisition for this species based on the relationships calibrated by Hoogenboom and Connolly (Hoogenboom and Connolly, 2009). The model explicitly incorporates gas exchange into the photosynthesis–irradiance relationship, and indicates that photosynthetic energy acquisition is lower where flow is weaker (because thicker boundary layers inhibit gas exchange), but it asymptotes relatively quickly as flow increases and processes other than gas exchange become limiting.
Finally, we converted energy available for growth (EG) and reproduction (ER) into actual predicted growth and actual predicted reproductive output based on the energy costs of building tissue and skeleton, and the energy costs of producing eggs. The energy cost of growth was calculated based on estimates of the surface area (tissue) and volume (skeleton) added during growth. To do this we analysed photographs of A. hyacinthus at Lizard Island to determine branch diameter, height and density per unit colony area, and used geometric formulae for the area and volume of a cylinder to estimate the amount of material required to be synthesised during branch growth. These analyses indicated that colonies have 3.9 branchlets per square centimeter of colony area and that branchlets are 0.4 cm in diameter and 1.75 cm high, yielding a branchlet surface area of 2.1 cm2 and a volume of 0.2 cm3. Assuming a tissue biomass of 9 mg cm2 with a composition of 52% lipid, 43% protein and 5% carbohydrate [based on data for Acropora tenuis (Leuzinger et al., 2003)], and enthalpies of combustion of 23.9 kJ g–1 protein, 17.5 kJ g–1 carbohydrate and 39.5 kJ g–1 lipid (Anthony et al., 2002; Gnaiger and Bitterlich, 1984) results in tissue energy content of 610 J branchlet–1. Assuming a skeletal density of 1.44 g cm–3 and an energy cost of calcification equal to 0.152 J mg–1 (Anthony et al., 2002) returns an energy cost of building skeleton of 41 J branchlet–1. Correspondingly, growth of an additional unit area of coral colony requires an energy investment of 2.56 kJ. Energy investment in reproduction was calculated similarly, based on an egg diameter of 622 μm (∼41 μg) (Wallace, 1985) and a composition of 80% lipid (Harii et al., 2002) and an assumed remaining composition of 18% protein and 2% carbohydrate. These values yield an energy cost per egg of 1.85 J.
Model analyses and outputs
The model equations described above were first used to calculate survival probability, energy surplus and the allocation of this surplus into fecundity and growth of A. hyacinthus colonies each as a function of position over the reef gradient and colony size. We then modelled the cohort dynamics for 50 time steps (years), recording (1) the proportion of survivors, (2) the mean colony size of survivors and (3) the fecundity of survivors. These dynamics were calculated at a series of positions over the 120 m hydrodynamic gradient and using different values for the energy allocation constant κ. Illustrative time series are presented for values of d equal to 0, 60 and 120 m along the hydrodynamic gradient, given κ=0.5. Lifetime reproductive output was calculated as per Eqn 1, which sums the area under mean cohort fecundity curves. Note that value of κ=0.5 was used for calculations in Fig. 2C,D, representing a 50% split of energy surplus between colony growth and egg production. This value was chosen arbitrarily because data on proportional allocation of acquired energy between growth and reproduction are unavailable. To test whether the value of κ substantively influenced variation in cohort lifetime reproductive output along the reef hydrodynamic gradient, we re-ran the model simulations using κ ranging between 0.05 and 0.95. Finally, we conducted additional analyses to separate the effects of the different model components (mechanical vulnerability and energy acquisition) and to detect which component has the strongest effect on lifetime reproductive output. We considered four different models in this analysis: (1) the full model described previously; (2) the mechanical dislodgement component only, assuming that energy acquisition is equal to that at the reef crest for the whole gradient; (3) the mechanical dislodgement component only, assuming that substratum strength is constant over the gradient; and (4) the energy acquisition component only, assuming that mechanical dislodgement is equal to that at the reef crest for the whole gradient.
Results
Survivorship
Over the hydrodynamic gradient, colony survivorship showed a hump-shaped pattern, where survivorship was greater for a colony of a given size at intermediate positions between the reef crest and flat (Fig. 2A). This pattern occurs because substrate strength and maximum water velocity differ distinctly in how they attenuate over the gradient (Fig. 1B,C). Large waves responsible for maximum water velocity attenuate rapidly over the first 50 m of reef (Madin et al., 2006), whereas substrate strength, which is more closely related to mean water flux (Rasser and Riegl, 2002), remains high until approximately 80 m along the gradient before decreasing. These patterns combine to generate an area in the middle of the hydrodynamic gradient (between approximately 40 and 80 m) that has relatively strong substrate and relatively low maximal velocities in which the dislodgement mechanical threshold (Eqn 3) is high.
Reproduction and growth
The decrease in water flow between the reef crest to the back reef caused a decline in annual energy surplus (Fig. 2B) that was most pronounced over the first 20 m of the gradient. Energy surplus, summed over the entire colony, increased with colony size because of the multiplicative effect of obtaining a positive energy balance per unit surface area summed over the entire colony surface area (Fig. 2B). In the model, energy allocation to reproduction (Fig. 2C) and energy allocation to growth (Fig. 2D) are both proportional to total energy acquisition and therefore follow identical variation in response to colony size and position along the gradient. For direct comparison between the model predictions and data for A. hyacinthus reported in the literature, we plotted the relationships between colony growth and reproduction versus colony diameter for a range of κ values at the reef crest (0 m). On a log scale, colony radial expansion (Fig. 3A) and total colony fecundity (Fig. 3B) increased linearly with colony size for colonies above the reproductive threshold. The magnitude of predicted colony growth is of an order similar to that reported by Stimson (Stimson, 1985) for this species on Enewetak Atoll (Marshall Islands); however, the increasing radial expansion with colony size (which follows from the assumption of a constant κ value) differs qualitatively from the statistically non-significant increase in growth with colony size reported by Stimson (Stimson, 1985) for colonies between 0.1 and 2 m2 in size (dashed line in Fig. 3A). With respect to reproduction, the positive relationship between fecundity and colony size is also similar in magnitude to empirical data from the same reef (Hall and Hughes, 1996) (dashed line in Fig. 3B), although for most of the range of energy allocation values (κ) our model tends to underestimate the fecundity of large colonies or overestimate the fecundity of small colonies of A. hyacinthus at the study site (i.e. reproduction increases with colony size faster in nature than predicted by the model).
Population-level performance
The proportion of individuals remaining in a cohort declined fastest with age at the reef crest (because of high maximal water velocities; red line, Fig. 4A), at an intermediate rate 120 m from the reef crest (due to decreased substrate strength, orange line) and slowest midway over the gradient (black line). Consequently, colonies tend to live longest at an intermediate position over the reef (an average of approximately 7 years; Fig. 4A, lower panel). Faster cohort decline at the reef crest is the result of greater energy acquisition and faster growth, such that colonies reach sizes that are vulnerable to mechanical dislodgment at a younger age (Fig. 4B). Colonies grow faster initially up to a size (7 cm in diameter) where they become reproductive, resulting in a subtle inflection point in the time series after 1 to 2 years depending on position along the gradient. Faster growth at the reef crest also results in higher reproductive output earlier in the cohort’s life, but low survivorship results in low reproductive output overall (Fig. 4C). (Note that lifetime output is the area under the curves in Fig. 4C.) Conversely, at the reef back, energy acquisition is lowest, but survivorship is still relatively low because of weaker substrate, resulting in the slowest accumulation of reproductive output through time and lowest overall lifetime output (Fig. 4C, black line). High survivorship at 60 m over the gradient, and intermediate levels of energy acquisition, result in the largest colony sizes (Fig. 4B) and a prolonged period of relatively high reproductive output (Fig. 4C).
In general, our model predicts that lifetime reproductive output is highest at an intermediate point on the gradient for the majority of κ values (Fig. 5), where energy is sufficiently high for growth and reproduction (Fig. 4C) and mechanical thresholds are high enough to allow survival of older, larger colonies (Fig. 4A,B). Lifetime reproductive output decreases dramatically away from the crest because of both increasing mechanical vulnerability associated with reduced substrate strength and reduced energy available for reproduction due to low flow rates and thus gas exchange for photosynthesis. Empirical measurements of A. hyacinthus cover and colony size at the study site tend to reflect this hump-shaped pattern, peaking between approximately 10 and 40 m over the gradient. The model most closely represents this empirical peak in ecological dominance where yearly energy surplus is allocated equally to growth and reproduction (κ=0.5).
To assess which component of the model (mechanical thresholds versus energy acquisition) had the greatest effect on lifetime reproductive output along the flow gradient, and to better depict how biomechanical and physiological pathways trade off to determine demographic performance, we repeated the simulations under a range of scenarios where we set the values of different components of the model to a constant along the flow gradient. First, to illustrate the influence of the photosynthetic energy acquisition model component, we reran the model with all colonies receiving the same amount of energy as those living in the reef crest environment (Fig. 6B). (We assumed κ=0.5 for all scenarios in Fig. 6.) Here, a hump-shaped pattern is much more pronounced (note the log scale), where colonies living in the middle of the gradient are predicted to have an order of magnitude greater output than colonies living at the reef crest or back. We then removed the influence of substrate strength by assuming that strength was constant over the gradient and equal to that of the reef crest (Fig. 6C). Here, we see colonies further from the crest living for longer and producing an order of magnitude more gametes during their lifetime than at the reef crest, emphasizing the importance of including the substratum environmental variable in the model. Finally, to explore the influence of the mechanical vulnerability model component, we reran the model with all colonies on the gradient experiencing maximum wave forces as if living at the reef crest (Fig. 6D). Higher mean water velocities at the crest resulted in faster growth and greater reproductive outputs compared with further back over the gradient.
Discussion
The model presented above highlights how the effects of two flow-mediated processes – dislodgement and photosynthesis – interact to influence population-level performance of a reef coral species over a ubiquitous environmental gradient on coral reefs. However, by using a common population-level currency as a proxy for fitness – in this case lifetime reproductive output – we are able to delineate the shape of the fundamental niche and assess how the performance of an individual depends upon the location it chooses (or finds itself in) at the time of recruitment into the population. There is a long history of considering trade-offs in energy and nutrient allocation (especially for plants) and how these trade-offs influence demographic performance, fitness and species coexistence across different environments (e.g. Westoby et al., 2002), but a quantitative theory of such tradeoffs has yet to be developed for corals. For biomechanics, there is strong evidence for biomechanical effects on individual survival (e.g. Denny, 1995; Madin and Connolly, 2006) and on population and community dynamics (e.g. Pascual et al., 2002; Van de Koppel et al. 2012). For example, for scleractinian reef corals in particular, the importance of trade-offs involving colony dislodgment has been recognized for decades (Jackson, 1979; Connell, 1978). Despite this, mechanical vulnerability has yet to be incorporated into trade-off theory with anything like the same quantitative rigor as physiological trade-offs. Such an integration of biomechanical and physiological constraints is especially important for coral reefs because flow imposes biomechanical constraints on organisms with relatively high frequency (e.g. annual severe storms), limiting the possible sizes and shapes of coral colonies in different reef habitats. At the same time, flow is a major determinant of variation in the rates of physiological processes, which has implications for growth and reproduction. Our results reveal a complex, nonlinear interaction between biomechanical and physiological effects along a gradient of flow for a dominant species in exposed reef coral communities. Because mechanical stability, as well as boundary layer dynamics, are highly dependent upon colony shape, these relationships are likely to differ in important ways among species with different growth forms and physiologies.
In general, the integrated biomechanical and physiological model shows that A. hyacinthus is expected to do better closer to the reef crest, but not right at the crest, which is consistent with their observed distribution on exposed reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region, including the Lizard Island study site (Fig. 5). This pattern is most apparent when both the biomechanical and physiological effects of flow are included in the model (Fig. 6), highlighting the benefit of mechanistically integrating both processes for understanding population-level performance over environmental gradients. The qualitative shape of performance over the gradient changes depending on how energy is allocated to growth and reproduction (Fig. 5). Investing only a small proportion of energy surplus in growth (small κ) increases the benefits of high flow because colonies grow slowly, the positive effects of flow on energy balance lead to higher reproductive output over time and mechanical dislodgement is delayed until later in life. As energy allocation to growth (κ) increases, colonies reach the dislodgement threshold sooner, so being closer to the crest becomes comparatively more costly, and thus peak reproductive output occurs further back. If κ is too high, though, colony performance drops substantially. We suspect that this change in the qualitative shape of performance with κ is mediated by the change in the relative importance of background versus dislodgement mortality as a function of growth rate. When κ is small, background mortality dominates for a longer period of time, and thus a smaller proportion of any given cohort ultimately dies from dislodgement. Conversely, if κ is large, dislodgement mortality becomes significant much earlier in colony life, and a larger proportion of mortality events will be directly due to the negative effects of flow.
Currently, patterns of energy allocation for corals are poorly understood. Specifically, there are very few data comparing in situ energy acquisition by colonies with energy allocation to tissue growth, skeletal growth and reproduction. Experimental studies have demonstrated among-species and among-environment variation in production of lipid, protein and skeleton depending upon the availability of carbon from photosynthesis, and carbon and nutrients from heterotrophic feeding (Anthony and Fabricius, 2000; Hoogenboom et al., 2010). However, complex variation in light and food regimes in the field presents challenges for monitoring proportional energy allocation (as a function of acquired energy) under natural conditions. Although energy acquisition was not monitored directly, Villinski (Villinski, 2003) showed that energy allocation to reproduction was constant along a depth gradient (over which energy acquisition almost certainly decreased) whereas growth decreased. This pattern indicates a shift in proportional energy acquisition (i.e. a change in the value of κ) towards reproduction as total energy acquisition decreases, and implies that the value of κ is not a constant independent of environmental conditions. Coral energy allocation is further complicated by potential changes in energy allocation to different structural materials (skeleton versus tissue) (e.g. Anthony et al., 2002) depending on environmental variation in light and flow regimes. Our model indeed demonstrates that a fixed value for proportional energy allocation (κ) is unlikely to be valid for corals, and that small changes in energy allocation can have profound implications for lifetime reproductive output (Fig. 3). Qualitative differences between the model run for a given κ value and the empirical growth and fecundity relationships from the literature can only be explained if the value of κ changes with colony size. That is, the fit between our model and empirical data (Fig. 3) would only improve if energy allocation were to shift from growth while colonies are small to reproduction as they grow [i.e. the intercept between the model (solid) and empirical (dashed) lines, Fig. 3]. Field-based measurements of energy allocation to calcification, tissue growth and reproduction, in combination with measurement of energy acquisition, are crucial for an improved understanding of variation in coral demographic parameters, and associated fitness, along environmental gradients.
The integration of biomechanics and physiology allows a bottom-up, mechanistic approach to population ecology. One strength of this approach is that environment-specific measures of demographic performance can help to quantify source and sink structures across meta-populations in which patches have different combinations of environmental variables. However, this approach does not account for community-level processes, such as species interactions, that may diminish (e.g. aggressive interactions) or augment (e.g. facilitatory interactions) demographic performance. For example, the intensity of competitive interactions can increase further from the wave-exposed reef crest (Lang and Chornesky, 1990), and corallivorous fishes, for whom A. hyacinthus is a preferred prey, tend to be most active near the reef crest (Pratchett et al., 2008). We have focused here on just one biomechanical and one physiological effect of flow, because it is sufficient to explore the utility of a framework that integrates these two pathways by which flow influences demography. However, conceptually, the incorporation of additional effects of flow, including those involving species interactions, is straightforward (although obtaining the data necessary to calibrate such relationships may be challenging). Two additional processes are likely to be critically important for the performance of coral populations in the long term: (1) large-scale dispersal processes, which would allow the quantification of adult feedback into the population and currently limits the application of the model for assessing population viability over the reef gradient (Connolly and Baird, 2010); and (2) small-scale settlement processes, which are expected to concentrate recruitment closer to the reef crest at the point where larvae enter the reef system or perhaps due to the higher cover of crustose coralline algae – a potential coral settlement cue (Morse et al., 1988) – in this area.
Hydrodynamic dislodgement is, of course, not the only source of coral mortality. In this study we have focused explicitly on mortality associated with hydrodynamic disturbance and assumed a constant background mortality rate (∼0.1 year–1) based on a previous long-term study at our study location (Wakeford et al., 2008). Moreover, we assume that background mortality acts independently of colony size and applies equally over the entire hydrodynamic gradient. Some mortality processes (e.g. sedimentation and disease) are expected to be more significant either near the reef crest or further back on the reef. For example, coral bleaching can be significantly more prevalent where flow is minimal and mixing is reduced, because these conditions lead to increased warming or decreased salinity [e.g. shallow lagoons during neap tides (Baker et al., 2008; Maina et al., 2011)]. Bleaching susceptibility also varies substantially among species (e.g. McClanahan et al., 2004). In some cases, bleaching can cause mortality (Anthony et al., 2008), and non-lethal bleaching can lead to reduced growth and reproduction (Baird et al., 2009). However, in very few cases do taxonomically resolved data exist that allow us to calibrate how a species’ bleaching severity varies as a function of the severity of the thermal stress event (but see Yee et al., 2008). To our knowledge, no studies allow quantitative estimates of how mortality rate, growth rate or fecundity vary as a function of bleaching susceptibility. This type of information is crucial, however, in order to project community change as a function of changes in the distribution of summer maximum temperatures associated with global warming. How various mortality sources depend on environmental conditions in general, and on flow in particular, requires additional research.
More broadly, the approach presented here provides a quantitative basis for incorporating mechanical vulnerability into theory for life history and demographic trade-offs, a trait that is likely to be an important determinant of species coexistence in coral reefs and other environments subject to frequent extreme biomechanical stress events. It can also help us begin to understand and predict how population performance is likely to vary across spatial and temporal gradients of environmental variables at a range of different scales. The present model focused on changes in population performance mediated by the effects of flow on physical dislodgement, and net photosynthetic energy acquisition, and could be readily incorporated to consider the consequences of changes in flow regime. For instance, increases in the intensity of tropical storm activity (Elsner et al., 2008; Young et al., 2011) will increase maximum yearly water velocities on the hydrodynamic gradient (Madin et al., 2008), but is unlikely to materially change the day-to-day flow rates that influence photosynthesis and respiration. This is likely to change the shape of the demographic response along gradients of wave exposure in ways that can be expected to differ among species, with implications for community dynamics. We hope that the framework outlined here can form the foundation of a more comprehensive theory that integrates the effects of biomechanical and physiological pathways on ecological responses to the physical environment.
Acknowledgements
We thank Mark Denny for inviting us to participate in the Integrating Biomechanics and Ecology Symposium in Cambridge, UK, and the Journal of Experimental Biology for supporting the event. We thank Andrew Biewener and two anonymous reviewers for helpful feedback and improving the manuscript.
FOOTNOTES
FUNDING
This work was supported by the Australian Research Council [DP0987892 and FT110100609 to J.S.M., CE0561432 to M.O.H. and DP0880544 to S.R.C.].
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https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/215/6/968/11216/Integrating-physiological-and-biomechanical
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Growth parameters of the invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) in the Colombian Caribbean.
Bustos-Montes, Diana, Wolff, Matthias, Sanjuan-Muñoz, Adolfo and P., Arturo Acero (2020) Growth parameters of the invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) in the Colombian Caribbean. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 38 . p. 101362. DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101362.
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Abstract
The success of the lionfish invasion in the western Atlantic can be explained by its rapid dispersion rate, as well as a rapid population growth due to its high fecundity. The adequate invasion control measures may vary between (sub) populations of the wider Caribbean region with differences in ecological and environmental conditions. Lionfish growth studies have been conducted in several places in the invaded region, but are missing from the southern Caribbean. We estimated the growth parameters and empirical natural mortality rates of P. volitans in the Colombian Caribbean and compare them with other native mesopredatory fish. To do so, we used Tropfish R and fishboot, a recently developed statistical stock assessment package that incorporates resampling techniques and allows for estimating the confidence interval around the estimates. Size records of 1184 speared fish caught between 2014 and 2017 in continental and insular reef areas were analyzed. Our results confirm the rapid growth of lionfish (K=0.44; C=0.62) and reveal high similarities in growth rate among Colombian Caribbean areas but differences among the invaded area regions, primarily explained by water temperature, habitat heterogeneity and structural complexity, food availability, potential bathymetric ontogenetic movement, and the time elapsed since colonization. The invader’s efficiency over its competitors is best explained by the lionfish’s fast growth and early age at maturity.
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http://cris.leibniz-zmt.de/id/eprint/4670/
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Understanding of the links between coral reef ecosystems, the goods and services they provide to people, and the wellbeing of human societies.
Examining the multi-scale dynamics of reefs, from population dynamics to macroevolution
Advancing the fundamental understanding of the key processes underpinning reef resilience.
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University Townsville
Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000
Email: [email protected]
Tropical oceans teem with the dazzle and flash of colourful reef fishes, and contain far more species than the cold ocean waters found at high latitudes. This “latitudinal diversity gradient” is one of the most famous patterns in biology, and scientists have puzzled over its causes for more than 200 years.
A common explanation for the gradient is that warm reef environments serve as evolutionary hot spots for species formation. But a new study led by researchers at University of Michigan and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Coral CoE), has analyzed the evolutionary relationships between more than 30,000 fish species and found that the fastest rates of species formation have occurred at the highest latitudes and in the coldest ocean waters.
Over the past several million years, cool-water and polar ocean fishes formed new species twice as fast as the average species of tropical fish, according to the new study, published today in the prestigious journal Nature.
“These findings are both surprising and paradoxical,” said University of Michigan evolutionary biologist Daniel Rabosky, lead author of the study.
“We find that speciation is actually fastest in the geographic regions with the lowest species richness,” he said.
“Our research certainly paints coral reef diversity in a new light,” said co-author Dr Peter Cowman of Coral CoE at James Cook University, formerly of Yale University (USA).
The authors admit they cannot fully explain their results, which are incompatible with the idea that the tropics serve as an evolutionary cradle for marine fish diversity.
Common sense suggests that a high rate of new species formation will eventually lead to impressive levels of biodiversity. But that depends on how many of the newly formed species survive and how many go extinct.
“Extinction is the missing piece of this puzzle, but it’s the most difficult thing to understand,” Rabosky explained. “We’re now using both fossils and new statistical tools to try to get a handle on what extinction might have been doing in both the polar regions and the tropics.”
The researchers tested the widely held assumption that species-formation rates are fastest in the tropics by examining the relationship between latitude, species richness and the rate of new species formation among marine fishes. They assembled a time-calibrated ‘evolutionary tree*’ of all 31,526 ray-finned fish species, then focused their analysis on marine species worldwide.
Surprisingly, some of the fastest rates of new species formation occurred in Antarctic icefish and their relatives. Other temperate and polar groups with exceptionally high speciation rates include snailfish, eelpouts and rockfish.
Three of the largest coral reef-associated fish groups – wrasses, damselfish and gobies – showed low to moderate rates of species formation. “The fact that coral reefs support many more fish species than polar regions despite these lower rates may have a lot to do with their long history of connectivity and ability to act as refugia,” Cowman said.
“Who would have thought that you’d have these really explosive rates of species formation happening in the coldest Antarctic waters, where water is literally at the freezing point and fish, like the icefish, have to have all kinds of really crazy adaptations to live there, like special antifreeze proteins in their blood to keep it from freezing,” Rabosky said.
The paper “An inverse latitudinal gradient in speciation rate for marine fishes” is now available here.
Citation: Rabosky DL, Chang J, Title PO, Cowman PF, Sallan L, Friedman M, Kaschner K, Garilao C, Near TJ, Coll M, Alfaro ME (2018) An inverse latitudinal gradient in speciation rate for marine fishes. Nature 559:392-395
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CONTACTS:
USA: Jim Erickson, +1734-647-1842, [email protected]
AUSTRALIA: Catherine Naum, +61 428 785 895, [email protected]
EDITOR NOTES
* Genetic data were available for more than one-third of the fish species analyzed in the study, and the evolutionary tree was time-calibrated using a database of 139 fossil taxa.
* An evolutionary tree, also known as a phylogenetic tree, is a branching diagram showing the inferred evolutionary relationships among various species. The tree assembled for this project is one of the largest time-calibrated phylogenetic trees ever assembled for any group of animals.
* The authors of the Nature paper, in addition to Rabosky and Cowman, are U-M’s Jonathan Chang, Pascal O. Title and Matt Friedman; Michael Alfaro of the University of California, Los Angeles; Lauren Sallan of the University of Pennsylvania; Kristin Kaschner of the University of Freiburg; Cristina Garilao of GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research; Thomas J. Near of Yale University; and Marta Coll of the Institute of Marine Science in Barcelona, Spain.
* The work was supported in part by grants from the National Science Foundation and by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
New research suggests an urgent need to find out why sea snakes are disappearing from known habitats, after it was discovered some seemingly identical sea snake populations are actually genetically distinct from each other and can’t simply repopulate if one group dies out.
Lead author, Dr Vimoksalehi Lukoschek from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University collected genetic samples from more than 550 sea snakes around Australia.
She said scientists were previously unaware of how genetically different sea snake populations on the Western Australian coast were from populations on reefs in the Timor Sea, Gulf of Carpentaria and the Great Barrier Reef.
“The previously unappreciated genetic distinctiveness in coastal Western Australia is critically important. It means that this region is home to genetic diversity not found elsewhere in Australia. If those populations die out, then that biodiversity and potential for adaptation is lost forever,” said Dr Lukoschek.
“Also, genetic differences of sea snakes between reefs around Australia mean that if a species disappears from a particular reef, they are unlikely to be replenished by dispersal of juveniles or adults from adjacent reefs.”
Dr Lukoschek said the sudden disappearance of sea snakes on the highly-protected Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea remained unexplained, as were sea snake declines on protected reefs in New Caledonia and the southern Great Barrier Reef.
“We observed none of the obvious threats, such as changes in the habitat or fishing, so we are left with a list of other possible causes including disease, invasive species, pollution, seismic surveys or recruitment failure.”
Dr Lukoschek said targeted research on habitat and diet requirements, reproductive biology, disease susceptibility and the impacts of man-made processes, is crucial.
“It’s important we investigate sea snakes in particular, as traditional conservation actions that focus on tackling common causes of species decline, such as habitat loss, may not optimise the conservation of genetic divergence and diversity in these vulnerable populations,” she said.
Dr Lukoschek said conservation planners should incorporate genetic information, including identifying and prioritising evolutionary significant lineages, into their work.
“In the meantime, the findings suggest it is imperative to reduce stressors to coastal WA habitats including minimising the impacts of trawling and reducing the numerous anthropogenic impacts on the environment,” Dr Lukoschek concluded.
The paper “Congruent phylogeographic patterns in a young radiation of live-bearing marine snakes: Pleistocene vicariance and the conservation implications of cryptic genetic diversity” is published today in the journal Diversity and Distributions.
Images are available here. Please caption and credit as marked.
Media Contact:
Dr Vimoksalehi Lukoschek
E: [email protected]
P: +61 (0) 410 340 609 (GMT +10)
For More Information:
Ms Catherine Naum
Communications Manager
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
E: [email protected]
P: +61 (0)7 4781 6067 / +61 (0) 428 785 895 (GMT +10)
New research into the impact of climate change has found that warming oceans will cause profound changes in the global distribution of marine biodiversity.
In a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change an international research team modelled the impacts of a changing climate on the distribution of almost 13 thousand marine species, more than twelve times as many species as previously studied.
The study found that a rapidly warming climate would cause many species to expand into new regions, which would impact on native species, while others with restricted ranges, particularly those around the tropics, are more likely to face extinction.
Professor John Pandolfi from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at the University of Queensland says global patterns of species richness will change significantly, with considerable regional variability.
“This study was particularly useful because it not only gave us hope that species have the potential to track and follow changing climates but it also gave us cause for concern, particularly in the tropics, where strong biodiversity losses were predicted,” says Professor Pandolfi.
“This is especially worrying, and highly germane to Australia’s coral reefs, because complementary studies have shown high levels of extinction risk in tropical biotas, where localized human impacts as well as climate change have resulted in substantial degradation.”
To model the projected impact of climate change on marine biodiversity, the researchers used climate-velocity trajectories, a measurement which combines the rate and direction of movement of ocean temperature bands over time, together with information about thermal tolerance and habitat preference.
They say the analysis provides the simplest expectation for the future distribution of marine biodiversity, showing recurring spatial patterns of high rates of species invasions coupled with local extinctions.
Professor Elvira Poloczanska from CSIRO says, “This study shows how climate change will mix up biodiversity patterns in the ocean. Ecological communities which are currently distinct, will become more similar to each other in many regions by the end of the century”
Dr David Schoeman from the University of the Sunshine Coast says the model suggests that there is still time to act to prevent major climate-related extinctions outside of the topics.
“Results under a scenario in which we start actively mitigating climate change over the next few decades indicates substantially fewer extinctions than results from a business-as-usual scenario,” Dr Schoeman says.
“Possibly more worrying, though, is the imminent development of novel biotic assemblages. We have little idea of how these new combinations of species in ocean systems around the world will affect ecosystem services, like fisheries. We should be prioritising ecological research aimed specifically at addressing this question.”
Professor Pandolfi warns the resultant novel combinations of resident and migrant species will present unprecedented challenges for conservation planning.
“Above all, this study shows the broad geographic connections of the effects of climate change – conservation efforts need to be facilitated by cooperation among countries to have any real chance of combating the potentially severe biodiversity losses that a changing climate might impose.”
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Paper
The paper, Climate velocity and the future of global redistribution of marine biodiversity by Jorge Garcia Molinos, Benjamin S. Halpern, David S. Schoeman, Christopher J. Brown, Wolfgang Kiessling, Pippa J. Moore, John M. Pandolfi, Elvira S. Poloczanska, Anthony J. Richardson and Michael T. Burrows is published in the journal Nature Climate Change http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2769
Contact
Professor John Pandolfi, [email protected], +61 (0) 400 982 301
Professor Elvira Poloczanska, [email protected], +61 (0) 428 741 328
Dr David Schoeman, [email protected], +61 (0) 423 982 898
Eleanor Gregory (media), [email protected]
One of Australia’s leading coral reef ecologists fears that reef biodiversity may not provide the level of insurance for ecosystem survival that we once thought.
In an international study published today, Professor David Bellwood from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Coral CoE) says we need to identify and protect the most important species within reef ecosystems.
In coral reefs, just as in any modern-day society, there are vital jobs that keep the ecosystem safe and functioning.
Professor Bellwood says, in many cases, a single species of fish carries out a unique and essential role, making the ecosystem vulnerable to loss of that species.
Professor Bellwood and a team of international colleagues, led by Professor David Mouillot from the University of Montpellier, examined the ‘jobs’ of over six thousand coral reef fish species across 169 locations worldwide.
“What we often assume is that if we lose one species on a reef, there are many others that can step in and take over their job,” Professor Bellwood explains.
But he and his colleagues fear that’s not the case. They believe if a reef ecosystem were to lose a species that carried out a ‘specialist’ role, the impact could be profound.
“We could easily lose a type of fish that has no substitute, no replacement,” Professor Bellwood says.
“Unfortunately we have become complacent, we have assumed that biodiversity will buy us some time and give us some insurance, but that’s not necessarily the case.”
“It’s not about numbers of species,” adds Professor David Mouillot. “Biodiversity is important and desirable in an ecosystem, but it is not necessarily the key to being safe and secure”.
Professor Bellwood singles out the parrotfish, explaining that out of thousands of reef fish species, on the Great Barrier Reef only one parrotfish species regularly performs the task of scraping and cleaning inshore coral reefs.
“This parrotfish is a particularly valuable species,” he says, likening this finding to a large city with many inhabitants, but only one doctor.
“To protect ecosystems, we need to ensure that specific jobs are maintained,” Professor Bellwood says. “And that means we must protect the fish that do them.”
PAPER
‘Functional over-redundancy and high functional vulnerability in global fish faunas on tropical reefs’ by David Mouillot, Sébastien Villéger, Valeriano Parravicini, Michel Kulbicki, Jesus Ernesto Arias-González, Mariana Bender, Pascale Chabanet, Sergio R. Floeter, Alan Friedlander, Laurent Vigliola, and David R. Bellwood appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The paper is available on request.
CONTACTS:
Professor David Bellwood, Coral CoE: +44 (0) 7901 236 784, or
+61 (0) 407 175 007, [email protected]
(David Bellwood is travelling in the UK and is contactable on the above number between 1630 – 0600 AEST daily)
Eleanor Gregory, Communications Manager Coral CoE: +61 (0) 7 4781 6067,
0428 785 895 [email protected]
Professor David Mouillot, University of Montpellier: +33 (0) 46 714 3719
[email protected]
A new study reveals the strategies that stop bandits from illegally fishing in Australian waters—but warns there is a cost to the region’s poorer countries. Co-author Dr Brock Bergseth, from th
Five world-renowned scientists have signed a letter to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay to "thank UNESCO for its leadership in recognising the threat of climate change to the Great Barrier Reef
A new study has found baby coral reef fishes can outpace all other baby fishes in the ocean. Lead author Adam Downie is a PhD candidate at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at Jam
New research shows what is often assumed to be ‘fair’ in conservation practice may not be considered so by the very people most affected by it—and a new approach is needed if protected areas are
Abstract: Bio-physical interactions can shape the structures and dynamics of populations. Open populations are well mixed over hundreds to thousands of kilometres. In contrast, closed populations exc
Abstract: The elusive Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) is an understudied and putatively important species in the Arctic. They inhabits large parts of the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean inc
Abstract: The presentation will explore the National NAIDOC Theme and contextualise the connection between Indigenous Self-Determination and Country. The presentation will provide an overview of hist
Abstract: Among all epigenetic modifications, gene body methylation (GBM) is the most studied but arguably the least understood in terms of its function. It is believed by many to facilitate rapid ada
Abstract: I will present some findings showing genetically-identified cryptic coral species within a functional group differing in their response to disturbance (bleaching), environmental gradients (
Abstract: This project aims to set some of the fundamentals necessary for the study of antipatharians (black corals) in the disciplines of ecology, phylogenomics, biology and conservation management.
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https://www.coralcoe.org.au/tag/biodiversity
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- Predator-induced demographic shifts in coral reef fish assemblages,
- Description
- In recent years, it has become apparent that human impacts have altered community structure in coastal and marine ecosystems worldwide. Of these, fishing is one of the most pervasive, and a growing body of work suggests that fishing can have strong effects on the ecology of target species, especially top predators. However, the effects of removing top predators on lower trophic groups of prey fishes are less clear, particularly in highly diverse and trophically complex coral reef ecosystems. We examined patterns of abundance, size structure, and age-based demography through surveys and collection-based studies of five fish species from a variety of trophic levels at Kiritimati and Palmyra, two nearby atolls in the Northern Line Islands. These islands have similar biogeography and oceanography, and yet Kiritimati has ~10,000 people with extensive local fishing while Palmyra is a US National Wildlife Refuge with no permanent human population, no fishing, and an intact predator fauna. Surveys indicated that top predators were relatively larger and more abundant at unfished Palmyra, while prey functional groups were relatively smaller but showed no clear trends in abundance as would be expected from classic trophic cascades. Through detailed analyses of focal species, we found that size and longevity of a top predator were lower at fished Kiritimati than at unfished Palmyra. Demographic patterns also shifted dramatically for 4 of 5 fish species in lower trophic groups, opposite in direction to the top predator, including decreases in average size and longevity at Palmyra relative to Kiritimati. Overall, these results suggest that fishing may alter community structure in complex and non-intuitive ways, and that indirect demographic effects should be considered more broadly in ecosystem-based management. © 2011 Ruttenberg et al., , , ,
- Author
- Ruttenberg, Hamilton, Walsh, Donovan, Friedlander, DeMartini, Sala, Sandin
- Date
- 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Title
- Synthesizing mechanisms of density dependence in reef fishes: Behavior, habitat configuration, and observational scale,
- Description
- , , , Coral and rocky reef fish populations are widely used as model systems for the experimental exploration of density-dependent vital rates, but patterns of density-dependent mortality in these systems are not yet fully understood. In particular, the paradigm for strong, directly density-dependent (DDD) postsettlement mortality stands in contrast to recent evidence for inversely density-dependent (IDD) mortality. We review the processes responsible for DDD and IDD per capita mortality in reef fishes, noting that the pattern observed depends on predator and prey behavior, the spatial configuration of the reef habitat, and the spatial and temporal scales of observation. Specifically, predators tend to produce DDD prey mortality at their characteristic spatial scale of foraging, but prey mortality is IDD at smaller spatial scales due to attack-abatement effects (e.g., risk dilution). As a result, DDD mortality may be more common than IDD mortality on patch reefs, which tend to constrain predator foraging to the same scale as prey aggregation, eliminating attack-abatement effects. Additionally, adjacent groups of prey on continuous reefs may share a subset of refuges, increasing per capita refuge availability and relaxing DDD mortality relative to prey on patch reefs, where the patch edge could prevent such refuge sharing. These hypotheses lead to a synthetic framework to predict expected mortality patterns for a variety of scenarios. For nonsocial, nonaggregating species and species that aggregate in order to take advantage of spatially clumped refuges, IDD mortality is possible but likely superseded by DDD refuge competition, especially on patch reefs. By contrast, for species that aggregate socially, mortality should be IDD at the scale of individual aggregations but DDD at larger scales. The results of nearly all prior reef fish studies fit within this framework, although additional work is needed to test many of the predicted outcomes. This synthesis reconciles some apparent contradictions in the recent reef fish literature and suggests the importance of accounting for the scale-sensitive details of predator and prey behavior in any study system., ,
- Author
- Wilson White, Samhouri, Stier, Wormald, Hamilton, Sandin
- Date
- 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Title
- Quantifying patterns of fish herbivory on Palmyra Atoll (USA), an uninhabited predator-dominated central Pacific coral reef
- Description
- On many coral reefs, herbivorous fish play an essential role in regulating algal growth and influencing the outcome of coral-algal competition. Working on a remote predator-dominated coral reef on Palmyra Atoll, USA, we used behavioral foraging observations to quantify the roles of common parrotfish and surgeonfish in the roving herbivore guild. We recorded species-specific bite rates on different benthic organisms, quantified the relative abundance of those benthic organisms, and estimated benthos-specific grazing intensities as a function of bite rates, fish abundance, and percent cover. These grazing metrics were compared between the exposed fore reef (∼10 m depth) and protected reef terrace (∼5 m depth) habitats. We observed large differences in feeding rates and substrate selectivity among fish species. Most species fed predominately on algal turfs; however, some species foraged broadly among fleshy macroalgal taxa, while others specialized on calcified green algae of the genus Halimeda. The highest bite rates were recorded from species targeting algal turfs, while the highest rates of defecation were recorded from species targeting Halimeda. Per capita bite rates of all species were higher in the fore reef habitat (mean 45% more bites min-1); however, overall grazing intensities on turf algae (bites cm-2 d-1) were 5 times higher on the reef terrace than on the fore reef. Despite habitat-specific differences in the herbivore assemblages, the estimated distribution of total bites showed consistency among habitats, with strong guild-level positive foraging selectivity for algal turf. Comparisons of bite and defecation rate data for these herbivores across the Indo-Pacific highlight phylogenetic constraints on grazing activities. Overall, this study illustrates the importance of herbivore functional redundancy, variability in species-specific grazing, and provides a framework for assessing guildwide grazing impacts on coral reefs. © Inter-Research 2014.
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http://islandora.mlml.calstate.edu/islandora/search/%20?islandora_solr_search_navigation=0&%3Bamp%3Bf%5B0%5D=-mods_name_personal_namePart_family_ms%3A%22Ebert%22&%3Bamp%3Bf%5B1%5D=-mods_name_personal_namePart_family_ms%3A%22Harvey%22&%3Bamp%3Bf%5B2%5D=-mods_name_personal_namePart_family_ms%3A%22Hamilton%22&%3Bamp%3Bf%5B3%5D=-mods_name_personal_namePart_family_ms%3A%22Breaker%22&%3Bf%5B0%5D=-mods_name_personal_namePart_family_ms%3A%22Loeb%22&f%5B0%5D=-mods_name_personal_namePart_ms%3A%22Welschmeyer%2C%5C%20Nicholas%5C%20A.%22&f%5B1%5D=mods_name_personal_namePart_family_ms%3A%22Hamilton%22&f%5B2%5D=mods_name_personal_namePart_family_ms%3A%22Sandin%22&f%5B3%5D=-mods_name_personal_namePart_family_ms%3A%22Regetz%22
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Moving Integrated, Quality Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and Family Planning and Reproductive Health Services to Scale (MOMENTUM) is a suite of projects, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, that aims to accelerate reductions in maternal, newborn and child mortality and morbidity in high-burden countries by increasing host country commitment and capacity to provide high-quality, integrated health care. Each of the projects has a specific focus area; together they provide a comprehensive, flexible package of support for countries as they overcome context-specific health challenges towards sustainable development.
MOMENTUM Indonesia, implemented by Jhpiego, is seeking for Local Capacity Strengthening Officer who will lead the development and implementation of local capacity strengthening objectives in line with principles of locally led development. This position will lead and manage identification, delivery and monitoring of capacity strengthening support to local organizations with sub-awards under Jhpiego’s MOMENTUM awards, including collaborating with local partners to develop mutually-agreed progress metrics, identify mechanisms for technical assistance to address identified gaps track milestones and assess progress, while facilitating continuous mutual learning and knowledge exchange around this area across Jhpiego.
Applicants should have demonstrated experience in all aspects of capacity strengthening and training – including needs and capacity assessment, design of capacity strengthening programs, facilitation, mentoring, coaching, supportive supervision, monitoring and evaluation, and capacity strengthening processes with local organizations. Applicants should also have experience in sub-award management from a grants administration perspective.
Responsibilities
- Implement locally-led capacity strengthening objectives in line with Jhpiego’s overall approach, tools and processes.
- Collaborate with local partners to co-develop capacity strengthening plans based on needs assessment analysis and local partner discussions; identify how identified capacity gaps will be strengthened (whether through technical assistance from Jhpiego or from other local organizations) and prepare the necessary communications, budgets and follow up to support the planned capacity strengthening efforts
- Collaborate with local partners to co-facilitate regular follow-up assessments and/or pause and reflect sessions to address the evolving needs of local partners through existing and new networks and partnerships.
- Monitor progress of milestones and implementation of capacity strengthening plans, and adapt these plans in line with progress achieved and organizational learning to ensure continued relevance and alignment with stated project results.
- Support partners in identifying other technical assistance opportunities for their organizations and strengthen their capacity to be responsive from managerial and organizational perspectives
- Collaborate with relevant Jhpiego/Indonesia grants management and technical staff to manage budget and subaward scopes with the local partners and ensure all relevant information is communicated to the necessary parties.
- Document learning and capacity strengthening processes that are proven useful, as well as lessons learned in developing capacity of local partners.
- Review, adapt and systemize existing training materials in collaboration with content experts to develop high-quality training curricula and capacity strengthening approaches (for capacity strengthening needs identified for internal Jhpiego support).
- Identify potential trainers/training organizations to design and carry out trainings/capacity strengthening activities to transfer skills and tools; develop and manage the contractual arrangements for these trainers/training organizations to deliver the agreed scope of work (for capacity strengthening needs identified for external local support),
- Provide input into the development of monitoring and evaluation strategies and tools including key capacity strengthening benchmarks and outcome measures;
- Other tasks as assigned
Required Qualifications
- Degree in public health or comparable qualification.
- 7 years’ experience in international development sector
- Proven ability and experience working on capacity strengthening with local partners
- Strong knowledge of key relevant stakeholders in the area of MNCH and possessing good network
- Experience in training and facilitation both in person and virtually
- Knowledge of US donors, Foundation and corporate donor priorities for locally-led international development
- Experience in managing USAID-funded programs preferred
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, organizational skills, and team strengthening skills
- Strong communication and presentation skills
- Fluency in written and spoken English and Bahasa Indonesia
- Proven leadership skills
- A commitment to customer service and to supporting a positive team culture
- Travel: Ability to travel domestically %
How to Apply
Please submit your application letter and CV with 3 referees to the following email address: [email protected] with subject as per position (e.g. Local Capacity Strengthening Officer).
For further information about Jhpiego, visit our website at www.jhpiego.org.
Only those selected for interview will be contacted.
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https://devjobsindo.org/ngo-jobs/local-capacity-strengthening-officer/
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The IT Security Manager will be part of the IT Security Operations Team at RWE. The department is growing rapidly in order to support our expanding global user base and the onboarding of new and exciting technologies.
As an IT Security Manager specialising in Vulnerability Management you will be a key part of the team and be responsible for the vulnerability management service and its expansion based on your ideas, best practice and our IT Security Strategy.
The IT Security Manager will report to the IT Security Operations Team Lead and work closely with the Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) to effectively identify, quantify, and manage cyber vulnerabilities across the RWE Group. In order to drive actions based on vulnerability reports and assessments at all levels of the organisation including executive management you will be expected to define the prioritisation of remediation activities and optimise the remediation efforts in a risk-based approach within a dynamic environment.
Your responsibilities
- Develop, implement and manage the necessary Threat and Vulnerability Management (TVM) policies, framework , standards and procedures which align with our Target Operating Model
- Define processes for the application of the security hardening policies based on CIS Benchmarks and manage the associated lifecycle
- Define and make recommendations to the IT Application Teams to ensure the Secure Configuration Lifecycle is followed and all internal applications are built in accordance with the secure configuration policy and controls.
- Monitor and respond to regulatory developments and industry best practices in a timely manner and recommend how to optimise security monitoring tools based on threat and vulnerability discoveries
- Work closely with our MSSP and their Vulnerability Management Service Team to ensure successful completion and recording of all scanning activities
- Work closely with the MSSP and ensure threat management encompasses external and internal threat sources, helping to identify current and future threats to the Group.
- Support the assessment of and provide technical support for identified vulnerabilities and prioritise remediation based on risk and exposure and track remediation activities to completion, validating the effectiveness in mitigating the risk.
- Assist and mentor junior staff or apprentices in cybersecurity techniques and processes if and when required
- Assist in improving and establishing new metrics (KPIs) to measure performance of the TVM service, report trends along with any necessary remediation and ensure the accurate and timely release of vulnerability metrics.
- Assist in the production of regular Management Reports
Your powerful skills
- Extensive experience of implementing, monitoring and improving the threat and vulnerability management service of a large energy trading or financial services organisation.
- Expert level understanding of both threat and vulnerability management services and information security
- Detailed knowledge of system security vulnerabilities and remediation techniques
- Excellent technical comprehension of threat and vulnerability scanning solutions, systems and processes
- Knowledge of and ability to manage Windows, Network Device, Database, Middleware, and Application vulnerabilities.
- A high level understanding of security architectural design and network design
Your technical skills:
- Good Knowledge of Cloud Platforms (AWS and/or Azure)
- Good Knowledge of Scripting Languages such as Python and Powershell
- Understanding of Windows and *NIX Operating Systems
- Understanding of Virtualisation Technologies e.g. VMWare
- Understanding of network protocols
Your personal skills:
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
- Strong analytical and problem solving and conflict management skills
- Ability to respond and adapt in a fast changing and pressured environment
- Confident in engaging with stakeholders at all levels
- Strong organisational skills and time management
- Ability to prioritise workload in accordance with a changing environment
- Comfortable working against deadlines in a fast-paced environment
- Willingness to take on work related travel as required to the UK and within Europe
Advantageous, but not a must
Educated to degree level in Computer Science, Maths, Science, Cyber Security or an IT Security related discipline or an appropriate industry related qualification.
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
What we value most is passion, willingness to learn and a determined and resilient work ethic. So, if you can’t display all of the skills above we would still like to hear from you.
Benefits you can rely on
- Competitive salary & benefits package
- In house gym, canteen and free parking
- Flexible working to support work life balance
- Training and development
- Team members are encouraged to study and certify in industry recognised Cyber Security training courses
- Be part of a growing , dynamic and enthusiastic team
- Opportunities to work on challenging and interesting projects with new technologies
Apply now with just a few clicks: 36279 application deadline 06.06.2021.
Any questions? Steph Turi (Recruiting), E.: [email protected]
We look forward to meeting you!
We value diversity and therefore welcome all applications, irrespective of gender, disability, nationality, ethnic and social background, religion and beliefs, age or sexual orientation and identity.
Of course, you can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Xing, too.
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https://jobs.rwe.com/RWE/job/Swindon-IT-Security-Manager-SN5-6PB/674771701/
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Agape has an opening for a Competitive Edge Coordinator. As a poverty-reduction initiative, Agape, through its place-based strategy, implements a Two-Generation paradigm. The Edge Coordinator will coordinate the efforts of a team of Connectors working within identified high schools and communities. The Edge Coordinator develops relationships with school staff and teens in a school setting, providing meaningful conversation, resources, and instruction. The Edge Coordinator and the Connector will build relationships with the students on their caseload, the student's parents or guardians, the school faculty and administration, and the community. The Edge Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that an engaging and safe environment is created for students to explore their personalities and relationships. During the cohort, the Edge Coordinator will ensure that the Connectors are facilitating conversations and curriculum designed to improve students' relationship skills, decrease incidences of domestic violence and lead to overall better mental health and the achievement of life goals. The Edge Coordinator will ensure that the Edge Connectors appropriately assess the students and their familys needs to make appropriate referrals for both the student and families. The Edge Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that programs are implemented with fidelity and that data is collected per program design. The Coordinator will be responsible for tracking program outcomes, data entry, and case management in Agapes case management system, Penelope, and the VOSS system. The Coordinator will be ensuring that the team responsibly facilitates efforts to address the health and welfare of children and families served, appropriately addressing needs, i.e., medical, health, spiritual, emotional, social, employment, educational/training, etc.
Additionally, the Coordinator should have excellent interpersonal skills and knowledge of social services systems; the Coordinator should have experience with and have had success in coaching teams. The Coordinator needs to have strong organization and time management skills They must possess the ability to work well independently as well as part of a team; work in partnerships and relationships with key community leaders, supporters, and advocates.
Connectors ensure program quality, transparency, and accurate reporting.
Responsibilities and Duties:
- Understand, train, and assist in conducting and updating individual/family needs assessment with each familys participation to develop an individualized service plan for the youth and family involved noting needed, desired, and requested services and resources.
- Understands and leads two-generational, family-driven, and strength-based services to youth and families who require resources and assistance.
- Focus on specific programmatic obligations, goals, and objectives, align with voice and choice of families (social and economic goals).
- Facilitate the connection and engagement of two-generational families to services needed, i.e. educational, mental health, substance abuse, workforce development, parenting/relational health (mentoring, gang resistance), homelessness, exposure to violence services, and other services provided through community agencies and resources.
- Arrange, coordinate, and monitor services related to meeting the needs of program participants to ensure stability and individual/family goal attainment as related to:
- Cohort Attendance
- Delivery of pre and post-assessments
- Delivery of ACE, WEB, and other identified assessments
- Dealing with family crises as they arise
- Identifying additional needs of caseload families and making appropriate internal and external referrals
- Coordinate events and activities onsite for program participants to encourage stability and individual/family goal attainment.
- Work in partnership with all departments and other agencies involved and through the Powerlines Community Network, led by Agape Child & Family Services.
- Maintain current and accurate documentation of services provided to youth and families based on various requirements and provide necessary data to Agape and partnering agencies, if agreed upon, for input into the appropriate data systems.
- Agape is a data-informed agency. The Edge Coordinator must accurately record data based on program standards and use data for continuous quality improvement for both school-based and site-based programs.
- Must be able to work with a flexible schedule, which would allow for needed interaction and involvement for the tasks of this position i.e. weekend and evening hours, etc.
- Complete internal reports and provide information concerning stability.
- Attend and represent Agape in appropriate meetings and training with other agencies.
- Attend Multidisciplinary Team Meetings and other in-service trainings provided by the agency.
- Attend regular supervisory and team meetings.
- Will perform all other duties, within the general scope of this position, as requested by the Director of TeamWorks or other members of Agape Leadership.
Record Keeping:
- Maintain accurate and timely reports for case records according to Agape procedures and grant standards through data entry into Agape's preferred data collection system and documentation in all required areas.
- Be prompt in initiating and replying to all correspondence and inquiries.
- Submit timely reports of all referrals to the Director of TeamWorks.
- Provide and use all the necessary required data for evaluation purposes.
Professional Responsibilities
- Maintain positive and productive relationships with the teachers, staff, and administration in the school.
- Participate in staff meetings, in-service training, and approved and planned relevant workshops, seminars, and training events.
- Participate in other Agency functions, i.e. community awareness events, advocacy activities, etc.
- Participate in agency planning and development, especially specific to programmatic related areas.
Physical Requirements:
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working at a computer.
- Prolonged walking and standing, and climbing stairs within schools and community sites.
- Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds at a time.
Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Education, Psychology, Social Work, or related field from an accredited college or university, or the equivalent combination of education, training, and the experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities for this position with at least 4 years of relevant experience and 2 years of program coordination or supervisory experience. A master's degree is preferred. The ideal candidate must have a demonstrated ability to work with a wide range of people, especially teenagers, provide culturally competent service delivery, and have a passion for helping others. Proven ability to facilitate engaging group instruction, both to teams and stakeholders. Knowledge of community development and post-secondary opportunities, including colleges and universities and training. Must have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and demonstrated computer proficiency, including the use of Microsoft Office Suite and other software applications essential to this position. Experience using a case management system to enter case notes, track client information, and monitor performance; specific experience with Penelope and VOSS is a plus. Should possess outstanding organizational and management skills and have proven ability as a problem solver and self-starter. Understanding of data collection procedures and the aptitude for using data to inform decisions and processes. Must have an automobile available for business use and maintain a current driver's license and current auto insurance with acceptable levels of coverage. Will be required to work a flexible schedule to include evenings and weekends as needed. Candidate must be willing to engage in Agape's Performance Quality and Improvement (also known as Continuous Quality Improvement) standards of quality & excellence.
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https://members.memphischamber.com/jobs/info/non-profit-and-social-services-competitive-edge-coordinator-3232
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NIGHT WATCH SECURITY SERVICES LTD is committed to providing the necessary training to ensure our workforce meets the statutory requirements of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. We are also committed to providing the necessary personal development to improve the skills and competence of our workforce in the focused delivery of services to our clients.
- AIM
The aim of training is to ensure that all employees are given the necessary help to develop the knowledge, skills and attitude they require to carry out their jobs legally and efficiently and to provide every opportunity for career development.
- RESPONSIBILITIES
To maintain the structures and mechanisms for identifying training needs and for monitoring the effectiveness of NIGHT WATCH SECURITY SERVICES LTD ’s training policy and programmes:
operation Manager function will ensure that every member of staff has undertaken and passed the required statutory training before their SIA license application is submitted, if not already in possession of an SIA license at the time of engagement.
The MD is responsible for the continual monitoring of staff training and development throughout the year and to provide the necessary assistance and encouragement to ensure that the company objectives are being met, procedures are being followed and staff’s needs are being achieved.
An internal review of NIGHT WATCH SECURITY SERVICES LTD’s training policy and procedures will be carried out every 12 months.
- APPROACH TO TRAINING
Training will be delivered in three stages:
Stage 1: Statutory Training
This is the training required to met the statutory requirement of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. Having completed this training an employee will have met the legal standard required for them to become an SIA licensed security officer.
Stage 2: Contract/Site/Client Specific Training
This is the training required to enable an employee to work on a particular contract, site or for a particular client. This will include, but not be limited to, Health and Safety at Work training specific to the contract, site or industry sector. Upon completion of this training the employee will be qualified to work on the contract, site or for the client in question. 2
Stage 3: Continuation Training and Personal Development
This is the training which further improves the skills and knowledge of the employee and which, amongst other things, will prepare the employee for promotion. This includes personal development training as required under BS7499.
- TRAINING RECORDS
A record of training will be established for each individual employee and held centrally on the personnel file. This will be continual updated throughout the lifecycle of their employment to provide an auditable trail of their training and development. Where the requirements of a contract demand it, a record in the form of a Training Matrix, specific to the contract, may also be kept.
- TRAINING ASSESSMENTS
All staff, including new personnel, will have their skills continually assessed by their Contract Manager as identified below:
At the time of recruitment – any immediate training needs identified by the Contract Manager will be addressed prior to commencing work.
At appraisal stage – it is NIGHT WATCH SECURITY SERVICES LTD ’s policy to undertake an annual staff formal / informal appraisal to review performance over the previous twelve months, to identify ways of maximising strengths and improving areas of development in the context of achieving NIGHT WATCH SECURITY SERVICES LTD ’s aims and objectives. These formal / informal reviews are the main vehicle of reviewing and identifying continuation training needs to improve job performance.
At the time of an employee being promoted – covering skills required to equip new managers with the necessary skills to manage staff.
Specific requirements of a project – projects may have unique training requirements that are most appropriately satisfied at project level to ensure the successful delivery of schemes.
Training needs as required as a result of corporate change – which will affect everyone within the organisation.
Training related to professional development. All professional staff are required to comply with the rules of their professional bodies in respect of Continuing Professional Development (“CPD”).
- TRAINING PROCESSES
The company officer in charge of training will have overall responsibility for analysing training needs identified by the processes above and will discuss with the appropriate Contract Manager and employee the most appropriate and cost effective way of addressing these.
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https://nwss.uk/training-policy/
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- The post holder will provide technical leadership and is responsible for supporting the OVC Technical lead to strategize, implement, and coordinate education interventions in school and community.
- He/She provides technical and administrative support to the project field teams.
- She /He supports the OVC Technical Lead support to provide the requisite technical leadership for all the DREAMS education activities; including leading and coordinating the non-formal education, program and systems support activities in the targeted districts.
- The post-holder is responsible for identifying strategic partners, forge collaboration and synergy to improve project efficiency and outcomes.
- The Officer will actively participate in education-related activities and meetings including participation in strategic platforms.
- This position works with both formal and non-formal education within the Education Ministry creates linkages between school and community.
- The post-holder will work with others to design integrated education activities that will keep vulnerable girls and boys in school, improve educational outcomes and build agency.
Job Description
- With the support and guidance of OVC Technical Lead, lead the implementation of ZHI’s DREAMS education interventions through provision of Education in development;
- Implement Education activities according to strategy, proposals, budgets, and plans; Lead in organizing and facilitating training programs Oversee training, coaching and on-going support of teachers, and Community School Facilitators in order to improve instructional practices in literacy, numeracy and social and emotional skills;
- Support implementation of education activities at district level, scheduling activities and monitoring the Project to make deliver activities timely;
- Ensures agreed quality standards for the management and outputs of DREAMS Project are met;
- Contribute towards education policy formulation, implementation, keeping abreast of latest government policy guidance, analyze, sensitizing staff and guide implementation;
- Development of literacy and numeracy learning curriculum with girl’s empowerment focus;
- Identify critical program gaps and vulnerabilities, and clarify roles, responsibilities and accountabilities to effectively address those gaps;
- Ensure quality in the programme by building capacity of the local staff and teachers through trainings in pedagogy, psychosocial support, life skills etc;
- Provide guidance to district-based team on common standards, innovative strategies and approaches that ensure a capacity to address ZHI’s Commitments for children in development, and reflect good practice in developmental education responses.
- Works with the SIE team to implement the M&E action plan, making sure that M & E data for the Project is collected and MER reports are produced, as required;
- Works closely with the Finance team to monitor Project expenses and to ensure accurate Project financial reporting;
- Contributes towards the development of Project IEC materials and messages, as appropriate;
- Manages partner relations by supporting the partners, responding to their enquiries/queries and ensuring that there is effective communication regarding Project activities;
- Arranges trainings for district staff or partners, community cadres and assists in various capacity strengthening activities;
- Performs other Project activities as may be assigned from time to time;
- Capacity Building: Support the development of training materials and staff training on the education interventions;
- Support the profiling, recruitment and training of Community School Facilitators (CSFs);
- Support development of training plans for teachers, CSFs and other community partners based on identified needs.
Knowledge, Skills And Abilities
- Excellent interpersonal and time management skills, good analytical skills;
- Initiative in learning and self-development;
- Respectful, willing to cooperate with and support Project stakeholders including colleagues, beneficiaries, local community and local leaders.
Qualifications And Experience
- Bachelor of Education focused on primary school education, at least 3 years teaching experience in the public sector or a social science degree coupled with 3 years primary school teaching experience in the public sector;
- Experience as education manager in public sector an added advantage;
- Post basic qualification in Program Management or Adult Education or Health Promotions will be an added advantage.
- Two or more years’ experience in development work is an added advantage.
TO APPLY:
Application Procedures
Step 1: click here to complete the job application form.
Step 2: Submit your CV and application letter via email to [email protected] clearly indicating the position you are applying for on the subject of the email.
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https://hotzimbabwejobs.com/job/technical-officer-education/
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To develop and lead the human resources team and provide strategic direction for an effective HR support service to the organisation in the implementation of relevant HR initiatives.
Job Functions
Human Resources
Industries
Human Resources,ICT – Information & Communications Technology
Specification
Leadership:
Steer the organisation and help set its strategic direction;
Approve policy and planning that give effect to the direction provided;
Overseeing and monitoring implementation and execution by management
Ensuring accountability for organisational performance by means of, among others, reporting and disclosure.
People/Staff Management:
Performance Management – Conduct performance assessment and facilitate through supervisors for 100% of staff on a bi-annual basis.
Tasks and Responsibilities – Ensure all in department have up to date job descriptions.
Skills – Ensure staff are skilled to carry out what is expected of them, recommend training, coach, develop. Observation, evaluation and appraisals to be used as indication.
Succession Planning – Ensure that a possible successor is identified and mentored as far as possible. If not at all possible, train and develop a supervisor/manager under you to be able to stand in for you as and when required.
Legal Compliance:
Ensure compliance with relevant legal and statutory requirements.
Adhere to principles of sound Corporate Governance and internationally accepted (ISO) quality standards.
Adhere to principles of sound Corporate Governance and internationally accepted (ISO) quality standards.
Provide Effective HR support service:
Provide professional support and strategic input to all areas of HR
Design direct and manage companywide processes that addresses issues such as succession planning, superior workforce development, key employee retention and change management.
Provide appropriate information and support to senior management about HR issues.
Manage Industrial Relations and provide support.
Directs the preparation of information requested or required for compliance purposes
Approve all information submitted, Mustek contact to labour attorneys/consultants and outside government agencies.
Ensure performance management systems are in place to ensure a culture of performance is embedded across Mustek and that managers have clear procedures and support for managing performance.
Ensure effective training and development services to ensure optimal functioning across the organisation
Ensure legal compliance and effective facilitation of the organisational pension fund
Facilitate and implement HR Projects
Manage and monitor implementation of reward and recognition programmes
Manage Implementation of approved awards initiatives
Implement HR initiatives through liaison with key stakeholders
Develop and update the existing Human Resources Policies, procedures in line with statutory requirements, good practice and the agreed review timetable to ensure compliance to new employment law and relevant codes of practice.
Effective People Management of HR Support staff:
Ensure job descriptions and performance contracts are in place for all staff
Maintain Discipline
Identify deviant behaviour timeously and correct where necessary/possible
Support Performance Management
Complete accurate performance assessments timeously
Hold career development discussions at least annually
Provide day-to-day support to HR staff
Complete goal-setting and performance contracts timeously
Investigate and action poor performance to be investigated and actioned
Identify skills development and training needs
Identify and use coaching opportunities
Identify and action training opportunities
Ensure Financial Discipline/Remuneration and Benefits:
Manage the HR budget effectively through strict budget control
Conduct monthly budget review
Control departmental procurement
Ensure compliance with organisational BEE practices
Head of the compensation and benefits process.
Supervise and coordinate all activities bound to staff administration, pay, work, contracts and effective management of HR information systems
Requirements
Qualifications and Experience:
Matric
Degree in relevant field, Human Sciences
5 years’ HR experience in generalist or management role
Knowledge:
Solid knowledge of general administrative processes
Solid knowledge of HR principles, processes, and procedures
Basic understanding of budget systems and controls
Good understanding of organizational business processes and procedures
Solid knowledge of relevant organizational policies
Solid understanding of relevant legislation
Excellent understanding of key business plans
Competencies:
Big-picture oriented
Proactive
Pressure resilient
Team leader
Independent
Good delegator
People and task orientated
Multi-task focus
Customer-centric
Assertive
Articulating and cascading the vision and values
Strategic focus
Attracting, developing and retaining talent
Cross-cultural awareness
Building and maintaining stakeholder relationships
Skills:
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https://jobs365.co.za/hr-executive/
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JobDescription :
Location: London, Canary Wharf
The Grade: 9 ( For internal purposes only )
The Role: The Account Support Lead is responsible for all activities related to supporting Platts customers identified by the Sales organization as strategic, key or preferred accounts. This will be for 2nd line support queries. Partnering with departments both internal and external to PLATTS to provide the best possible customer experience in support of customer and revenue retention. This is accomplished through customized support, training and integration of S&P Global services into the customer workflow.
The Impact: Platts, a division of S&P Global, is a leading global provider of energy and metals information. With nearly a century of business experience, Platts serves customers across more than 150 countries. From offices worldwide, we serve the oil, natural gas, electricity, nuclear power, coal, petrochemical. Agriculture and metals markets. Platts' real time news, pricing, analytical services, and conferences help markets operate with transparency and efficiency. Traders, risk managers, analysts, and industry leaders depend upon Platts to help them make better trading and investment decisions.
Responsibilities:
• Provide proactive and reactive support to customers through all possible interaction methods. These include telephone, e-mail, fax, internet, and standard mail.
• Assist Tier 1 Client Service Team with resolutions to complex questions concerning products, billing, technical and/or service issues, account/contract status, change of address, cancellation requests, refund requests, and other issues if escalated
• Provide product training to support customer product adoption (onboarding), usage and integration into customer workflows and processes. This would be done via webex and local onsite visits
• Provide on-going training for new members of internal staff and Client Service teams to ensure a firm understanding and implementation of support duties.
• Participate in special projects related to customer support and retention.
• Recognize document and alert management of trends in customer interactions that may have a negative impact on customer satisfaction.
• Recommend business and process improvements based on customer interactions and feedback.
• Assist in development of training materials based on the needs uncovered from daily customer trainings and service implementation.
• Provide prompt and accurate problem resolution to issues identified by internal and external customers.
• Document all activities and interactions in the appropriate CRM system (Siebel, Oracle, Horizon, etc.).
• Meet or exceed business SLA's and business process requirements through effective prioritization and timely problem resolution.
• Assist in creating and maintaining a pro-active, positive environment within PLATTS, Sales, Marketing and all other areas that impact customers.
• Provide feedback to technology group and product development regarding technological changes which could impact or enhance products
• Possess integrated knowledge of internal systems and cross-departmental operations
• Participate and contribute to PLATTS initiatives and BPM Projects.
• Understand and execute plan of action for outage alerts to clients when primary products or services are adversely affected.
• Generate pro-active calls to survey responses with a score below 8.0.
• On-going attendance of internal product and market training to stay current with changes to methodology and specifications, new products, and system upgrades and/or conversions.
• Review Bank of Business files and Sales reports. Encourage open dialogue to discuss relevant updates.
• Communicate with third parties to ensure that data is delivered timely and accurately on a daily basis.
• Assist vendors with problems and requests as requested in support of quality customer service.
• Perform other duties as required by management, business units and customers.
Experience Required
• Must be fluent in English and at least 1 other European language
• Client face to face experience
• Customer centric approach to requests with a keen interest in client interaction
• Experience with complex problem solving
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent with 3+ year's customer service and technical support experience in products and services related to the appropriate business unit.
• Proficiency in desktop software programs, necessary in successfully executing against job requirements (Word, Excel (Advanced), PowerPoint) and other software packages as necessary (CRM, Order Management, etc.), as well as functional knowledge of network systems necessary to complete tasks, and manage duties accordingly.
• Detail-oriented with excellent follow-up skills.
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize on a daily basis.
• Strong analytical skills to review processes and procedures, identify and present necessary changes.
• Flexible approach to cover colleagues work when needed.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills to facilitate communication and interaction with all staff levels and customers, including those that may not clearly speak English.
• Exceptional organizational/time management skills for scheduling training sessions and pro-active outreach to customers/end users.
• Practical experience of working in a team environment.
• Understand complex problems, and identify and present viable solutions with confidence.
• Able to work independently, take initiative and be self-motivating.
• Communicate effectively in writing, ability to compose a professional business email, grammatically correct and content accurate.
• Integrated knowledge of internal systems and cross-departmental operations.
• Knowledge of product-specific markets, trading and/or service operations and financial services
• Experience with CRM systems, including sales, operations, and financial.
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https://www.efinancialcareers.co.uk/jobs-UK-London-Account_Support_Lead.id05288854
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Senior Application Security SpecialistInformation Services - Information Security, Information Technology Job ID 2022-12334 Primary Location: Johnston, Rhode Island 09/23/2022
More information about this job:
Overview:
FM Global is a leading property insurer of the world's largest businesses, providing more than one-third of FORTUNE 1000-size companies with engineering-based risk management and property insurance solutions. FM Global helps clients maintain continuity in their business operations by drawing upon state-of-the-art loss-prevention engineering and research; risk management skills and support services; tailored risk transfer capabilities; and superior financial strength. To do so, we rely on a dynamic, culturally diverse group of employees, working in more than 100 countries, in a variety of challenging roles.
Responsibilities:
This position is open to candidates seeking remote opportunities that are comfortable with quarterly travel to Headquarters located in Johnston, RI.
The Vulnerability Management team is responsible for infrastructure vulnerability scanning, static application security testing (SAST), dynamic application security testing (DAST), software composition analysis (SCA) and penetration testing for applications. As we continue to invest in cyber security, our team is growing, and we are looking for an experienced and dedicated cyber professional whose main focus will be the administration of our application penetration testing program.
Responsibilities include:
- Being a great partner with penetration testing service provider
- Assurance of quality/efficiency of penetration testing services
- Working with internal stakeholders and partners to ensure and support their consumption of services
- Working with the Business to effectively communicate the risks of identified findings and support the selection of cost-effective security controls to mitigate identified risks.
- Stay abreast in the industry with attacker/adversary tactics and techniques (e.g. MITRE/OWASP) as well as best practices for secure development and system engineering
- Provides analysis and validation post remediation, opportunities for improvements and out of the box thinking for optimizations and resolving roadblocks.
- Ensures findings are presented in appropriate dashboards, reports
Qualifications:
5+ years of demonstrated ability in information technology, security administration, business analysis, risk, audit, compliance, computer forensics, network perimeter security or other related field.
Experience working with vendors and resellers, handling vendor/reseller relationships, and bringing available resources to bear to solve problems or realize opportunities.
Experience managing/leading projects and ability to produce any vital artifacts.
Skills
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Solid Interpersonal skills.
- Ability to coordinate activities with team members and other stakeholders.
- Excellent customer service skills.
- Must have a good work ethic, great time management skills and a positive attitude.
- Ability to work independently or on a team
- Ability to multi-task and change priorities with effective results.
- Solid understanding of at least one of the following areas: operating systems, databases, systems, networks, application development.
- Strong knowledge of computer vulnerabilities, hacker methodologies and other threats.
- Strong MS Excel and reporting skills required. Experience using PowerBI strongly preferred.
- Ability to leverage various trusted sources of information (articles, webinars, Internet, etc.) to gain accurate knowledge of current security threats, vulnerabilities, mitigating strategies to address them and then recommend and implement appropriate solutions for the FM Global organization.
- Basic understanding of REST APIs (GraphQL a plus)
- Ability to read and comprehend Postman, PowerShell, Thunder Client, etc. scripts
Education
Bachelor’s Degree in Information Security / Assurance, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent work experience or technical training with a non-related degree.
Related certifications such as PWAPT, GWAPT a plus.
IT Security Certifications such as Certified Vulnerability Assessor (CVA), CIPP (Certified Information Privacy Professional), CRISC (Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control), CISA (Certified Information System Auditor), CISSP (Certified Information Security Professional) or CISM (Certified Information Systems Manager) is a plus!
The salary range for this position is $91,400 to $131,300. The final salary offer will vary based on geographic location, individual education, skills, and experience. The position is eligible to participate in FM Global’s comprehensive Total Rewards program that includes an incentive plan, generous health and well-being programs, a 401(k) and pension plan, career development opportunities, tuition reimbursement, flexible work, time off allowances and much more.
FM Global is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse workforce.
Please note that all FM Global visitors, including external candidates interviewing for open positions will be required to be vaccinated and should be prepared to provide proof of vaccination.
BEING FM Global
Inclusion, Diversity & Equity
We’re creating a company-wide culture that recognizes how essential this work is to our overall success.
Learn More about Diversity and Inclusion
FM Global Learning
We’re building technical skills and leadership capabilities across the enterprise, with new solutions for learning.
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https://jobs.fmglobalcareers.com/job/johnston/senior-application-security-specialist/474/35050755952
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Purpose of the position:
The project area covers both refugee settlements and host communities in Adjuman, Yumbe and Arua.
In collaboration with the National Sector lead, the Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) Manager is responsible for the development of a CPiE strategy for WNRR consistent with the intervention areas, organization strategy and the overall WNRR child protection plan; coordinate the implementation, monitoring and assessment of the projects carried out; write donor reports and strengthen the child protection skills for WNRR teams and local stakeholders.
The Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) Manager will coordinate sector technical leadership and management in project proposal design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and documentation for multiple CPiE projects for the West Nile Refugee Response (WNRR).
S/he will identify capacity gaps and training opportunities for response staff in the protection space, including on internal child protection policies and procedures and serve as the Safeguarding focal point for the response. The CPiE Manager will represent WV in inter-agency forums and lead in advocacy and research related to child protection in emergencies at WNRR level.
Major Responsibilities:
Strategy Development & Technical Support: Design and carry out work in line with the action plan, the organization’s strategy and the general CPiE sector plan
Develop the CPiE strategy in line with the organizational strategy and technical programme; international humanitarian principles and standards for child protection
Ensure the strategy is contextualized, relevant and appropriate at all times by analyzing the environment, especially social and society-wide issues.
Design interventions and/or ensure the application of strategies that prevent and respond to relevant child protection risks and concerns
Provide leadership for timely and appropriate design, planning, implementation and delivery of CPiE sector activities.
Assist with reporting on current WNRR Plan
Ensure child protection is included in assessments to identify robust CPiE responses.
Lead sector-specific assessments as required to inform programming.
Propose and promote methods to integrate and mainstream child protection in the different humanitarian sectors
Project Staff Management and development: Strengthen technical skills related to child protection in teams and local stakeholders.
Assess and identify learning and capacity needs of WNRR staff and partners and plan training program /calendar to address needs in consultation with the P&C and the National Sector Lead. Utilize inter-agency capacity building opportunities, as well as WV-internal resources applying relevant techniques, Provide opportunities for capacity building to the CPiE team to ensure proper technical, managerial and personal development
Design, adapt existing training materials and other tools, deliver and evaluate child protection training sessions on child participation, child rights and other technical content for local teams, communities and partners based on identified needs
Monitor the application of the learning outcomes transmitted (included values, principles, knowledge and professional methods), and address potential barriers to taking up these values and positively influence standards and behaviors.
Provide technical support to teams and partners for/when implementing child protection activities
Support set objectives, perform timely performance assessment reviews and mentor child protection teams to effectively achieve set objectives.
Organize and run periodic team meetings/briefings/debriefings for the core (CPIE) team and assist team members to effectively organize their workload, achieving their goals, share lessons learned, experiences, observations, obstacles and review and update the projects’ plans of actions.
Know grant/donors regulations, compliance issues and build the capacity of teams in this respect.
Ensure staff compliance with World Visions policies and CPiE/CPMS standards
Ensure appropriate reporting that meets WV expectations and donor requirements.
Safeguarding: Preventing, reporting, and responding to harm or abuse of children and beneficiaries by WV staff and affiliates in the WNRR
Ensuring WNRR is a Child Safe by serving as a Safeguarding focal point, leading on WVU Safeguarding Policy and SPIPP implementation, orientation and refresher training to all new and current staff
Ensuring compliance to Safeguarding standards and PSEA policies among all staff and affiliates in the response.
Position will also be focal point for referring and reporting cases of abuse in the Ethics Point and facilitating case management, annual CP update Reporting, and training all new staff and affiliates on CP Policy.
Ensure that the codes of conduct/behavior protocols and other internal safeguarding standards are consistently adapted, understood, and applied
Signal child safeguarding concerns and take immediate corrective actions
Proposal Development
In liaison with Grants Acquisition and Management unit, Area leadership, provide technical leadership to respond to new CPiE grant initiatives.
Ensure that CP programme learning from assessment, evaluations and research is included into new designs.
Provide leadership for strong liaison and communication with partners, community leaders, and other CPiE platforms.
Technically lead CPiE components during drafting of new proposals, ensuring matching with program objectives and response strategy.
Quality CPiE Program Implementation and Sustainability
Evaluate CPiE projects’ budgets, funding, expenditures and accomplishments of objectives.
Ensure technical quality of project progress reports, and other information as required, for the support offices and donors.
Work with CPiE coordinators to ensure high standards of accountability for technical aspects of CPiE-linked projects
Coordinate/work with the M&E Team to monitor/evaluate the progress of projects, systems and to ensure that projects provide responses on all audit reports and findings.
Review tools used by M&E team for CP projects so that they are technically sound measuring the CPiE interventions conducted.
Participate and review projects evaluations in close coordination with the internal and/or external evaluators.
Work closely with the Project Managers, Finance team to effectively and efficiently manage CPiE led-project budgets.
Coordination, Networking and Partnerships for child protection
Manage, coordinate, and actively participate with local partners and NGOs, UN agencies and different donors and community representatives and stakeholders in Inter-Agency engagements/Working Groups i.e. Child Protection, GBV, MHPSS
Identify partners and stakeholders present and analyze their child protection activities and opportunities for collaboration
Involve the government and community based mechanisms/groups in supporting CPiE projects
Develop operational networks and partnerships in order to strengthen implementation of child protection projects
Prepare, perform and evaluate the child protection advocacy actions with partners and promote collaborative work to pursue common goals in child protection
Lead and/or suggest multi-stakeholder consultations/discussions to agree ways to report and address gaps in accountability upholding children’s rights
Safety and Security Responsibilities
Abide by the security policies and procedures and report any incidents or breaches to line manager and / or security manager.
Monitor the team’s safety and mental health
Ensure that safety rules are followed by team members
Implement measures to ensure that the team keeps confidential information and sensitive documents securely.
Humanitarian Emergency Affairs Responsibilities and context analysis for Child protection
Be aware of the emergency procedures in a response and ensure that necessary preparedness measures have been implemented.
Collaborate in the analysis of: the geopolitical, humanitarian, security, socio-economic, cultural and law/protection situation in the intervention area Advocate for and promote the use of specific technical tools for situation analysis, assessment (such as the CPRA)
Identify & monitor the main issues and trends in the intervention area
Research and get involved in analyzing the judicial, legal and common law context
Qualifications: Education/Knowledge/Technical Skills and Experience
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in relative field, Master’s degree an added advantage
Experience:
Minimum 5 years’ experience in Child Protection in Emergency - led work, with significant experience in integrating children’s issues across sectors.
Knowledge & Skills:
Working knowledge of Child Protection programming. Knowledge of the Minimum Child Protection Standards in Humanitarian Action; Inter-Agency Guideline on Case management, Coordination, Mental Health & Psycho-social Support) and experience in active participation on key coordination forums.
Specialized in case management, children separated from their families, psychosocial support work in CFS, child labour, gender-based violence.
Holistic understanding of child wellbeing recognizing the physical, spiritual and psychosocial wellbeing of children.
Familiarity with child exploitation issues emergency relief, UN CRC and experience in the field of child protection.
Excellent analytical, interpersonal, negotiation and collaboration skills and ability to think strategically.
Independent and creative with strong sense of priorities and organizational skills.
Excellent communication skills (oral / written).
Understanding of project timelines, budgets and deliverables.
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https://careers.wvi.org/jobs/uganda/child-development/child-protection-in-emergencies-cpie-manager/10763
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objectives?
In the context of a knowledge-based economy, where the human capital plays an increasingly important role, the implementation of a real HR strategy becomes essential. The objective of this strategy is to build and manage the best skills base for the overall success of the organization. Concretely, this HR strategy consists of setting up skills management actions to match the available skills with those required to ensure both the current functioning and future development of the organization.
This alignment challenge is today even more important as changes in the business environment are increasingly rapid, particularly those related to new technologies, and therefore require constant adaptation of employees’ skills.
To meet this challenge, it is fundamental to identify critical skills, i.e. those that generate a competitive advantage for the company and enable it to achieve its strategic objectives. For example, changes in customer behaviour in the digital age make it necessary to master knowledge (knowledge) and knowhow (practices) more sophisticated, but also to master interpersonal skills (relational behaviour) for employees in direct contact with the customer. It is indeed this last aspect that many companies are trying to develop in order to bring, in an increasingly digital customer experience, more value to customers who are often very well informed and autonomous.
Once these skills have been identified, it will then be possible to measure the gaps with existing resources and define a strategy to develop the missing skills. This document presents in more detail such an approach, which is outlined below.
1. Define a skills map that fits the company’s strategic ambition
To make skills management the core of HR strategy, it is essential to define the company’s competency needs. In order to establish an adapted mapping of these needs, it is also necessary to combine two elements:
- the business need, which defines the skills required by the tasks (stable skills)
- the company’s strategic plan, which defines the skills required by the objectives (critical skills)
This approach makes it possible to compare a top-down and a bottom-up vision, in order to better weigh the reality on the ground without losing sight of the direction in which the company is heading in the long term. It is essential to recognize that these skills are dynamic. It would be very damaging to remain on a static mapping of skills needs at a time when the environment is pushing them to evolve.
Thus, new technologies lead both to the creation of new businesses (data exploitation, software design or maintenance) and to the modification of existing businesses (communication, marketing and sales are increasingly linked to digital with Web marketing, SEO…). The video game industry is a good example: video game consoles change every 5 years, so there is a need to renew game design and programming skills every 5 years
2. Evaluate existing skills and measure gaps
Once the mapping of skills needs has been established, the challenge is to measure the gap between the skills needed for the company’s ambitions and their current levels of mastery in the company. In concrete terms, this means assessing employees’ individual skills in terms of knowledge, know-how and interpersonal skills.
How to assess employees’ skills and measure gaps:
This competency measurement can be carried out via two main methods:
- Declarative method: employee self-diagnosis based on precise questions and level scales or co-diagnosis between the employee and his or her supervisor, based on an analysis of professional practices and results obtained.
- Evaluation methods: tests, MCQs, role plays, case studies, skills interviews, etc. Several experts then participate in the evaluation of the results achieved and the skills applied.
These methods can be usefully combined according to the context, especially since their implementation has been greatly simplified by the digitalization of evaluation methods. In this way, at Nestlé, employees receive “regular feedback on their performance and career aspirations” through various tools and processes such as Performance Evaluation (PE), Progress and Development Guide (PDG) and 360 degree evaluations.
A reference must also be set for the different levels of acquisition of a given competence.
3. Analyze the results, identify and prioritize the needs for skills development
After this mapping, the company will have to identify, analyze and prioritize the needs for skills upgrading: gaps between existing skills and the skills required for the company’s development. This phase generally requires the use of data processing software covering a large population and extrapolating their evolution over time.
It is then possible to prioritize the needs. Indeed, based on the needs identified for each employee, it is essential to consolidate training priorities in terms of audiences and practical objectives. In addition, it is important to distinguish three main categories of training needs :
- Collective needs: In relation to the organization’s operational objectives. It refers to a collective rise in the skills of a team or a profession. A training need is collective when it has been identified by a working group as a means of achieving an operational objective. The fact of grouping identical individual requirements can produce a collective need.
- Individual needs: In relation to positions held or to be held in the same business unit. It is a training need that the employee may feel in order to better adapt to the position held, to prepare for changes within his or her position, or to change the position planned with his or her hierarchy within the same sector.
- Personal needs: Needs arising from a logic of career evolution and/or reorientation.
The synthesis of these needs will then constitute the essential trigger for the formalization of training orientations and the implementation of an operational HR strategy.
4. Implement an operational HR strategy
The organization’s strategic orientations can be a major challenge for the business lines: technological disruptions, commercial ambitions, acceleration of product development rates, digital shifts, etc. In this context, the HR strategy aims to support the implementation of the strategic plan, by aligning strategic ambitions and the required business know-how. This support is reflected in the implementation of skills management actions that enable:
- the retention of stable skills (skills for which the company must ensure the sustainability of its know-how),
- the transition from sensitive skills (skills specific to declining professions or activities)
- and above all, the development of critical skills, bringing value to the company and the client.
There are five types of HR strategies that allow an organization to meet its needs for the future:
- The recruitment strategy: Some skills may require recruitment because internal profiles cannot simply be acquired. The recruitment of an expert can help to develop these skills among internal employees.
- The outsourcing strategy (subcontracting): This strategy must be limited to non-critical skills because it presents the risk of losing competencies. It generally concerns skills far from the company’s core business, which it is not intended to develop. The outsourcing or acquisition of start-ups are concrete examples of this strategy.
- The collaborative strategy: It allows, for example, to deal with a labour shortage.
- The restructuring strategies: These are strategies for reducing staff, grouping tasks, reorganizing work units.
- The training and professional development strategies: When a skill can be acquired internally and there are enough resources available, training strategies can be used to adapt employees’ skills. It is therefore a major lever identified by the HR strategy to strengthen the capability, capacity and performance of business actors. According to the study “The Revolution of Professions” (EY, LinkedIn) training is cited by all managers questioned as the priority lever for adapting skills worldwide and is perceived as the priority lever by 54% of them.
Evolutions and trends in professional training
Professional training is affected by fundamental trends, reflecting new strategic orientations of companies.
The implementation of digital skills development programs
Communication, production, human resources… digital transformation nowadays affects all the company’s businesses. Companies are organizing, adapting and developing schools internally. Beyond the mastery of digital
tools and social networks, these schools and programs have the mission of supporting the digital transformation of the company by widely disseminating a digital culture among their employees.
Orange launched the movement in 2013 by creating the Digital Academy, a program that aims to provide a common platform of knowledge in the digital field to all the Group’s 166,000 employees, regardless of their profession. The Digital Academy covers three dimensions:
- employees’ awareness of the challenges of the internal digitalization for Orange,
- training in the use of the Group’s innovations (such as 4G or the Block) and internal tools
- the appropriation and the putting into perspective of social networks and their role.
Other major companies have followed suit: Seb launched its Digital Academy in 2015, Pernod Ricard its “Digifit” program and in 2017, SNCF created a “digital school” for all their employees to support its transformation plan.
The individualization of training paths
New types of training meet the need for promptness in the continuous training of employees. Indeed, in the face of more and more fast changes in environments, permanent access to knowledge also requires making resources and knowledge (information, regulations, tutorials for use, etc.) freely accessible remotely from professional or personal digital devices. The use of e-learning or open access MOOCs via training platforms allows more flexibility and personalization in the employee’s training path. In response to this situation, Groupe BPCE set up a free access training platform called “B’digit”», which enhances the Group’s educational offer by offering a wide range of video content. The main aim of this platform is to support employees by aligning their skills with the Group’s transformation objectives.
The increasing importance of behavioural training, linked to differentiation strategies through customer experience.
The rise in the level of customer requirements is a fundamental trend common to many sectors. In dealerships, shops or agencies, customers are now better informed, have a high level of knowledge – or even expertise -. To differentiate itself, the company will have to provide a seamless and personalized customer service.
This shift has been made by companies in the automotive industry, whose customer satisfaction ratings are now an essential indicator to be improved in order to gain market share. Changing the mindset of their salespeople is a key success factor for them. For example, Renault has set up a training program focusing on behavioural skills, R-Behavior. Designed by Renault Academy, the network’s internal training school, this program aims to develop skills related to customer service: active listening, personalization of relationships, posture, etc.
Designed for both sales advisors and after-sales advisors, but also for managers, the training courses are available in face-to-face and e-learning formats. Here again, the implementation of these training courses aims to align employees’ skills with the company’s strategic objective: network excellence in the relationship with the brand’s customer.
In order to effectively implement its strategy, the company must ensure that it has the necessary skills. This alignment between strategy and skills requires anticipating the acquisition of tomorrow’s skills, which makes it essential to proactively manage the HR strategy.
Pagamon, consulting firm in Strategy & Organization founded in March 2013, assists industry players to structure their strategic vision, improve the operational performance of their business and sustain change in organizations.
We help clients within the automotive industry, agri-food, life sciences and several other industries . Our areas of expertise are:
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https://www.pagamon.com/en/how-to-align-employees-skills-with-companys-strategic-objectives/
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This unit covers maintaining OHS processes and defines the standard required to: facilitate meetings and document actions to consider OHS issues in the workplace; distribute information concerning OHS processes and requirements to staff; establish procedures to document the identification of hazards and assessment of risk covering the operations of the enterprise; provide staff with OHS training in risk assessment, and other areas nominated by risk controls; put emergency procedures in place and organise for safety drills; maintain health and safety records.
Application of the Unit
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Application of the unit
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This unit applies to nominated OHS representatives in a workplace.
Licensing/Regulatory Information
Not Applicable
Pre-Requisites
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Prerequisite units
Employability Skills Information
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Employability skills
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This unit contains employability skills.
Elements and Performance Criteria Pre-Content
Not Applicable
Elements and Performance Criteria
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ELEMENT
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PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
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1. Provide information about occupational health and safety
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1.1. Relevant provisions of OHS legislation and Codes of Practice are accurately and clearly explained to the work group.
1.2. Information on enterprise OHS policies, procedures and programs is provided in a readily accessible manner, and is accurately and clearly explained to the work group.
1.3. Information about identified hazards and the outcomes of risk assessment and control procedures is regularly provided, and is accurately and clearly explained to the work group.
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2. Facilitate the participation of workers in OHS observance and decision-making
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2.1. Enterprise procedures for consultation over OHS issues are implemented and monitored to ensure that all members of the work group have the opportunity to contribute.
2.2. Procedures whereby workers report OHS hazards, risks are assessed and action taken to control risks, are clearly described to the work group.
2.3. Issues raised through consultation are dealt with and resolved promptly, or referred to the appropriate personnel for resolution in accordance with workplace procedures for issue resolution.
2.4. The outcomes of consultation over OHS issues are promptly communicated to the work group.
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3. Implement procedures for identifying hazards and assessing and controlling risks
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3.1. Existing and potential hazards which are identified are reported so that adequate risk assessment and effective control measures are implemented.
3.2. Work procedures to control OHS risks are implemented by the work group and regular monitoring occurs to ensure ongoing adherence and effectiveness of risk control.
3.3. Inadequacies in existing risk control measures are identified in accordance with the hierarchy of control, and reported to designated personnel/management.
3.4. Inadequacies in allocation of resources to ensure safe work practice are identified and reported to management.
3.5. Existing risk control measures are monitored and results reported regularly in accordance with workplace procedures.
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4. Implement workplace procedures for dealing with emergencies and hazardous events
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4.1. Workplace procedures for dealing with OHS emergencies are implemented where necessary to ensure that prompt and effective control action is taken.
4.2. OHS emergencies are reported in accordance with established enterprise procedures.
4.3. Control measures to prevent recurrence and minimise risk of emergencies and hazardous events are implemented based on the hierarchy of control, or alternatively, referred to designated personnel for implementation.
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5. Implement and monitor enterprise procedures for providing OHS training
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5.1. OHS induction and training needs are identified accurately, specifying the gaps between OHS competencies required and those held by the work group.
5.2. Arrangements are made for meeting identified OHS training needs in both on and off-the-job training programs in consultation with relevant parties.
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6. Implement and monitor enterprise procedures for maintaining occupational health and safety records
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6.1. OHS records for work area are accurately and legibly completed in accordance with workplace requirements for OHS records, and legal requirements for the maintenance of records of occupational hazards, risk control, injury and disease events.
6.2. Aggregate information from OHS records is used to identify hazards and monitor risk control procedures within work area according to enterprise procedures and within scope of responsibilities.
Required Skills and Knowledge
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REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
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This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.
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Required skills
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Required knowledge
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Evidence Guide
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EVIDENCE GUIDE
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The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
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Overview of assessment
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Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
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The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following:
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Context of and specific resources for assessment
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Competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions. Selection and use of resources for some worksites may differ due to the regional or enterprise circumstances.
Range Statement
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RANGE STATEMENT
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The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.
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OHS processes may include:
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https://training.gov.au/Training/Details/AHCOHS401A
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This position is a combined Scrum Master and Project Manager role. The amount of work in the Scrum Master role would be on the higher side. The role of the Project Manager is to plan, execute, and finalize projects of various sizes and complexities, which will implement strategic objectives of one or more business areas, according to strict deadlines, and defined budget. This includes acquiring resources and coordinating the efforts of team members and third-party contractors or consultants to deliver projects according to plan. The Project Manager will also define the projects objectives and oversee quality control throughout its life cycle, using proven communication, analytical and problem-solving skills to maximize the benefit of IT and Business investments.
As Scrum Master, you play a key role in the definition, development, implementation, and ongoing improvement of Agile practices (with an emphasis on Scrum) within the organization. You will facilitate sprint planning, retrospective, and daily activities related to stand-ups and sprint burn down; as well as maintain relevant metrics that help the team see and understand their progress during a sprint. In this role you’ll own and resolve identified impediments. You’ll help build an environment where continuous deployment/ improvement of the development process is the focus and everyone’s common goal is to deliver outstanding software as fast as possible to our customers. As Scrum Master you’re responsible for leading the continual Agile transformation and practices as well as promoting accountability and transparency across all levels of the organization.
Responsibilities Strategies and Leadership
Project Manger
- Responsible for management of a multiple Projects and or Large Programs for App Dev of high complexity, priority, and risk.
- Clearly defines the project scope and objectives.
- Oversee the development of the detailed business requirements for the project and ensures they address the business unit’s objectives.
- Develop a detailed estimate of the level of effort, schedule and budget necessary to successfully develop and deliver the solution meeting the requirements and quality expectations.
- Develop an initial plan to clearly define the project requirements and determine an appropriate solution design.
- Escalate problems as necessary to ensure awareness and seek assistance with resolution when necessary.
- Meet the project requirements by delivering a quality solution, on time, and within the planned budget.
- Create and manage all of the accepted project management deliverables including the project charter, project plan, budget, resource plan, risk plan, support plan, implementation plan and other deliverables as required
- Track, manage, and adjust the original plan as necessary to ensure successful delivery
- Communicate the requirements, solution design, and estimates to the project sponsor(s).
- Provide regular status reports to stakeholders, sponsors, the enterprise, and others involved in the project.
- Effectively coordinate with the various technology, business, and vendor teams to ensure the project’s success.
- Multi Year App Dev PM experience on large projects / program necessary
Scrum Master
- Serve as a senior team member, responsible for facilitating the adoption, implementation and sustainability of Agile processes, principles, and practices
- Lead the scaling of Agile from team level to enterprise level
- Act as a change agent and as part of the team of Coaches leading and supporting teams and individuals in their Agile journey
- Make decisions and independently drive any aspect of Agile rollout at a team and management level
- Provide high-touch and hands-on team guidance, support, and coaching in close cooperation and collaboration across all roles and functions, to facilitate increasing maturity at a sustainable pace
- Actively build and contribute to the company’s Agile Community and develop Communities of Practice, mentor Agile practitioners
- Create training materials and provide training and coaching throughout the organization
- Support Agile teams in their development, playbook creation, and in establishing consistent best practices
- Collaborate with non-Agile team, educate and support them throughout transformation
- Define relevant metrics that help the program see how they are doing
- Inspire all stakeholders at any level in their Agile transition.
- Develop, coach, and mentor team members to advance their skills and career
- Build trust with the business [IT or other Divisions] and throughout the organization
- Perform ongoing assessments of the teams’ Scrum maturity to inform ongoing support decisions
- Advise on dependency management techniques between internal teams and third parties, release managers, or between Agile teams
- Quickly establish collaborative partnership with key stakeholders and build trust to ensure leadership buy-in across both Business and IT
- Become a strategic partner in organizational road mapping and structuring to drive increased ROI, greater adoption and higher transformation success Foster speed, innovation and encourage continuous improvement
Knowledge/Skills Required
Project Manager
- Demonstrates advanced knowledge and skills related to project management.
- Demonstrates advanced knowledge of managing projects using an Project Management Life Cycle and creating lifecycle deliverables including detailed project, risk, and issue plans to ensure project goals are accomplished.
- Demonstrated advanced use of Microsoft Project, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Visio, and PPM.
- Strong written and oral communication skills to appropriate levels within the sponsoring business areas.
- Strong interpersonal skills with appropriate levels within the sponsoring business areas.
- Team Player: working well in a collaborative setting. Acts as a resource to colleagues with less experience.
- Flexible during times of change.
- Ability to read communication styles of team members and contractors who come from a broad spectrum of disciplines.
- Tenacious, persuasive, encouraging, and motivating.
- Can conform to shifting priorities, demands and timelines through analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
- Ability to defuse tension among project team, should it arise.
- Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment.
- Ability to elicit cooperation from a wide variety of sources, including upper management, clients, and other departments.
- Ability to bring project to successful completion through political sensitivity.
- Adept at conducting research into project-related issues and products.
Scrum Master
- Solid experience with JIRA
- 3+ years of experience as a Scrum Master, Product Owner or Agile Coach
- Experience working on mixed methodology program (Scrum interfacing with Waterfall from a dependency perspective)
- Experience in creating training materials and sharing knowledge at different levels
- Experience working as an Agile Coach / Scrum Master across multiple teams that are both local and remote
- Scrum Practices
- Proficient with common Agile practices
- Proven ability in building effective partnership with diverse groups in multiple locations/environments
- Aptitude for learning and using technology for both teaching and action research
- Able to garner respect throughout the organization at all levels
- Thought Leader – Challenge status quo and grow every day. Able to build trust and earn respect at all levels within the company
- Communicative and facilitative – Able to communicate well with all levels of the organization from Scrum team members to executives. Able to lead and demonstrate value-add principles to a team in a collaborative way and influence employees at all levels
- Assertive – Ensure Agile/Scrum concepts and principles are adhered to, be a voice of reason and authority, make the tough calls and manage conflicts
- Enthusiastic – High-energy and inspire others
- Continuous Improvement – Continually honing ones craft, learning new tools and techniques to manage oneself and a team
- Managing with Metrics: Able to help leaders & teams define clear metrics and coach them to have a data driven approach for decision making
- Willing and able to quickly gain a high-level understanding of the technical and business domains of the Scrum teams
- Outstanding presentation and communication record (conference presentation, professional community events)
- Deep understanding of common Agile practices and better product envisioning and development practices
- Superb conflict resolution and consensus building skills
- Understanding of fundamentals of iterative development, software development processes and procedures
Preferred
- PMP Certification preferred
- CSM/CSPO Certification or PMI-ACP preferred
- TFS and MS Planner experience is a plus
- Previous airline or travel industry experience a big plus.
Qualifications (Required)
- Bachelor’s Degree
- 5+ years of IT experience in eCom App Dev
Project Manager
- 4+ years direct work experience in a project management capacity for Application Development, including all aspects of process development and execution.
- Successful management of medium-large size project(s) / Programs with a Team of 10+ (direct or matrix) and/or a budget of $1MM.
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https://www.instantalliance.com/jobs/scrum-master/
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Ensuring that an organization has consistent and effective leadership at the top is a principal board responsibility. It includes a continual planning process for meaningful leadership succession that will ensure a seamless and successful transition from one executive leader to another.
A responsible succession planning process consists of guidelines and options for the organization to use to recruit or appoint a new CEO, whether the CEO leaves abruptly or whether the departure is well-planned and organized in advance. Best-practice boards ensure that effective succession planning extends deeper into the organization as well.
Succession planning for the CEO and other top officers in a hospital or health system is a mission-critical board responsibility. While most boards have established a process to put interim leadership in place to fill the gap caused by a CEO’s sudden departure, only a third have a succession plan at any level of the organization [see “Leadership Development in Healthcare Systems: Toward an Evidence-based Approach” by Matthew M. Anderson and Andrew N. Garman, National Center for Healthcare Leadership, 2014, www.nchl.org].
The Korn Ferry Hay Group recommends that competency models be in place for every key position in the organization to ensure that its board and leaders are aware of the skills needed for each role. These models also can help to assess the future challenges the organization likely will face so it can begin to identify competencies that will be needed to address them.
In addition, Hay points out that while “successor grooming” is an important part of succession planning, the process also can include an evaluation of the external landscape for chief executive talent. If an organization’s internal talent compares favorably with potential external candidates, an outside search may not need to occur. While this evaluation is an inherent part of a comprehensive succession planning process, it may seem threatening to existing employees who might hope to succeed to the CEO’s or another senior leader’s position. It’s crucial for everyone to understand that the board undertakes comprehensive succession planning as a significant part of its leadership responsibility.
CEO buy-in is essential: For a succession plan to be successful, the CEO must embrace the process. Steve Wheeler, board chair at HonorHealth in Phoenix, credits the board’s intentionality and clarity in communicating its thinking, and the CEO and executive team’s purposeful development of board relationships for its successful succession-planning process.
CEOs who become part of the succession process begin by holding candid discussions with the board chairman, defining a desired retirement or exit date. They help the board to define the CEO’s role in a current, detailed description. They work with the human resources team to identify potential senior management candidates and help those candidates to develop leadership qualities. They encourage additional training, create working scenarios that place candidates in real-world situations and continually evaluate candidates’ potential for further development.
More than a job description — a leadership role description: In planning for CEO succession, the governing board must develop, with the CEO’s assistance, a current description of the multifaceted roles he or she plays in the hospital, externally in the community and broadly with a variety of key stakeholders. This role description must tie directly to the hospital’s strategic plan and mission and include the characteristics or qualities necessary for a new CEO to be successful.
The board must also develop a timeline for succession strategies, including a transition plan for moving a successor into his or her new position, with defined roles for the human resources team, the CEO and the board for facilitating the transition.
Developing an in-house leadership development program: The governing board, working with the CEO and the human resources team, may consider establishing an in-house leadership development program designed to meet the current and future leadership needs of the organization.
The program would focus on senior-level managers who are potential CEO successors and also reach down into middle management to extend the organization’s talent pipeline. Development of a series of leadership courses may include topics such as critical issues in health care today and in the future, and more generalized leadership topics like managing conflict or building consensus. Each candidate may be assigned a mentor to help with questions, relate experiences to the position the candidate is seeking and assist with overall leadership development.
As candidates move through the program, they might work with managers in different areas of the organization to broaden their knowledge and experience. At the end of the program, candidates are re-evaluated and career paths defined. They are considered for any open positions for which they might qualify. Each candidate is reassessed annually and considered for further experiential training.
In developing a succession plan for vice presidents and directors at Mission Health in Asheville, N.C., Ron Paulus, M.D., president and CEO, and Taylor Foss, senior vice president of organizational transformation, recognized the need to better prepare the individuals they identified as potential candidates for future leadership roles. Mentoring sessions were established, and participants were given assignments, scenarios and projects designed to broaden their exposure to issues, experiences, departments and people. Paulus and Foss noted the importance of developing a sense of community among the group's members, recognizing that these individuals must be able to work together as they assume future leadership roles within the organization. The program has also allowed Paulus and Foss to see who emerges as a leader among leaders.
Succession planning takes time and patience: Creating unique leadership experiences and nurturing the next generation of top talent takes time, patience and care, and requires a firm and durable commitment from the governing board. Trustees must have opportunities to become familiar with the organization’s pool of future CEO and executive candidates. For a succession plan to be successful, the board must work to know each candidate personally and get a sense of each individual’s leadership abilities. As HonorHealth’s Wheeler observed, it’s important that board members care not only about understanding the business but also about knowing the people in various leadership positions. When HonorHealth’s chief financial officer was identified as a potential successor for its CEO, no one had to ask, “What’s he like?” They already knew.
The need for lead time is also a critical success factor at St. Elizabeth Healthcare. Its board is intentional about how it brings people along, routinely asking whether there is the inside talent to replace a leader or if it needs to seek outside assistance. If the board determines it is necessary to look broadly outside the organization, it builds in adequate time to do that.
Feedback and evaluation: The final board task for succession planning is to set in motion an annual process for reassessing the plan’s evolution. The board should review the human resources team’s progress in identifying and fostering leadership candidates. Annual assessments can include re-evaluation of skills and knowledge and reviews of positions for which candidates might be qualified.
As employees begin to move into higher management positions, the board can see its succession planning effort come to fruition, knowing that the organization will be able to ensure the availability of future executives who are well-qualified to assume administrative leadership responsibilities.
When the unexpected happens: What happens if a CEO leaves suddenly for whatever reason? Speaking from experience, St. Elizabeth’s Votruba emphasizes the importance of having a succession plan already in place. Organizations don’t want to have to start their succession planning process after an unforeseen departure occurs, he advises.
Understand how changes in the business will impact the organization’s need for top talent. The best organizations proactively identify how current and future changes in their strategies and business models will affect the type of people they need. They define the skills future leaders should possess and ensure that they have senior leaders who are most likely to be effective, given the changing parameters of roles and work.
Identify critical leadership positions. Forward-thinking organizations identify specific mission-critical roles — those that have the greatest value to their organization. Some of these positions may not yet appear on the organizational chart. Once they are identified and defined, it is important to specify the unique contributions these jobs make to the organization and the key accountabilities and required competencies necessary to perform them effectively.
Accurately chart the depth and breadth of the talent pool. Many organizations stretch their top talent by placing people into roles for which they lack critical experience and know-how to determine which individuals have the flexibility to develop new competencies to assume key roles.
Assess the talent pool against likely future roles. Key individuals’ capabilities should be assessed to ensure which individuals among the organization’s top talent are the best fit for critical roles. This assessment should be conducted for current positions and for new roles likely to exist in the future so that critical development needs can be identified.
Identify the specific risks to the organization in making any immediate move in a specific role. Top candidates for imminent job moves should be evaluated against the requirements of the job and the potential risks of making the move for both the organization and the candidate. This requires a highly focused definition of a candidate’s suitability for a specific set of job accountabilities, including functional requirements as well as interrelationships and interdependencies with other key leaders.
Create an onboarding/development plan specific to the individual and role. After the best candidate for a position has been identified, potential risks and capability gaps should be addressed through a comprehensive and tailored onboarding process. This process should include a development plan for the individual and a plan for his or her manager to provide assistance and support.
Measure succession ROI. A system should be put in place to track the return on investment of an organization’s succession management efforts. ROI measurement should consider the costs of recruitment, assessment, development, onboarding and turnover, comparing those expenditures with how well individuals are performing in their new positions.
More recommendations for talent management and development planning are included in a sidebar below.
Boards that tackle the succession process are setting the organization on a course that supports a seamless change of leadership and continuity of programs and processes.
When highly focused and consistently maintained, CEO and executive/managerial succession programs allow internal talent to deepen organizational loyalty, provide an opportunity for leaders to advance along defined career paths and assist organizations in retaining crucial organizational knowledge and skills. A proven retention enhancer, succession planning can ensure younger executives a place in the organization over time and the chance to work toward a valued seat in the C-suite.
Larry Walker ([email protected]) is president of governWell, based in Wilsonville, Ore. Cindy Fineran ([email protected]) is an independent consultant based in Salem, Ore. Thomas Giella ([email protected]) is chairman of Korn Ferry’s health care services practice.
Align the board on future CEO profiles that are driven by business strategy.
Assess candidates against industry benchmarks, valid indicators of executive potential and the CEO profiles developed.
Think two to three CEO moves ahead; don’t just seek to replace the incumbent.
Cross-train generations of CEO successors with a mix of on-the-job training, intensive coaching, mentoring and education.
Become intimately familiar with the leaders on your succession bench and their potential. There are many potential CEOs and other senior leaders in your organization spanning several generations. Do you know them?
Keep CEO succession as a standing board agenda item because it ensures a multilayered, multigenerational process.
Ensure that your talent management and development planning is linked to your long-term business strategy.
Board review of organizationwide succession planning: According to noted organizational governance author and lecturer Ram Charan, many boards are unprepared to play either a fiduciary or a catalytic role in succession planning at the senior executive level. Boards, however, are increasingly asserting their fiduciary role and expanding their involvement in succession decisions by ensuring that they know who key internal candidates are and what qualifications for future service they possess and by looking more broadly at succession planning beyond the CEO. Best-practice boards organize themselves for increased involvement in succession planning, even when no imminent executive transition is forecasted. These best-practice boards evaluate gaps and vulnerabilities in succession for targeted positions and create contingency plans for responding to unanticipated vacancies. They also expect to receive periodic updates on broader succession planning and talent development efforts underway throughout the organization.
Profiling of future position requirements: NCHL found that best-practice organizations identify the skills, experience and personal attributes critical to success for positions that will be necessary to execute future-oriented strategies and priorities. These position profiles include both skills and experience.
Rigorous candidate assessment: Best-practice boards consider the efforts of executive search firms and the opinions of their CEOs and look further to learn more about the experience, accomplishments and personal attributes of internal candidates.
A link to organizational strategy and business priorities, where elements of the succession planning process are re-evaluated and updated to align with major shifts in strategies or priorities.
Multilayer succession planning and talent development, ensuring that over time an organization’s senior leadership capability will be strengthened by a pipeline of potential future leaders at lower organizational levels who are consciously developed to maximize their career and leadership potential.
Streamlined succession planning reviews and follow-up processes, focused on accelerating the growth of future leaders, dealing with retention issues and addressing succession-planning gaps.
Rigorous, repeated assessments of potential, which obtain multiple points of view on candidates from others who have observed them in work-related situations and understand the requirements of senior-level positions in the organization.
Integrated use of a leadership competency model, enabling managers to have a common language for discussing an individual’s strengths, development needs and career potential; drawing distinctions between an individual’s current performance and his or her capabilities in other positions with increased responsibility; and integrating activities to support leadership development and organizational performance.
Emphasis on on-the-job experience and highly customized employee development, where “stretch assignments” are given, individuals’ current jobs are expanded and individuals are involved in other significant on-the-job leadership activities.
Talent-pool management, which includes developing talent pools throughout the organization to provide greater flexibility in developing future leaders, guarding against the loss of key talent and allowing organizations to match openings with the needs of high-potential candidates.
Active involvement of senior management, who participate in succession-planning reviews, examine lists of future leaders at lower levels of the organization, meet with high-potential individuals and mentor future leaders.
Dialogue with potential future leaders, ensuring that frequent dialogue occurs with candidates for future leadership positions, focusing on their perceived potential, career goals and interests, and career-planning constraints.
Tight link between succession planning and external recruiting, where external searches are undertaken in response to talent gaps or vulnerabilities, or new skill sets are required by emerging strategies.
Executive onboarding, which deploys resources to help assimilate executives into new roles.
Tight link between succession planning and compensation, where the compensation of high-potential individuals is carefully monitored to ensure that their performance and potential are rewarded.
Establishment and tracking of metrics, such as: (a) the percentage of positions filled internally versus those filled through external recruiting to measure the strength of the succession bench, (b) the retention rate of high-potential individuals and future leaders to measure the effectiveness of career planning and retention efforts and (c) the extent to which diversity in promotions reflects the achievement of pre-established leadership diversity goals.
As the U.S. health care landscape continues to transform, health systems and boards need to look at new types of CEOs and new ways to find them.
A solid plan for selecting a hospital's new top executive will ease the transition when the time comes.
An approach to leadership replacement must establish a deliberate plan to address enterprise risks, execute strategic initiatives, and support continuity of mission and culture.
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https://www.trusteemag.com/articles/1331-succession-planning-an-investment-in-leadership-continuity-and-success
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A DJS Resources Specialist is the full performance level of work identifying service options and recommending expenditures for the treatment and care of juveniles under the jurisdiction of the MD Department of Juvenile Services. Employees ensure that individualized services adhere to departmental protocols, meet the needs of juveniles in the least restrictive environment, and are fiscally responsible and consistent with public safety concerns.
The DJS Resources Specialist will coordinate and advise in the placement process for youth who are under the jurisdiction of the MD Department of Juvenile Services (DJS). The DJS Resources Specialist will work directly with Metro Region staff regarding the needs of youth by providing expertise in treatment options, fiscal resources, availability of programs and program development; ensure that the provision of individualized services to youth are appropriate and efficient by identifying and procuring services that meet the needs of the youth in the least restrictive environment, and are fiscally responsible and consistent with public safety concerns. The DJS Resource Specialist will participate in development of contracts, RFPs and solicitations, program development and program monitoring.The ideal candidates will have knowledge of private and public programs for youth and families that address the identified needs and experience placing youth in a residential setting.
Education: A Bachelor’s degree in the social or behavioral sciences or criminal justice from an accredited four year college or university.
Experience: Two years of experience providing case management services to emotionally or socially maladjusted, delinquent, victimized or exceptional juveniles in a community or residential setting.
1. Candidates may substitute an Associate of Arts degree in the social or behavioral sciences or criminal justice from an accredited college or university and two years of experience providing direct services to children in a community or residential setting for the required education.
2. Candidates may substitute a Master’s degree in the social or behavioral sciences or criminal justice from an accredited college or university for one year of the required experience.
3. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in Social Services classifications or Social Services specialty codes in the Social Science, Psychology and Welfare field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience and education.
1. Knowledge of private and public programs for youth and families in need of services to address identified needs.
2. Experience with placing youth in a residential setting.
The assessment will be a rating of your application based on your education, training and experience as they relate to the requirements of the position. Therefore it is essential that you provide complete and accurate information on your application. Please report all related experience and education. Please make sure that you provide sufficient information on your application (and on separate pages, if necessary) to show that you meet the qualifications for this recruitment. For education obtained outside the U.S., you will be required to provide proof of the equivalent American education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service. Applicants who meet the Minimum Qualifications will be placed on the eligible list categorized as QUALIFIED, BETTER QUALIFIED OR BEST QUALIFIED. Candidates shall be certified to the eligible list for a period of one year.
The assessment will be a rating of your application based on your education, training and experience as they relate to the requirements of the position. Therefore it is essential that you provide complete and accurate information on your application. Please report all related experience and education. Please make sure that you provide sufficient information on your application (and on separate pages, if necessary) to show that you meet the qualifications for this recruitment. For education obtained outside the U.S., you will be required to provide proof of the equivalent American education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service. All information concerning your qualifications must be submitted by the closing date. We will not consider information submitted after this date. If you are a Veteran applying for this position, please submit your DD 214 Long Form with your application to receive proper credit. If you are not a Veteran, the submission of the DD 214 Long Form does not apply to you.
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https://www.jobapscloud.com/MD/sup/BulPreview.asp?R1=18&R2=002596&R3=0003
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Job Title: Get Set Learn Afterschool (GSLA) School-Age Program Facilitator
Accountability: School-age Program Facilitator reports to the GSLA Family Literacy Program Coordinator. The Facilitator may take direction from the Executive Network Director, if needed, and he/she will work in cooperation with all other Project READ Literacy Network staff.
Goals:
To prepare for and facilitate our Get Set Learn Afterschool Program, school-age portion, with children (ages 4 – 12) while their parents are involved in a program and to support and enhance the learning of the children. The Facilitator and Apprentice Tutors (optional volunteers) will implement the School Age section included in the Get Set Learn Afterschool curriculum.
Tasks and Responsibilities:
- Set up and take down the school age area
- Prepare all needed materials weekly, as outlined in lesson plans
- Ensure that the children are kept safe while in your care.
- Assist with the Families Actively Creating Together (FACT) part of the Get Set Learn Afterschool program when parents and children are together with the Lead Facilitator to ensure smooth transition to children’s rooms
- Assist with the snack as required
- Participate in Training to become familiar with the GSLA model, facilitators and volunteers.
- Read, ahead of time, the recommended Rationale and Background Research as indicated on the weekly outline
- Communicate and problem solve weekly with other GSLA colleagues, as needed
- Respond to the facilitation needs of each unique group and the location
Other
- Work in cooperation with all Agency staff and/or volunteers as needed to accomplish tasks
- Provide program information as requested to identified individuals or groups, e.g. Agency’s Board of Directors
- Attend Team Meetings as required (meetings of GSLA and/or Agency Staff)
Qualifications:
- Familiarity with the local school curriculum (Kindergarten – grade 6)
- Prior experience in family literacy facilitation is preferred, knowledge of early literacy development
- Knowledge of stages of child development
- Problem solving and conflict resolution skills for dealing with child behaviours
- Basic First Aid and CPR preferred
- Knowledge of working with children from diverse backgrounds (e.g. income, cultural, religion, etc.)
- Provide guidance and support to volunteers who support the GSLA program, as needed in the school-age program
- Ability to work well without supervision
- Ability to speak and understand English
- Excellent communications skills - written and oral presentation
- Experience facilitating large & small groups
- Creativity, enthusiasm, empathy, flexibility and collaboration
- Avid reader & life-long learner willing to research new resources & approaches
- Post-secondary education/training or equivalent practical experience required
- Ability and confidence to complete tasks independently and demonstrate initiative
- Comfortable with multi-tasking and setting priorities to complete job tasks
- Access to reliable transportation is absolutely necessary to travel to the program location
This is a part time, 12- week fee for service contract beginning September 22, 2014. Application deadline is Friday, September 5, 2014.
Please send resume and cover letter (one file) to:
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http://www.eceprc.ca/other/archives/08-2014
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Fairness is becoming a paramount consideration for data scientists. Mounting evidence indicates that the widespread deployment of machine learning and AI in business and government is reproducing the same biases we've been trying to fight in the real world. But what does fairness mean when it comes to code? This practical book covers basic concerns related to data security and privacy to help AI and data professionals use code that's fair and free of bias.
Many realistic best practices are emerging at all steps along the data pipeline today, from data selection and preprocessing to black box model audits. Author Aileen Nielsen guides you through the technical, legal, and ethical aspects of making code fair and secure while highlighting up-to-date academic research and ongoing legal developments related to fairness and algorithms.
- Write data processing and modeling code that follows fair machine learning best practices
- Understand complex interrelationships between fairness, privacy, and data security
- Use preventive measures to minimize bias when developing data modeling pipelines
- Identify opportunities for bias and discrimination in current data scientist models
- Detect data pipeline aspects that implicate security and privacy concerns
作者簡介
Aileen Nielsen is a software engineer who has analyzed data in a variety of settings from a physics laboratory to a political campaign to a healthcare startup. She also has a law degree and splits her time between a deep learning startup and research as a Fellow in Law and Technology at ETH Zurich. She has given talks around the world on fairness issues in data and modeling.
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https://www.tenlong.com.tw/products/9781492075738?list_name=i-r-en
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Use the CRCC Code of Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation Counselors (Code), when working with college students with disabilities to:
- Address ethical dilemmas inherent to both the climate of a college campus and transition to post-college employment and independent living;
- Better understand how to apply the information in the Code to your practice; and
- Guide your decision-making.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Higher education for many college students can be a daunting experience. Students with disabilities may find navigating the terrain of colleges and universities difficult, especially when support is not identified and utilized on campus. CRCs working with students with disabilities in secondary settings may be mental health and vocational counselors. Once the student is in a postsecondary setting, the CRC may be a disability resources counselor and must be aware of all available resources. As the student with disabilities transitions to employment and independent living, the collaborative effort between the counselor and client can present challenges, including perspectives and expectations from parents, teachers, and community partners that influence the counseling dynamic. CRCs are aware of ethical dilemmas that occur with their clients, but those dilemmas can become magnified when working on teams and working across agencies in pursuit of the client’s employment and independent living goals. CRCs should refer to their Code whenever such dilemmas occur.
This ethics course presents ethical dilemmas associated with college students with disabilities. You’ll analyze case studies designed to help you prepare students with disabilities for the climate of a college campus. Several case studies focus on ethical dilemmas associated with academic accommodation in college and university settings. You’ll also explore the ethical considerations related to preparing students with disabilities for employment and independent living environments. Ethical-legal issues in the workplace are presented in case studies featuring CRCs serving on a mental health response team. You’ll also analyze ethical dilemmas connected to advocacy and social justice issues.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR
Maggie Butler, PhD, CRC (click here for Dr. Butler's bio)
COMPLETION REQUIREMENT
Throughout this course, you will analyze case studies focusing on ethical dilemmas involving college students with disabilities. Once all case studies are successfully completed, CE credit will be awarded.
IF YOU LIKE THIS COURSE, YOU SHOULD ALSO TAKE:
- Ethics: Analyzing Diverse Dilemmas
- Ethics: Exploring the 2017 Code
- Ethics: Practical Applications
- Ethics: Understanding and Using Decision-Making Models
- Ethics: Wellness and Self-Care
- Ethics: Working with Transition-Aged Youth with Disabilities
- Employer Engagement
- Job Placement Provision: Key Factors and Challenges
- Transition: Creating a Career-Exploration Curriculum
- Vocational Evaluation: What Do You Want to Know?
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https://www.crccertification.com/Ethics-College-Students
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What are the legal and ethical dimensions of school leadership in resolving conflicts throughout the school community?
How can principals most effectively analyze legal cases and ethical dilemmas related to the roles and responsibilities of the leader tasked with creating and maintaining an educational environment that protects and nurtures equity, fairness, tolerance, and respect?
What role do increased technology access and social media play in the principal’s ability to effectively manage law and policy as they relate to diverse educational settings?
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https://academicspropel.com/2022/09/22/what-role-do-increased-technology-access-and-social-media-play-in-the-principals-ability-to-effectively-manage-law-and-policy-as-they-relate-to-diverse-educational-settings/
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Current events of national and international importance. History of India and Indian National Movement.
Note 1 : Questions relating to English Language Comprehension skills of Class X level (last item in the Syllabus of PaperII) will be tested through passages from English language only without providing Hindi translation thereof in the question paper.
The nature and standard of questions in the General Studies papers ( P a p e r I I t o P a p e r V ) will be such that a well-educated person will be able to answer them without any specialized study. The questions will be such as to test a candidate’s general awareness of a variety of subjects, which will have relevance for a career in Civil Services. The questions are likely to test the candidate’s basic understanding of all relevant issues, and ability to analyze, and take a view on conflicting socio- economic goals, objectives and demands. The candidates must give relevant, meaningful and succinct answers.
Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
The Freedom Struggle - its various stages and important contributors /contributions from different parts of the country.
Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.
History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.- their forms and effect on the society.
Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
Salient features of world’s physical geography.
Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including water- bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions.
Parliament and State Legislatures - structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.
Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
Role of civil services in a democracy.
India and its neighborhood- relations.
Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.
Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.
Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
Land reforms in India.
Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
Disaster and disaster management.
Linkages between development and spread of extremism.
Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships. Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service , integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker- sections.
Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.
Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.
Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.
Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.
Case Studies on above issues.
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http://www.iasniti.com/p/ias-syllabus.html
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Use of technology in the workplace: what are the risks?
Technology is omnipresent in the workplace. In recent years, the use of technological tools and equipment by companies has grown exponentially. Various types of electronic equipment, which were previously reserved for military or scientific facilities (such as computers, smartphones, CCTV cameras, GPS systems, or biometric devices) are now commonly used by many private companies and are easy and cheap to install.
Technology undoubtedly provides companies with new opportunities for improving work performance and increasing security on their premises. At the same time, employees' personal data are more regularly collected and potential threats to their privacy are more commonplace. In some circumstances, the use of advanced technology can pose higher security threats, which outweigh the benefits the technology provides (see our previous blog post on the risks of BYOD).
In Europe, the use of technology in the workplace will almost certainly trigger the application of privacy and labour laws aimed at safeguarding the employees' right to privacy. In this context, data protection authorities are particularly attentive to the risks to employees that can derive from the use of technology in the workplace and their potential intrusiveness. Earlier this year, the French Data Protection Authority ("CNIL") reported that 15% of all complaints received were work-related (see our previous blog post on the CNIL's report). In many cases, employees felt threatened by the invasiveness of video cameras (and other technologies) being used in the work place. For that reason, the CNIL published several practical guidelines instructing employers on how to use technology in the workplace in accordance with the French Data Protection Act and the French rules on privacy.
Employers are faced with the challenge of finding a way to use technology without falling foul of privacy laws. When considering whether to implement a particular technology in the workplace, companies should take appropriate measures to ensure that those technologies are implemented in accordance with applicable privacy and labour laws. As a first step, it is often good practice to carry out a privacy impact assessment that will allow the company to identify any potential threats to employees and the risk of the company breaching privacy and labour laws. Also, the general data protection principles (lawfulness and fairness of processing, purpose limitation, proportionality, transparency, security and confidentiality) should be fully integrated into the decision-making process and privacy-by-design should be an integral part of any new technology that is deployed within the company. In particular, companies should ensure that employees are properly informed, both individually and collectively, prior to the collection of their personal data. Additionally, in many EU jurisdictions, it is often necessary for companies to inform and/or consult the employee representative bodies (such as a Works Council) on such issues. Finally, companies must grant employees access to their personal data in accordance with applicable local laws.
So, are technology and privacy incompatible? Not necessarily. Under European law, there is no general prohibition to use technology in the workplace. However, as is often the case under privacy law, the critical point is to find a fair balance between the organisation's goals and purposes when using a particular technology and the employees' privacy rights.
Click here to access my article on the use of technology in the workplace under French privacy law.
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https://privacylawblog.fieldfisher.com/2013/use-of-technology-in-the-workplace-what-are-the-risks
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Ethics Challenge hosted by the CFA® Societies of Florida embodies the mission of CFA Institute by promoting "the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence." The competition is designed to increase students' awareness of the ethical dilemmas they may face as investment management professionals and to better prepare them for the workforce.
The Ethics Challenge touches on many of CFA Institute Future of Finance six areas of focus including: Transparency and Fairness, Regulation and Enforcement, and Safeguarding the System. It also promotes ethical awareness and fosters a healthy financial environment.
The Ethics Challenge summons students to analyze a situation with a "grey" area where right or wrong may not be apparent. Student teams are given a case study with an ethical dilemma and present their recommendations to a panel of senior charterholders. A question and answer period follows and a champion is later announced during a reception.
Analysis / Research of Ethics Case
Each team is given an identical case which focuses on an ethical dilemma such as front running, insider trading, a conflict of interest etc. With their professor's guidance, the students dissect the case study and provide recommendations.
Each teams of 3-5 students is given an identical real-world case to analyze containing a variety of ethical dilemmas. Students learn about and apply the principles of the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct. Teams formulate solutions and present results to a panel of judges who score each presentation and award one winner.
Students will be provided with CFA Institute readings regarding:
CFA Institute Standards of Practice Handbook
Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct 2 Page Summary
The CFA Institute Ethical Decision-Making Framework
Presentation to Panel of Industry Experts and Leaders
Each team presents their analysis and recommendations to a panel of experts from top financial institutions. The team with the highest presentation score is the winner.
We rely on our CFA charterholders and other financial professionals to serve as faculty advisers, and judges at the competition.
Volunteer opportunities include:
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https://www.cfasociety.org/orlando/Pages/Florida-Ethics-Challenge.aspx
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Infection Control Protocols
The Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the relevant Regulated Health Colleges for massage therapy and physiotherapy have outlined the appropriate infection control protocols for manual and physical therapists to follow while providing treatment during the pandemic.
Please check back as the provincial opening continues. Any changes to the protocols will be updated here.
Government of Canada
Routine Practices and Additional Precautions for Preventing the Transmission of Infection in Healthcare Settings
"The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) develops infection prevention and control guidelines to provide evidence-based recommendations to complement provincial/territorial public health efforts in monitoring, preventing, and controlling healthcare-associated infections. These guidelines support infection prevention and control professionals, healthcare organizations and healthcare providers in developing, implementing and evaluating infection prevention and control policies, procedures and programs to improve the quality and safety of health care and patient outcomes."
Government of Ontario
Covid-19 Health Care Resources
Of note and direct relevance to manual therapists and manual therapy clinical settings:
College of Massage Therapists of Ontario
The College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO) is monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic daily and updating the information as it becomes available. The safety of the public, including Massage Therapists (RMTs), remains their top priority.
General Principles for Return to Work
In the gradual restart of services, RMTs must:
- Comply with requirements in the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 Operational Requirements: Health Sector Restart (May 26, 2020 or as current), including, but not limited to, the hierarchy of hazard controls;
- Prioritize clients with essential care needs while gradually resuming practice. Massage Therapy treatment is considered essential when the client’s overall health or function would considerably decline if treatment were not provided (i.e. lead to hospitalization or other serious health consequences);
- Consider the principles of proportionality, minimizing harm to patients/clients, equity, and reciprocity (as defined in the CMOH’s Directive #2) in gradually returning to practice;
- Adhere to COVID-19 Pandemic – Practice Guidance for Massage Therapists;
- Restart Massage Therapy practice gradually, ensuring enough time between appointments to clean and disinfect the practice environment; and
- Regularly look for updates on the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 webpage and this webpage as the pandemic continues to evolve. Direction from the Ministry of Health and Chief Medical Officer of Health overrules anything that may be on this webpage.
College of Physiotherapists of Ontario
COVID-19 Return to Work General Guidance
General Principles for Return to Work
In-person Essential Care
- Physiotherapists are encouraged to continue to implement a system for virtual and/or telephone consultations as a preferred option, when and where possible.
- When possible, physiotherapists should conduct a consultation over the phone, video or secure messaging to determine if a virtual/telephone consultation will suffice or if an in-person appointment is necessary and essential. The purpose of this is to support physical distancing and minimize contact of persons who may have COVID-19 with health care settings.
- Certain patients or acute conditions will require in-person visits. Physiotherapists should exercise clinical judgement to determine whether an in-person visit is necessary.
- Physiotherapists should consider providing some care virtually even if an in-person visit is needed in order to minimize the in-person time required.
Safe and gradual resumption of in-person care
- Limit the number of in-person visits.
- Consider which services should continue to be provided remotely and which services can safely resume in-person.
- Implement a system for virtual consultations to determine if virtual care is appropriate or an in-person appointment is necessary.
- Modify services to reduce the need for and time spent in in-person visits.
Ontario Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners (OAO)
The OAO is a membership association that holds itself and it's members to the highest standards while working toward regulation.
"All members preparing to return to work must ensure that they are very familiar with the OAO’s Guidelines for Return to Work, and should only return to practice if they are able to meet these guidelines and the protocols set forth by the Government of Ontario. The guidance provided by the OAO document, combined with the comprehensive pre-requisite set out by the Ministry of Health, will ensure the safe resumption of patient care. Where there is any perceived inconsistency between OAO’s Guidelines and that of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry’s requirements take precedence.
The OAO expects members to comply with all of their legal and professional requirements and we will be looking into any concerns about a practice not following the guidelines, should information or a formal complaint be received."
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https://www.movepaincare.com/infection-control-protocols/
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When the Joint Commission adopted a National Patient Safety Goal requiring hospitals to reduce the likelihood of patient harm from the use of anticoagulants, St. Clair Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, swiftly mobilized and seized the opportunity to improve patient care. In fall 2007, the 329-bed hospital collected and analyzed data on anticoagulant medication occurrences over the preceding 2 years. According to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, a medication occurrence “is any error occurring in the medication use process,” whether or not the error was detected and corrected before the medications were administered or any harm was caused. Based on its analysis, St. Clair determined that heparin infusions accounted for the highest percentage of anticoagulant medication occurrences. Through process mapping, St. Clair targeted opportunities for improvement:
- Medication administration complexity. Determining the appropriate heparin infusion dose and dispensing rate is inherently complex. Dosing is determined through calculations based on patient weight and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) value. The aPTT is determined by a blood test and is performed every 6 hours. The heparin infusion rate is adjusted with each new aPTT value until the aPTT reaches the goal range and is stable. Calculations were performed manually.
- Number of heparin protocols. St. Clair had six heparin protocols, requiring nurses to adjust dose and rate half-a-dozen different ways. Choosing from among six protocols could create confusion.
In 2007, the facility formed the Anticoagulation Safety Team to review the processes and recommend corrective action. To build support, facilitate implementation, and ensure the adoption of best practices, every constituency using or affected by the heparin initiative had at least one representative on the team.
The Anticoagulation Safety Team evaluated all six protocols and determined that four updated evidence-based versions would meet all patient needs. St. Clair also opted to work closely with its hospital information systems (HIS) department, to activate clinical decision support capabilities within the EHR installed at the hospital. Adding clinical decision support rules ensures that the ordering and calculation processes work seamlessly. This collaboration included tasking HIS to hardwire the protocols and alerts into the EHR. HIS also incorporated into the system the capability of automated calculations—pulling a patient’s weight and aPTT value to automatically calculate the correct dosage and rate, thus eliminating error-prone manual processes. In order to provide complete patient care, HIS automated orders for all other required laboratory tests as well as timely reminders for the unit secretaries to renew these orders. Duplicate laboratory orders are addressed by the system at the time of entry. Heparin protocol entry was specifically designed for computerized physician order entry (CPOE) as well as nurse, unit secretary, or pharmacist entry, and serves the unique needs of all disciplines.
Using evidence-based standards and best practices with enabling technology to revise and automate the heparin infusion protocols, as well as providing education for all clinical disciplines, St. Clair decreased heparin occurrences by 43% on the inpatient units during its fiscal year ending June 30, 2009. A heparin occurrence is considered any error occurring in the medication use process whether or not it actually reaches the patient. An additional 25% reduction hospital-wide is expected this fiscal year ending June 30, 2010.
ED Challenges
St. Clair rolled out the new system to the inpatient units in July 2008 and the emergency department (ED) in October 2008. The system yielded benefits almost immediately. However, improvement was slower to materialize in the ED.
The introduction of the heparin infusion protocols coincided with the roll out of CPOE in the ED. One type of error occurred when ED physicians inadvertently selected a maintenance heparin protocol in the EHR instead of an initial dosing protocol when initiating heparin therapy. To mitigate this problem, the system alerts the user when a maintenance protocol is ordered without a prior order for the initial dosing protocol, thus preventing inadvertent selection by the physician or other health care provider.
Physician outreach, along with numerous software programming changes to reduce errors and improve CPOE workflow, promoted physician confidence and efficiency. The result of this endeavor was improved patient safety. There have been zero heparin infusion occurrences in the ED over the last 12 months.
Widespread Nursing Acceptance
As with any change, a learning curve was anticipated. Staff, however, embraced the heparin process after seeing how it saved time and reduced stress. Nurses loved the ease of use and automated calculations that ensure proper dosing.
St. Clair provided multi-faceted education and training to obtain nursing buy-in and competency. This training support included one-on-one consultations, mandated independent study, “quick-read” newsletters, and other materials such as screen shots to detail the new procedures and why they were needed. Similar tools are used whenever the protocols are refined. These educational efforts helped propel a dramatic reduction in heparin infusion occurrences during the past year-and-a-half.
Although the catalyst for St. Clair’s initiative was the Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goal, the experience underscored that constant monitoring and updating of clinical protocols and leveraging technology resources are key to improving patient safety. This proactive approach is critical because best practices, standards, regulations, and reporting requirements evolve over time. By periodically reviewing and updating protocols and workflows and identifying how technology can support their adoption, hospitals can quickly identify and shore up potential weaknesses.
Both authors work at St. Clair Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Amy Georgulis is a clinical pharmacy specialist and served as the team leader for the Anticoagulation Safety Initiative. She may be contacted at [email protected].
Sabina Daroski is an internal medicine specialist and served as the physician champion for the initiative. Daroski also served as president of the medical staff for two years (2008 and 2009).
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https://www.psqh.com/analysis/medication-safety-using-automated-heparin-protocols-and-cpoe-to-reduce-errors/
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Leadership of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) that includes implementation of an ASP that measures the appropriate use of antibiotics for several different conditions (such as but not limited to upper respiratory infection treatment in children, diagnosis of pharyngitis, bronchitis treatment in adults) according to clinical guidelines for diagnostics and therapeutics. Specific activities may include:
- Develop facility-specific antibiogram and prepare report of findings with specific action plan that aligns with overall facility or practice strategic plan.
- Lead the development, implementation, and monitoring of patient care and patient safety protocols for the delivery of ASP including protocols pertaining to the most appropriate setting for such services (i.e., outpatient or inpatient).
- Assist in improving ASP service line efficiency and effectiveness by evaluating and recommending improvements in the management structure and workflow of ASP processes.
- Manage compliance of the ASP policies and assist with implementation of corrective actions in accordance with facility or clinic compliance policies and hospital medical staff by-laws.
- Lead the education and training of professional support staff for the purpose of maintaining an efficient and effective ASP.
- Coordinate communications between ASP management and facility or practice personnel regarding activities, services, and operational/clinical protocols to achieve overall compliance and understanding of the ASP.
- Assist, at the request of the facility or practice, in preparing for and responding to third-party requests, including but not limited to payer audits, governmental inquiries, and professional inquiries that pertain to the ASP service line.
- Implementing and tracking an evidence-based policy or practice aimed at improving antibiotic prescribing practices for high-priority conditions.
- Developing and implementing evidence-based protocols and decision-support for diagnosis and treatment of common infections.
- Implementing evidence-based protocols that align with recommendations in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship guidance.
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https://mdinteractive.com/implementation-asp
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That may be a tall order, but for Khanuja it’s not a choice. As the chief of orthopaedics for Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and the chief of adult reconstruction and hip and knee replacement surgery for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, he believes it’s not just academic.
“Joint replacements will grow considerably, and this will increase the demand on our health care system,” Khanuja says. “Value-driven care and evidence-based medicine is where we’re obliged to go. We are fortunate to have a group of talented joint surgeons at all of our hospitals, as well as the knowledge and infrastructure to make this a reality.”
Working within the framework of the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality, Khanuja has helped to establish a “clinical community” to standardize protocols for patient outcomes and quality measures. While the approach is not a new one—health reform has virtually mandated the concept of value-driven care—implementing procedures across a health system has stymied many groups.
Khanuja sees the challenge as an opportunity to do things better. Having already established such protocols for The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, he has teamed up with surgeons across the system to consolidate models of care for all of the Johns Hopkins-based joint replacement programs.
All of this requires a collaborative effort to eliminate disparities in outcomes, readmissions and other surprises that ultimately affect a successful value-based model. It means analyzing processes, meticulously measuring outcome data and designing—or redesigning—practices until they are precise.
That doesn’t deter Khanuja, given the support of the Armstrong Institute and orthopaedic specialists from all of the Johns Hopkins hospitals. Among their directives: to develop best practices and design value metrics, as well as to improve registry and data systems and create standards for patient education. Ultimately, there will be a governing council to measure metrics and oversee accountability.
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https://clinicalconnection.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/a-systematic-approach-to-joint-replacements
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Most AGE is viral in origin, and apart from care focused on rehydration and nausea, there are no therapies to reduce the severity of illness. The overall objective of this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multi-center study is to determine the efficacy and side effect profile of the probiotic, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG LGGin children aged 3 to 48 months presenting to the ED with AGE. Patients were randomized to receive either LGG or placebo twice a day for 5 days, for a total of 10 doses.
This term shall include any of the following: Each air ambulance service shall have an air medical director who is responsible for advising the air ambulance service on policies and procedures that ensure that the appropriate aircraft, medical personnel, and equipment are provided during air ambulance transport.
Each temporary license shall be valid for 60 days. A Be required to have a mechanical or safety inspection submitted on forms required by the board or shall require documentation from the manufacturer indicating that the Implementing ems recommendations has undergone a predelivery inspection without deficiencies; or B have a long-term vehicle maintenance program with requirements equivalent to or exceeding the requirements of the mechanical and safety inspection form.
Any such permit or license may be renewed annually in accordance with this regulation. If the applicant or operator fails to correct the deficiencies and submit a sufficient application within 30 days from the date of written notification, the application may be considered by the board as withdrawn.
This list shall include the supplies and equipment required by the board for the license type and any additional supplies or equipment necessary to carry out the patient care activities as indicated in the services medical protocols in accordance with K.
Each operator shall maintain the interior heat of the enclosed building at no less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Each operator shall ensure that the interior of the building is kept clean and has adequate lighting. Each operator shall store all supplies and equipment in a clean and safe manner.
The alternative plan shall be subject to approval by the executive director and shall remain in effect no more than 30 days from the date of approval. Answering machines shall not be permitted. Each operator shall furnish a completed copy or copies of each patient care report form upon request of the board.
This record shall include the date, time of call, scene location, vehicle number, trip number, caller, nature of call, and disposition of each patient. The duty roster shall reflect appropriate staffing for the service and ambulance type as specified in K. This program shall include policies and procedures for reviewing patient care documentation.
A Acted below the applicable standard of care and, because of this action, had a reasonable probability of causing injury to a patient; or B acted in a manner that could be grounds for disciplinary action by the board or other applicable licensing agency.National Emergency Medical Services Education Standards Paramedic Instructional Guidelines.
Page 1 of Preparatory implementing EMS Systems b) Federal report discloses that less than half of The Paramedic Instructional Guidelines in this section include all the topics and material at the. Implementing the new measures will have an impact on the technical barrier in the operations of the facilities to produce a product that can cause delays in production.
Ethical and social issues are important to any organization that is trying to create and maintain their Environment Management System (EMS). The Prehospital Guidelines Consortium exists to engage EMS stakeholder organizations, institutions, agencies and leaders in a sustainable process that promotes the development, implementation and evaluation of evidence-based guidelines for prehospital care.
This strategy document intends to engage national EMS stakeholder organizations in a sustainable process that promotes the development and implementation of evidence-based guidelines for prehospital care in the United States. We support the development and implementation of evidence-based guidelines (EBGs), which play a critical role in improving patient care and outcomes as treatment decisions are based on research and data more than ever before.
This document makes recommendations to improve EMS research and can be used by policy makers, EMS . 5 evidence-based guidelines for fatigue management in EMS Expert opinion and guidelines can frame this important EMS health and safety issue and guide future research and progress By Sara Jahnke.
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https://siduxequzyxuv.tranceformingnlp.com/implementing-ems-recommendations-44333sy.html
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At IES, we are content experts in both performance management and practice management. For a practice that chooses to focus on performance management, we can help improve overall delivery through proven protocols. For those in need of practice management services, we can provide a full suite of back-office components.
Whether partners seek solutions for identifying and implementing fixes for broken processes or best-in-class back-office support, IES is the one-stop-shop for all performance management and practice management needs. And, our programs are flexible; we work with practices in the manner in which they are accustomed to operating rather than asking practices to conform to a system which doesn’t fit their needs.
The consultancy is a true partnership built on a common goal of excellence, and it is tailored to practices which have the ability and resources to initiate change. IES doesn’t just deliver recommendations; it puts ideas into action, incentivizes the applications and measures performance to create value.
Value: Our focus is creating high-value healthcare delivery through the development and support of high-performance groups by increasing the quality of care provision, increasing patient access to healthcare and reducing costs for stakeholders across the continuum of care.
Higher Quality: We equip partners with the tools necessary to create a quality-centric culture in the practice environment by employing evidence-based protocols to the process of identifying, developing and implementing the best quality solutions across the care continuum. We specialize in fixing broken processes, establishing best practices, limiting practice variation and aligning stakeholder incentives. Leveraging expertise in both clinical leadership strategy and knowledge translation, our ability to develop and implement evidence-based protocols is unparalleled. These protocols improve the speed and impact at which new clinical knowledge translates to improved health outcomes across the continuum of care.
Better Access: We arm our partners with the infrastructure solutions needed to develop an integrated approach to care delivery which serves to increase patient access and provider coordination across the continuum of care. Implementing an integrated system of EDs, urgent care centers and observation units allows partners to deliver the highest possible healthcare value to the populations they serve. Applying our operational approach of resource matching to care provision across various points-of-service allows patients seeking healthcare to receive it in the most appropriate setting, at the best cost point, whenever they need it.
Lower Costs: We enable partners to utilize our propriety data analytics software and performance management tools to track and measure performance, right-size care delivery and decrease variation in care at point of service.
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https://ies.healthcare/what-we-do/emergency-department-consulting/
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ISMETT is the first hospital in Southern Italy to have earned, in 2009, accreditation from Joint Commission International (JCI), one of the most advanced accreditation systems to assess the quality and safety of hospitals. JCI accreditation was reconfirmed for the fifth time in 2021, demonstrating ISMETT’s ongoing commitment to continuous improvement with regard to clinical outcomes, nursing care, management, customer service, patient-centered care, and staff skill development and training programs. The next JCI survey to confirm the accreditation is expected at the end of 2024.
In 2018, ISMETT also renewed its UNI EN ISO 9001: 2015 certification of quality management systems for Training (certified since 2009), Pharmacy (certified since 2016), and Diagnostic and Therapeutic services of Radiology, Endoscopy, Dialysis, Cath Lab, Pathology, and Clinical Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory (certified since 2012).
In addition, ISMETT’s Environmental and Safety Management System was certified as compliant with the UNI EN ISO 14001:2004 and UNI ISO 45001:2018 standards.
ISMETT’s Quality & Safety System involves the entire organization and monitors:
- Clinical outcomes, using a thorough monitoring system that includes organ transplant programs, cardiothoracic surgery, abdominal surgery, and anesthesia and critical care.
- Patient safety, reviewing incident reports, and monitoring preventable adverse events highlighted by staff.
- Standards and regulations of various voluntary certification models, including Joint Commission International, ISO 9001:2015 standard, and the integrated Environmental and Safety Management System in compliance with UNI EN ISO 14001:2004 and UNI ISO 45001:2018 standards.
- Patient experience, monitoring patient satisfaction and reviewing complaints and claims.
The tools used to promote clinical governance at ISMETT include a systematic evaluation of process and outcome indicators collected through IT systems, such as the electronic medical record (EMR), drafting evidence-based clinical protocols, continuing education, and the quality improvement and clinical risk management program.
ISMETT’s Quality Improvement and Clinical Risk Management Program envisages:
- A dedicated and ongoing risk management and patient safety role pursuant to Assessorato Decree 3181 of December 23, 2009.
- Periodic external audits, such as JCI and ISO surveys, and other voluntary audits.
- Internal policies and procedures: ISMETT has developed a manual of close to 300 policies compliant with JCI, ISO standards. ISMETT’s policies are regularly reviewed and updated, and approved by an internal Policy and Procedure Committee. Following approval, all policies are published on the company’s intranet, and their compliance constantly monitored.
- Training in quality and clinical risk: training is offered on a regular basis to all clinical coordinators, area managers, and executives on quality improvement principles and methods, and Just Culture.
- Internal audits to verify compliance with the policies enforced and meet the standards of the accreditation bodies.
- Definition of diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines, developing order sets in the EMR, and monitoring their correct application.
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https://www.ismett.edu/en/certifications-and-quality/
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© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and Physician's Practice. All rights reserved.
© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and Physician's Practice. All rights reserved.
December 27, 2022
Article
Patients are still complaining about wait times being too long. How does your practice measure up?
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Prioritize safety & comfort when buying waiting room chairs.
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With consumer-driven business models running the show, your existing call-handling systems and protocols are likely not contributing to the patient loyalty you need for a thriving practice.
April 05, 2021
Podcast
Physicians Practice® spoke with Rich Miller, chief strategy officer of Qgenda, about practices' clinical capacity management during the pandemic and what you can do to optimize your capacity management strategies.
February 03, 2021
Advice for implementing a virtual waiting room
February 02, 2021
Video
Virtual spaces may provide greater flexibilities, but does this mean that patients will feel as comfortable when at your practice?
February 01, 2021
Can your staff can handle the work?
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https://www.physicianspractice.com/topic/patient-flow-wait-times
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COVID-19: What’s new
- Public health orders (updated Jan. 8): Sports and recreation, gyms and fitness centres, accommodation, faith-based organizations, performing arts, movie theatres, retail and vending markets, party buses and limousines, mandatory masks, worker health checks, more info.
- Inspections and consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Resources: Mental health guides for workers and employers, workplace masks poster, face shields in non-health care settings, reviewing and updating your COVID-19 safety plan, revised entry-check poster for workers and visitors, information in other languages
COVID-19: Information and resources
Protocols for Phase 2 and 3 industries, Protocols for Phase 1 industries, General health and safety, COVID-19 Safety Plan template, OHS guideline G3.3 (COVID-19 Safety Plan), and more resources; Claims, Insurance
Bill 23, Workers Compensation Amendment Act, 2020
Overview of changes in effect Jan. 1, 2021, Summary of provisions, Historical reports, Board of Directors’ decision on the consequential amendments
Health Care High Risk Strategy
The Health Care High Risk Strategy (HRS) focuses WorkSafeBC resources on identified high-risk work activities within health care and community social services worksites. The primary focus is on work areas and occupations where direct patient care or services to individuals are provided and the interactions between the worker and the patient or individual can be observed.
- Our goals
- Our focus
- What you can do
Officers will apply a point-of-care inspectional process to help identify at-risk workers. Six percent of all time-loss claims are from health care assistants, making that occupation the most injured in B.C. Combined, health care assistants, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, social workers, home support workers, and paramedics represent 75.8 percent of all time-loss claims from 2013 to 2017 in the health care and social services subsector. Point-of-care interactions between workers and patients or individuals pose the greatest risk of injury to workers, including serious injuries due to acts of violence.
Our goals
The goals of the 2018–2020 HRS are to:
- Reduce the risk of workplace violence and related injuries to health care and community social services workers
- Reduce health care and community social services workers’ risk of overexertion or musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) due to patient/individual lifting and patient/individual mobility limitations
Our focus
Our focus in 2018–2020 is to:
- Apply point-of-care inspectional protocols focusing on violence prevention, MSI prevention, and employer internal responsibility systems
- Implement various initiatives to educate employers, workers, and supervisors; build relationships; and encourage safe work practices focusing on violence prevention and MSI prevention
What you can do
A healthy and safe workplace is a shared responsibility. The following resources will help you better understand and address some of the health and safety issues to focus on in your industry. For more resources and information, please visit our Health Care & Social Services pages.
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https://www.worksafebc.com/en/about-us/what-we-do/high-risk-strategies/health-care
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CoRSU Medical Director and Deputy CEO - Jobs in Uganda
The Medical Director and Deputy CEO is responsible for managing the medical directorate to make sure that all patients requiring treatment at CoRSU are seen promptly and treated appropriately with the best evidence-based care available.
Assisting development of the strategic vision for the hospital, quality assurance and implementing high standards and a definitive action plan to help all the medical departments achieve their goals.
Assuming responsibility of budgeting and resourcing, planning and overseeing all patient care and/or administrative operations and programs.
Essentially, the function consists of developing, approving, and updating the general and medical institutional policy, protocols, and procedures.
S/he will also deputize the CEO and act on his behalf whenever the CEO is not available or is unable to attend to CoRSU duties on site or offsite
Key Roles and Responsibilities
Educational Qualifications:
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Jobs in Uganda.
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https://www.advance-africa.com/corsu-medical-director-and-deputy-ceo-jobs-in-uganda.html
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WSSDA is looking forward to gathering virtually and in-person for Annual Conference this year. To ensure the safety and comfort of all in-person attendees, WSSDA is implementing a number of health and safety protocols to comply with current best practices for large events, and with state and county requirements. In-person registrants can find this information on our new Health and Safety Protocols webpage.
All in-person conference attendees should take a few minutes to review the Health and Safety Protocols webpage. Reviewing the protocols before arriving at the conference will ensure a smooth check-in experience on the day of the event. Here are some key features of the protocols:
If you prefer not to follow the above protocols, WSSDA welcomes you to attend the conference virtually, which will be live-streamed and allow interaction among virtual attendees. To switch your in-person registration to virtual registration, please contact the WSSDA registrar at [email protected] by October 15, 2021.
On the new webpage you can also find the answers to the following questions:
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https://www.wssda.org/health-and-safety-protocols-at-annual-conference/
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CoRSU Medical Director and Deputy CEO - Jobs in Uganda
The Medical Director and Deputy CEO is responsible for managing the medical directorate to make sure that all patients requiring treatment at CoRSU are seen promptly and treated appropriately with the best evidence-based care available.
Assisting development of the strategic vision for the hospital, quality assurance and implementing high standards and a definitive action plan to help all the medical departments achieve their goals.
Assuming responsibility of budgeting and resourcing, planning and overseeing all patient care and/or administrative operations and programs.
Essentially, the function consists of developing, approving, and updating the general and medical institutional policy, protocols, and procedures.
S/he will also deputize the CEO and act on his behalf whenever the CEO is not available or is unable to attend to CoRSU duties on site or offsite
Key Roles and Responsibilities
Educational Qualifications:
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Jobs in Uganda.
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https://www.advance-africa.com/corsu-medical-director-and-deputy-ceo-jobs-in-uganda.html
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The Agency for Healthcare and Quality (AHRQ) offers practical, research-based tools and other resources to help a variety of health care origanizations, provider, and others make care safer in all health care settings. AHRQ's evidence-based tools and resources are used by organizations nationwide to improve the quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of health care. Improving health care quality by increasing the capacity of small primary care practices to implement the best clinical evidence is our aim. These tools and resources can be searched by the key drivers and the change strategies of the EvidenceNOW Key Driver Diagram.
Results1 to 9 of 9 Tools and Resources Displayed
This toolkit introduces the ABCS of heart health and provides checklists, action plans, and other instructions to guide primary care practices to implement evidence-based guidelines, transform health care delivery, and improve patients’ heart health.
Based on real-world experience, this manual guides primary care practices through the process of developing and implementing clinical decision support (CDS), from defining the project through implementation and sustaining improvements.
This fact sheet reviews how practices can use their electronic health record (EHR) system to implement guidelines for screening and counseling patients on tobacco use. It provides a checklist of EHR features that support adding guidelines.
This recorded webinar offers guidance for implementing a training program for medical assistants, with a goal of expanding their roles in delivering evidence-based care and their responsibilities as part of team-based care.
This modifiable flow chart allows practices to adapt steps to reflect the practice’s preferred protocol for controlling hypertension in adult patients, including blood pressure goals and medication names.
This resource provides an example of how a practice can translate evidence on treatment for hypertension (high blood pressure) into a protocol for the primary care team, highlighting the responsibilities medical assistants can take on.
This implementation guide by the Safety Net Medical Home Initiative addresses why care teams are important for improving patient care and ways to build an effective care team that meets patients’ needs and expectations.
This resource offers a set of the latest evidence-based changes to improve delivery of clinical interventions for the treatment of tobacco use and dependence.
This AHRQ health literacy toolkit contains 21 short tools to help primary care practices reduce the complexity of health care, increase patient understanding of health information, and enhance support for patients of all health literacy levels.
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https://www.ahrq.gov/evidencenow/tools/search/index.html?amp%3Bpage=1&f%5B0%5D=%3A14520&f%5B1%5D=%3A14522&f%5B2%5D=change_strategies%3A14477&f%5B3%5D=change_strategies%3A14480&f%5B4%5D=change_strategies%3A14487&f%5B5%5D=change_strategies%3A14498&f%5B6%5D=change_strategies%3A14504&f%5B7%5D=topics%3A14508&f%5B8%5D=topics%3A14509
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Originally published May 2015 P1502-1-E
The growing emphasis on healthcare safety has spawned a dramatic increase in scientific knowledge about improvements in patient care and managing risk in clinical situations. Identifying the nature and sources of risk are important elements in quality and safety improvements. For its part, the CMPA contributes to a more thorough understanding of the nature of medico-legal risk in medical care through its analyses of closed cases.
The CMPA’s medico-legal cases help to identify potentially high-risk areas of practice. Notably, in the last 5 years surgery was the area of practice with the highest risk of being involved in a medico-legal matter. Almost half of closed CMPA cases in this period related to a surgical procedure. Diagnostic error, which is often difficult to identify and isolate from other associated issues, comprised 16% of the cases; medication was primarily involved in 8% of cases; and another 8% involved obstetrics.
Risk can also be identified by observing which groups of physicians are most often involved in legal actions. Physicians’ level of medico-legal risk is influenced primarily by the types of patients and conditions they typically treat, as well as by the procedures they perform.
The severity of patient outcomes can also determine the level of risk. Labour and delivery, and procedures on the brain or spinal column are high-risk because of the potential for catastrophic patient outcomes when complications arise. For this reason, specialists performing these procedures including obstetrician-gynaecologists, neurosurgeons, and orthopaedic surgeons are considered high-risk.
While medico-legal case data can provide a useful snapshot of potential risk, evidence-based patient safety research and advanced analytics delve deeper into the complex reasons for patient safety incidents — at both the system and individual healthcare provider levels. Whether an organization is large or small, system refers to a healthcare organization’s work environment (including resources), processes of care, protocols, and fail-safe systems.
The CMPA defines a fail-safe system as protocols, procedures, or systems in hospitals, offices, and clinics designed to prevent or mitigate errors. For example a process to follow up on the results of lab tests and diagnostic imaging studies so abnormal findings are flagged and reliably acted on is a fail-safe system. Another example is the use of checklists in surgery.
It is widely recognized that most patient safety incidents result from flawed systems and failures in processes. Because these incidents are often complex, involving multiple players and contributing factors, systems thinking approaches, such as patient safety incident analysis (formerly called root cause analysis), can be useful for identifying the potential multiple contributory causes of unintended outcomes. Indeed, the Institute of Medicine states that the most effective way to reduce error in medicine is to focus on system-level improvements.
While reducing system-level risks may yield the greatest improvements in patient safety, healthcare providers are personally responsible for patient safety in the direct care they provide to their patients. In some cases, a healthcare provider’s personal characteristics place them at higher risk of a legal action or regulatory authority (College) complaint. In addition to attributes such as interpersonal skills, communication style, and technical skills and knowledge, clinical decisions are also shaped by human factors that include cognitive and affective biases.
These biases are a major area of study in the field of risk management and patient safety. Cognitive biases (i.e. distortions and short-cuts in thinking) and affective biases (i.e. intrusion of the physician’s feelings) may interfere significantly with reaching a correct diagnosis. Common cognitive biases associated with error include, anchoring (fixating on one particular symptom, sign, or piece of information, or a particular diagnosis); premature closure (accepting a first plausible initial diagnosis before making a reasonably complete verification); and attribution error (a form of stereotyping that involves explaining a patient’s condition based on their disposition or character). Because these biases are not always easy to spot, physicians must be vigilant to their existence and potential impact in individual cases.
As seen in the following case example, patient safety incidents often involve a combination of system and human factors.
A middle-aged woman presents to the emergency department (ED) with severe left-sided chest pain that intermittently radiates to her back, left arm, and abdomen, and is worse on inspiration. A resident assesses her and notes possible guarding of the abdomen. He orders medication for pain as well as investigations that include troponin and D-dimer tests, an electrocardiogram, and chest and abdominal X-rays. Her history includes recent personal stressors, constipation, and successful treatment for primary bone cancer 10 years prior.
An hour later, the on-call ED physician assesses the patient and reviews the notes of the resident and nurses, and the test results. The abdominal X-ray suggests moderate fecal loading and other test results are unremarkable but for a slightly elevated D-dimer. The physician concludes that her symptoms are related to her constipation. No longer in pain, the patient is discharged with a prescription for a laxative and advised to return to the ED if she has ongoing concerns.
Six months later, the patient is diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in her lung. She complains to the physician’s regulatory authority (College) when she discovers that the report of the chest X-ray taken at the time of her previous ED visit had identified a small pleural effusion in the same area of the lung where her tumour was ultimately found.
The College expert finds that the ED physician’s assessment of the patient was inadequate. While an elevated D-dimer level can be non-specific, in light of the patient’s presenting complaints and history of cancer (however remote), further tests should have been conducted to rule out potentially serious conditions (e.g. pulmonary embolism). The expert suggests that the ED physician’s focus on an abdominal cause for the patient’s symptoms likely led him to discount other potential red flags. In addition, the expert states that there should be a system in place for reviewing test results flagged as abnormal. This system should include reconciling the test results with the patient’s medical record before making decisions on follow-up.
The ED physician is required to meet with the College to discuss implementing changes to his practice to avoid similar missed diagnoses.
The CMPA uses the following analytic practices to collect and understand medico-legal case data with the goal of contributing to safe medical care:
Being aware of high-risk areas as identified through research, and appreciating the diverse influences of individual and system factors on patient safety can help physicians recognize the potential for unique risks in their practice environment. Additionally, physicians may find the following sources of information beneficial when attempting to identify and mitigate risk areas in their practice:
CMPA Good Practices Guide, section on Human Factors “Learning from adverse events: Fostering a just culture of safety in Canadian hospitals and healthcare institutions”
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https://www.cmpa-acpm.ca/en/advice-publications/browse-articles/2015/identifying-the-risks-in-medical-practice
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Search results for "MRI safety"
Download Citation File:
- View: Basic | Expanded
- Sort: Best Match | Most Recent
Journal Article > Commentary
ACR guidance document on MR safe practices: updates and critical information 2019.
ACR Committee on MR Safety; Greenberg TD, Hoff MN, Gilk TB, et al. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2019 Jul 29; [Epub ahead of print].
The reliable adoption of safe practices in clinical and research imaging will reduce risks to diagnostic radiology patients. This guideline builds on existing recommendations as a response to the changing needs of magnetic resonance practitioners and their patients. Strategies to ensure clinical teams stay updated on safety issues in this environment include reviewing and updating guidelines as well as requiring magnetic resonance directors to undergo annual patient safety training.
Journal Article > Commentary
Using near-miss events to improve MRI safety in a large academic centre.
Goolsarran N, Martinez J, Garcia C. BMJ Open Qual. 2019;8:e000593.
Near misses can uncover process weaknesses and motivate improvement to prevent similar incidents. This commentary outlines how one hospital used Plan–Do–Study–Act cycles to improve their MRI screening process, including developing and implementing a safety checklist in the electronic medical record and building in a hard stop to prompt checking for contraindications.
Journal Article > Commentary
Practice advisory on anesthetic care for magnetic resonance imaging: a report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Anesthetic Care for Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Anesthesiology. 2015;122:495-520.
This practice advisory summarizes the literature and expert opinion to advise practitioners on the dangers of administering anesthesia to patients receiving magnetic resonance imaging, or MRIs.
Newspaper/Magazine Article
MRI safety 10 years later.
Gilk T, Latino RJ. Patient Saf Qual Healthc. November/December 2011;8:22-23,26-29.
Describing a case of accidental patient death in an MRI suite, this article reviews a root cause analysis of the event and notes that no regulatory efforts have been implemented to improve MRI safety in the 10 years following the incident.
Press Release/Announcement
MRI Safety Week.
Metrasens.
MRI Safety Week is held annually in July. This observance supports the sharing of information and resources to support magnetic resonance imaging safety.
Journal Article > Commentary
MRI suites: safety outside the bore.
Gilk T. Patient Saf Qual Healthc. September/October 2006;3:16-18, 20-21.
The author discusses safety risks in the MRI suite and how suite design can mitigate these risks.
Newspaper/Magazine Article
Taking risky business out of the MRI suite.
Rozovsky FA, Gilk TB, Latino RJ. Mater Manag Health Care. 2006;15:18-23.
This article discusses risk management in magnetic resonance imaging facilities and the use of root cause analysis to inform risk management methodologies.
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https://psnet.ahrq.gov/search?topic=Education-and-Training&%3Bamp%3Bf_topicIDs=668,603,412,662&%3Bamp%3Bclassic=true&%3Bf_topicIDs=665&f_topicIDs=456,711,350,209
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The Agency for Healthcare and Quality (AHRQ) offers practical, research-based tools and other resources to help a variety of health care origanizations, provider, and others make care safer in all health care settings. AHRQ's evidence-based tools and resources are used by organizations nationwide to improve the quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of health care. Improving health care quality by increasing the capacity of small primary care practices to implement the best clinical evidence is our aim. These tools and resources can be searched by the key drivers and the change strategies of the EvidenceNOW Key Driver Diagram.
Results1 to 10 of 26 Tools and Resources Displayed
This toolkit introduces the ABCS of heart health and provides checklists, action plans, and other instructions to guide primary care practices to implement evidence-based guidelines, transform health care delivery, and improve patients’ heart health.
This online continuing medical education (CME) module explains how to implement a team-based approach to enter documentation (scribe) and how it can be supported and improved by electronic health record (EHR) systems.
Primary care practices can use this Excel dashboard to calculate provider- and practice-level measures of blood pressure control, smoking cessation, and use of aspirin for heart disease as well as graph practice performance over time.
This presentation provides guidance on how to prioritize a set of useful measures and create a primary care dashboard. It contains a primary care performance measurement framework, examples of measures and dashboards, and ideas for data sources.
This resource offers best practices on presenting health care quality data graphically for performance dashboards. It includes a checklist to ensure that data are clear and visually pleasing, reviews various chart types, and provides examples of dashboards.
This 2011 report published by the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) recommends standards for developing trustworthy guidelines on care options for health care providers, patients, and organizations.
This resource can be used to lead a group discussion about developing ground rules for how primary care team members communicate with each other. Sample activities are provided to help care teams work together effectively.
Practices can use this fillable Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) tool to design and test changes to improve health care quality. Using this form can be helpful to primary care practices following the Model for Improvement quality improvement approach.
This recorded webinar provides an overview of huddles and details the process for implementing huddles in primary care practices. The video includes concrete examples of how and when to use huddles and why they are beneficial.
These dashboards show how one organization tracks progress in integrating Patient and Family Advisors and providing patient- and family-centered care.
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https://www.ahrq.gov/evidencenow/tools/search/index.html?amp%3Bpage=1&f%5B0%5D=%3A14495&f%5B1%5D=change_strategies%3A14475&f%5B2%5D=change_strategies%3A14483&f%5B3%5D=change_strategies%3A14486&f%5B4%5D=change_strategies%3A14489&f%5B5%5D=change_strategies%3A14493
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Research is the mechanism by which best treatments, care protocols, and medicines are determined to yield improved clinical outcomes; evidence-based practice (EBP) is the mechanism by which these proven treatments are brought to patients everywhere. Use of EBP in nursing care has been shown to lead to better patient outcomes and higher nursing job satisfaction. In 2009, the Institute of Medicine (now National Academy of Medicine) declared that, by 2020, 90% of all health care decisions would be based on evidence. Despite the popularity of EBP and the wealth of information about models, processes, and educational strategies, utilization of current evidenced care practices in nursing continues to lag, with some estimates noting implementation taking as long as 7 to 17 years.
A commonly accepted definition for EBP in nursing is given by the International Council of Nurses: “a problem solving approach to clinical decision making that incorporates a search for the best and latest evidence, clinical expertise and assessment, and patient preference values within a context of caring.” It has also been described as a coalescence of clinical expertise, understanding and implementation of published care practices and consideration of patient preferences. Simply put, EBP in nursing is delivering care with respect for patient preferences, utilizing clinical expertise and knowledge of the literature.
One imperative step in the process of implementing EBP in nursing, is evaluating the literature. Thousands of articles are published each year in scholarly, peer-reviewed, journal publications which describe both research and evidence-based nursing practices that deserve evaluation and consideration for implementation. Providing evidence-based care is a sign of nursing excellence, and as a nursing professional, it is both our privilege and responsibility to evaluate published care practices and consider their implementation to improve patient outcomes. To support nursing in the evaluation of the evidence, the Center for Nursing Excellence is working with nursing leadership and library services to determine the 2 best scholarly journals for each specialty. For example, if your specialty is emergency medicine, the Journal of Emergency Nursing and Journal of Trauma Nursing will likely publish evidence-based care practices that could improve outcomes for patients who come through our Emergency Department.
In order to promote reading of literature and reflecting on current practices, the Annual Performance Appraisal Evidence Guides have been revised to include a qualifier in the Education, EBP and Research, Performance Improvement section. For each step in the ladder, the qualifier has an increased requirement. For example, if you are RNII moving up to an RNIII, the qualifier states:
RN selects (2) articles published within the last 3-5 years related to nursing care in current specialty with a focus on quality improvement, evidence-based practice or research. Write a synopsis of the study and the relevance of the research to your nursing practice. Include the article and the synopsis in your portfolio for evaluation.
This activity is designed to promote reading the literature, reflecting on current practice, and writing about whether the literature supports practice at UAMS, or recommends a change in our practice, leading to an EBP project. Ultimately, it will lead to better patient outcomes and growth as nursing professionals.
Closs, S. J. & Cheater, F. M. (1999). Evidence for nursing practice: A clarification of the issues. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 30(1), 10-17.
International Council of Nurses. (2012). Closing the gap: From evidence to action. Geneva, Switzerland.
Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Evidence-Based Medicine. (2009). Leadership Commitments to Improve Value in Healthcare: Finding Common Ground: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
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https://uamshealth.com/nurses/newsletters/evidence-based-practice/
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Understanding the evidence for protective surgical glove use and hand health is a critical role for perioperative professionals. An overview of the trends in best practice for optimal surgical glove use will be discussed as well as the requirements and evidence-based practices that support these practice trends. Key activities perioperative nurses and other professionals should engage in to promote correct surgical glove use and hand health will also be discussed.
Credits CA:2.0, CBSPD:2.0, HSPA:2.0, NCCT:2.0
This continuing education activity will provide an overview of the clinical considerations related to proper care and handling of surgical instrumentation to protect their overall health, reduce the risk of infection, and subsequently promote safe patient care.
Credits CA:2.0,NCCT:2.0
The perioperative nurse is responsible for collaborating with team members to ensure the safety of the patient as well as colleagues during the positioning process. This program focuses on correct patient positioning to avoid patient injury to the respiratory, circulatory, neuromuscular, and integumentary systems.
Credit CA:1.0
Uncover the importance of a dedicated robotics coordinator’s role in an efficient robotics team, and how to contain costs through efficiency measures. You’ll leave with Monday morning solutions that you can implement right away.
Credit NA:1.0
This program reviews best practices for infection prevention, discusses patient risk stratification, and examines the impact of ciNPT in minimizing Surgical Site Complications in an ASC setting.
Credit CA:1.0
Interoperability of medical devices, software, EHR, and caregiver personas remain one of the biggest challenges facing organizations today. This session will describe how advocacy for interoperability in the OR is necessary to improve patient safety, care equality, and outcomes, while reducing clinician burden and waste.
Credit CA:1.0
Learn how to assess each individual patient and implement risk assessment tools and evaluate the best support surfaces to prevent pressure injuries for characteristics such as ease-of-use, evidence-based best practices, and ability to allow for tissue reperfusion.
1.0 CH | Sponsored by Intuitive
Gain fresh ideas around training and team engagement from a research group who investigated the effects of game-based educational competitions on improvement of the technical and non-technical skills within a robotic-assisted surgery team. Hear how introducing gamification into your robotics team training can reinforce skill acquisition and learn how this training method helps provide your staff with a greater appreciation for their teammates and improves communication between OR staff.
1 CH, 1 AEU
Key members of Yale’s perioperative team will detail the enhanced pain management protocols, minimally invasive surgical techniques and standardized care pathways that prepare patients for same-day discharge, faster recoveries, and optimal outcomes.
Credit CA:1.0
Benchmarking is a powerful management tool used as a point of reference and a way of measuring and comparing services within and/or outside the healthcare system. In this program you'll discover how benchmarking can help establish best practices, identify quality gaps, and help to improve efficiency, patient care and satisfaction, and financial outcomes.
Credit CA:2.0
A life-quake is a massive life change that reshapes our lives with aftershocks that can last for years, like COVID-19. In this program, we consider how this life quake has changed the perioperative nursing workforce and nurse leaders. Tools and strategies for staff recruitment, retention, nurse wellbeing, and rebuilding teams will be discussed.
Credit ASRT:1.5
The increased need to navigate to areas impossible to locate through touch, and an increased focus on oncoplastic approaches, have led to the development of several wire-free localization techniques that alleviate some of the evidence-based disadvantages of wire-guided localization. This program aims to educate a broader audience on the latest localization techniques for breast conservation surgery with a specific focus on Radar Localization.
Credit CA:2.0 NCCT: 2.0
This continuing education program will discuss the best practices around leveling and monitoring, challenges associated with external ventricular drain (EVD) therapy, and how evidence-based practices may impact patient outcomes.
Credits CA:2.0, CBSPD:2.0, IAHCSM:2.0, NCCT:2.0
According to governing and recommending entities, frequent monitoring and timely feedback provides the best information to help drive and improve outcomes. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of various compliance monitoring methods, and implementing the most compatible method, can assist organizations with acquiring sustained improvement.
Credits CA:1.0, NCCT:1.0
This continuing education ebook reviews common surgical positioning injuries, high-risk surgical positions, and how team collaboration and communication can help prevent patient harm. Strategies, techniques, and evidence-based guidelines for steep deep Trendelenburg, prone, beach chair, and lateral positions are covered.
Credits CA:2.0, NCCT:2.0
This continuing education activity provides a review of the key considerations for the appropriate selection and use of surgical gowns as an infection prevention measure for both patients and the surgical team. Standards and guidelines pertaining to the selection and use of surgical gowns published by various federal agencies and professional organizations are covered.
Credits: ASRT: 1.75
In this educational activity, the role of common AF risk factors and biomarkers prediction of incident AF will be summarized. Current treatment options based on the latest clinical evidence for the management of AF will be discussed, including patient identification, indications for use and risks. Finally, recommendations from leading clinical guidelines will be reviewed.
Credit CA:1.5
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) represents a major cause of mortality in the United States, contributing to approximately 30% of all injury-related deaths. This program will describe clinical strategies to leverage advanced analytics in multi-modality monitoring to influence care in the intensive care unit (ICU). Faculty will invite questions and stimulate an interactive environment for learning.
Credit CA:3.0
This activity-based program reinforces knowledge of key concepts to help patients stay on PD therapy.
Credit CA:1.0
Discover best practices from a proven block time management system that maximizes robotic time and ROI, unpack what inventory and staffing considerations you should make, and leave with proactive solutions you can implement for block time challenges at your facility.
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https://aorn.org/pfiedler-edu/view-full-catalog
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cohorts: colorectal, orthopaedic,
bariatric, gynecology, and
emergency general surgery.
Key elements of ERAS
ERAS aims to promote the
delivery of evidence-based
perioperative care and reduces
variability. Key elements of the
ERAS program include patient
and family engagement, including
counseling about expectations
for surgery and recovery; state-of-the-art analgesia, which
minimizes the use of narcotics
and promotes multimodal
analgesia; early mobility and
restoration of functional status;
avoidance of prolonged periods
of fasting; and evidence-based
best practices for surgical
site infections (SSI), venous
thromboembolism (VTE), and
catheter-associated urinary tract
infections (CAUTI) prevention.
ERAS within a CUSP framework
The goal of the AHRQSafety Program for ERAS isto disseminate and supportimplementation of evidence-based ERAS protocols within theframework of the ComprehensiveUnit-based Safety Program(CUSP) across hospitals in theU.S. CUSP is a proven strategyto engage in culture change inpursuit of patient safety. Thisquality improvement programhas been used successfully toprevent central line-associatedbloodstream infections andcatheter-associated urinarytract infections, as well asother preventable conditions.
Hospitals that participate
in the ERAS program will
have access to the following:
•Leading experts in ERAS,
perioperative quality, and
implementation science from the
fields of surgery, anesthesiology,
and nursing
•Evidence-based, locally adaptable
ERAS protocols
• Tools, including coaching calls,
to assist with ERAS protocols
implementation
•Ad hoc implementation support
from a quality improvement nurse
consultant
• ACS-based ERAS data collection
platform and access to an ACS
ERAS clinical support team
•Face-to-face training and site visitsFor hospitals, the AHRQSafety Program for ERASprogram aligns with five of the 11
Hospital Improvement InnovationNetworks (HIIN) core areastargeted for improvement by theCenters for Medicare & MedicaidServices (CMS), includingreduction in opioid prescribing,prevention of SSIs, CAUTIs, andVTEs, as well as the creation of aculture of safety and teamwork.For health care practitioners,the AHRQ Safety Programfor ERAS aligns with therequirements under the MedicareAccess and CHIP (Children’sHealth Insurance Program)Reauthorization Act (MACRA)of 2015. More specifically,provider participation in ERASmay include certain clinicalpractice improvement activitiesestablished by CMS under theQuality Payment Program toensure compliance with MACRA.The AHRQ Safety Programfor ERAS is especiallyuseful to hospitals that meetthe following criteria:
•No prior ERAS implementation
experience
•Hospitals that have implemented
ERAS in one area and are looking
to expand ERAS to other units
•Hospitals that have attemptedto implement ERAS but didnot experience significantimprovements or were unable tosustain the programRecruitment efforts willbegin in spring 2017, with thefirst cohort beginning in June2017. For more information,contact Stacey McSwine,Enrollment Project Manager, [email protected]. ♦
*American College of Surgeons. ACS will
recruit 750 hospitals for new program to
lower costs, improve safety, and shorten
recovery times for surgical patients.
Press release. February 6, 2017. Available
at: facs.org/media/press-releases/2017/
eras020617. Accessed February 22, 2017.
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http://www.facsbulletin.com/acsbulletin/april2017?pg=66
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Browsing by Subject "Hospital-Patient Relations"
Now showing items 1-5 of 5
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Patient safety assessment manual : second edition (2016)The Patient safety assessment manual is a component of the WHO Patient Safety Friendly Hospital Initiative. The manual integrates different standards that are directly related to the recommended WHO patient safety interventions and challenges. These standards cover five patient safety domains: leadership and management, patient and public involvement, safe evidence-based clinical practices, safe environment and lifelong learning. The manual is intended to provide health care professionals with practical guidance on how to identify patient safety ...
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Patient safety tool kit (2015)The Patient safety tool kit describes the practical steps and actions needed to build a comprehensive patient safety improvement programme in hospitals and other health facilities. It is intended to provide practical guidance to health care professionals in implementing such programmes, outlining a systematic approach to identifying the “what” and the “how” of patient safety. The tool kit is a component of the WHO patient safety friendly hospital initiative and complements the Patient safety assessment manual, also published by WHO Regional Office ...
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https://apps.who.int/iris/browse?authority=Hospital-Patient+Relations&type=mesh
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Lippincott® Procedures Australia is a point-of-care procedure guide that saves nurses' time and provides safer, consistent and more effective care.
It provides real-time access to Australian step-by-step guides for up to 450 evidence-based procedures and skills in more specialties than any other procedures and skills-based resource currently available to medical and academic institutions.
The online evidence-based procedure guide reflects Australia’s nursing protocols, regulations, terminology, and drug names.
- Save valuable time spent creating, writing, reviewing, and tracking all procedures
- Providing immediate access to trusted clinical information
- Promotes more effective intercollaborative professional practice
- Evaluating staff competency and adherence to standards
- Empowers clinicians with the knowledge and confidence to make informed clinical decisions
- Improves patient outcomes, reduces errors, and promotes consistent, standardised care across your organisation
Lippincott Procedures Australia has been mapped to the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards. The NSQHS Standards provide a nationally consistent statement of the level of care consumers can expect from health service organisations.
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https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en-au/solutions/lippincott-solutions/lippincott-procedures
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Advances in Patient Safety and Medical Liability.
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Topics
Approach to Improving SafetyResource TypeSetting of CareClinical AreaTarget AudienceError TypesOrigin/Sponsor
- Cite
This publication describes the results of demonstration projects funded by AHRQ's Patient Safety and Medical Liability Reform Initiative. Included studies examined communication and resolution programs, patient reporting of adverse events, and patient perceptions of error disclosure. An overarching theme of these studies is the gap between recommended communication practices and usual clinical care and communication. Several studies demonstrated challenges of implementing health system interventions to improve safety across a range of interventions, including error disclosure training, shared decision-making, and medication safety during transitions in care. These studies reveal the importance of measuring and improving safety culture as a foundation for patient safety efforts. Commentaries by various patient safety experts highlight the need for ongoing support for research at the intersection of patient safety and medical liability. A past PSNet perspective described how evidence-based improvements to the medical liability system could influence accountability and compensation for errors.
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https://psnet.ahrq.gov/issue/advances-patient-safety-and-medical-liability
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The Technical Writer/Editor is responsible for working effectively with the BFCC-QIO claim review teams by reviewing/editing letters that are sent to healthcare providers and Medicare beneficiaries and representatives.
The Technical Writer/Editor will improve the readability of the letters and ensure that the letters sent to beneficiaries are written in plain language and with an empathetic tone. The Technical Writer/Editor will proofread letters for punctuation, spelling, syntax, and formatting accuracy and will correct all mechanical, grammatical, and stylistic errors.
The Technical Writer/Editor may also be called upon to take meeting notes, document meeting minutes, or assist with editing materials related to reports, outreach communications, proposals, or publications.
The Technical Writer/Editor protects the confidentiality of patient information through compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH). The Technical Writer/Editor completes Livanta’s Annual Training, which includes the Cyber Awareness Training Challenge and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Training.
Responsibilities
Essential Knowledge
Ability to organize material and complete writing assignments according to set standards regarding order, clarity, conciseness, style, and terminology. Ability to work with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to ensure accuracy of information. Effectively work with other staff members to gather and verify the information necessary to produce a quality product.
Effectively work with multiple internal stakeholders participating in creating and improving documentation. Ability to write technical documents according to the company and customer approved established format, standards, and guidelines. Ability to provide writing, editing, and design support to other team members.
Qualifications And Requirements
Essential Education
Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in English, Journalism, Communications, or a related field.
Essential Skills
- Must possess a good command of English
- Must possess logic and reasoning skills
- Must be detail oriented, work well in a high-volume atmosphere
- Must possess a high level of proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word
- Must possess a good understanding of business applications and technology
- Must possess a basic understanding of medical terminology
- Must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Must possess excellent proofreading skills
- Must possess excellent listening skills
- Must possess excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills
- Must possess the ability to exercise critical thinking and sound judgment
- Must possess strong organizational skills
- Must possess the ability to organize and coordinate multiple simultaneous tasks in a team environment
- Must possess the ability to develop, gather, and convey technical material in a concise/effective manner
Desired Characteristics
Organizational "Fit" Considerations
Must possess the ability to switch between different tasks as necessary.
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https://contentwritingjobs.com/jobs/technical-writer-editor-at-livanta-llc
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