Pregnancy as a source of bias in performance appraisals

Notwithstanding recent gains, women have still not achieved parity with men in the workplace. This is further complicated by common negative images of pregnant women (Taylor and Langer, 1977). The present study investigated (1) stereotypes about pregnant working women, and (2) the effect of an employee's pregnancy on performance evaluation. In the first study, subjects' attitudes about pregnant employees were assessed via questionnaire. Substantial negative stereotyping was found to exist, especially among males. In Study 2, subjects viewed videotapes of either a pregnant or a non-pregnant women doing assessment-center-type tasks and were asked to evaluate her performance. When the employee was pregnant, she was consistently rated lower compared to when she was non-pregnant. A main effect of rater sex and a rater sex by pregnancy condition interaction were found, indicating that males assigned lower ratings than females and were also more negatively affected by the pregnancy condition. Implications for organizational policy regarding employee pregnancy and performance appraisal systems are discussed.     

Monitoring Parks Through Remote Sensing: Studies in Nepal and Honduras

The effectiveness of parks as management regimes is hotly contested. Much of the current discussion centered around comparisons of management regimes can be traced to a dearth of cross-site quantitative evaluations. Remote sensing provides a particularly effective tool for this purpose, yet analysis of remotely sensed data requires fieldwork to interpret human activities and the socioeconomic and political contexts that relate to land cover change. This paper examines the effect of establishment of the Celaque National Park, Honduras, and the Royal Chitwan National Park buffer zone, Nepal, on limiting deforestation. In Celaque, the park itself has been largely successful in maintaining forest cover. However, recent changes in land use patterns have led to increasing pressure on the park boundaries, exacerbated by the lack of involvement of local residents. In the Royal Chitwan National Park, in contrast, participatory approaches towards co-management have been implemented over the past decade in the park buffer zone. With significant incomes derived from ecotourism, complete protection of the buffer zone forest has been adopted, leading to significant regrowth of tree cover. However, local decision-making power is limited, and buffer zone management has largely proven successful due to the investment and support provided by international donor agencies. These two case studies demonstrate the utility of remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems analysis in providing a spatiotemporal perspective for assessing management policies. They also demonstrate the importance of fieldwork to provide a nuanced understanding of the socioeconomic and institutional conditions affecting the outcomes of forest management regimes.     

Home based workers at risk: Outworkers and occupational health and safety

Outwork is work done for payment at, about or from home. Outworkers generally work under conditions which are less favourable that those of their counterparts doing similar work ‘on site’. There are significant occupational health and safety issues associated with outwork. Terms and conditions of work (e.g. rate of pay, hours of work, degree of worker control over the work process, legislative coverage etc.) will significantly influence health and safety outcomes for outworkers. The paper addresses these more general issues as well as detailing specific workplace hazards and injuries, and other health impacts arising from the work.     

Dialdehyde starch and zein plastic: Mechanical properties and biodegradability

Dialdehyde starch (DAS) and zein, a hydrophobic corn protein, were investigated to produce biodegradable plastics with improved water resistance and mechanical properties. In the study, dialdehyde starch and zein ratio, plasticizers, and degree of starch oxidation were examined. Increased molding temperature and level of starch oxidation decreased water absorption of the plastic. Tensile strength and Young's modulus increased with starch oxidation. The biodegradation of starting materials and ground plastic specimens was studied in aerobic soil reactors maintained at 25°C for 180 days. Biodegradation of corn starch, zein, and dialdehyde starch for 180 days produced CO₂ equivalent to 64, 63, and 10% of theoretical carbon, respectively. Specimens of molded DAS and zein (3 : 1) plastic showed accelerated CO₂ evolution compared to DAS and other raw materials alone. By 180 days, specimens made with starch of low oxidation (1 and 5% oxidized) demonstrated a 60% biodegradation, and specimens with highly oxidized starch (90% oxidized) achieved 37% biodegradation.Paper presented at the Bio/Environmentally Degradable Polymer Society—Third National Meeting, June 6–8, 1994, Boston, Massachusetts.Journal Paper J-15927 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Project No. 3258.     

Environmental monitoring of carbaryl applied in urban areas to control the glassy-winged sharpshooter in California

Carbaryl insecticide was applied by ground spray to plants in urban areas to control a serious insect pest the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca coagulata (Say), newly introduced inCalifornia. To assure there are no adverse impacts to human health and the environment from the carbaryl applications, carbaryl was monitored in tank mixtures, air, surface water, foliage and backyard fruits and vegetables.Results from the five urban areas – Porterville, Fresno, Rancho Cordova, Brentwood and Chico – showed there were no significanthuman exposures or impacts on the environment. Spray tank concentrations ranged from 0.1–0.32%. Carbaryl concentrationsin air ranged from none detected to 1.12 g m^-3, well below the interim health screening level in air of 51.7 g m^-3. There were three detections of carbaryl in surface water nearapplication sites: 0.125 ppb (parts per billion) from a water treatment basin; 6.94 ppb from a gold fish pond; and 1737 ppbin a rain runoff sample collected from a drain adjacent to a sprayed site. The foliar dislodgeable residues ranged from 1.54–7.12 g cm^-2, comparable to levels reported forsafe reentry of 2.4 to 5.6 g cm^-2 for citrus. Carbarylconcentrations in fruits and vegetables ranged from no detectableamounts to 7.56 ppm, which were below the U.S.EPA tolerance, allowable residue of 10 ppm.     

Multivariate analysis of paired watershed data to evaluate agricultural best management practice effects on stream water phosphorus

Quantification of the effects of management programs on water quality is critical to agencies responsible for water resource protection. This research documents reductions in stream water phosphorus (P) loads resulting from agricultural best management practices (BMPs) implemented as part of an effort to control eutrophication of Cannonsville Reservoir, a drinking water supply for New York City. Dairy farms in the upstate New York reservoir basin were the target of BMPs designed to reduce P losses. A paired watershed study was established on one of these farms in 1993 to evaluate changes in P loading attributable to implementation of BMPs that included manure management, rotational grazing, and improved infrastructure. Intensive stream water monitoring provided data to calculate P loads from the 160-ha farm watershed for all runoff events during a two-year pre-treatment period and a four-year post-treatment period. Statistical control for inter-annual climatic variability was provided by matched P loads from a nearby 86-ha forested watershed, and by several event flow variables measured at the farm. A sophisticated multivariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) provided estimates of both seasonal and overall load reductions. Statistical power and the minimum detectable treatment effect (MDTE) were also calculated. The results demonstrated overall event load reductions of 43% for total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) and 29% for particulate phosphorus (PP). Changes in farm management practices and physical infrastructure clearly produced decreases in event P losses measurable at the small watershed scale.     

Processing and Physical Properties of Plastics Made from Soy Protein Polyester Blends

Blending soy protein with polyesters using a polyvinyllactam as a compatibilizer successfully made soy protein-based plastics. The polyesters used to produce blends included polycaprolactone (PCL) and Biomax (a commercial biodegradable polyester). The blends were processed by compounding extrusion and injection molding. Blends containing soy protein/Biomax-poly(vinyl alcohol) had tensile strengths ranging from 16–22 MPa, with samples containing larger percentages of the synthetic polymer exhibiting greater strengths. Blends made from soy protein, Biomax, and PCL had tensile strengths ranging from 27–33 MPa. All the blends had high Young's moduli but demonstrated brittle characteristics as evident from their low elongations at break, ranging from 1.8–3.1%. Plastics made from soy protein/polyester blends exhibited low water absorption and had good stability under ambient conditions relative to the plastics made from soy protein alone. Blends made from soy protein flour produced plastics with the lowest water absorption.     

“Killing them with kindness”? A study of service employees' responses to uncivil customers

Experiencing uncivil customers is a frequent reality for many people working in the service industry. Past research has established that dealing with uncivil customers can be distressing for employees and can sometimes lead them to engage in reciprocal, discourteous behavior. The purpose of our research is to delve deeper into the experience of customer incivility from the perspective of service employees in order to better understand the various ways in which they respond to customer incivility. We conducted 64 interviews with service employees across an array of occupations and developed a typology of responses to customer incivility. These responses fell into four categories based on the extent to which service employees' actions were intended to promote social harmony (and therefore could broadly be considered civil or uncivil), as well as their perceived agency in the situation. We describe how each response was associated with different interpersonal and intrapersonal consequences and explain the implications of our typology for management theory and practice.     

Managing Sustainable Development Conflicts: The Impact of Stakeholders in Small-Scale Hydropower Schemes

The growing importance of the environment and its management has simultaneously emphasized the benefits of hydroelectric power and its environmental costs. In a changing policy climate, giving importance to renewable energy development and environmental protection, conflict potential between stakeholders is considerable. Navigation of conflict determines the scheme constructed, making sustainable hydropower a function of human choice. To meet the needs of practitioners, greater understanding of stakeholder conflict is needed. This paper presents an approach to illustrate the challenges that face small-scale hydropower development as perceived by the stakeholders involved, and how they influence decision-making. Using Gordleton Mill, Hampshire (UK), as an illustrative case, soft systems methodology, a systems modeling approach, was adopted. Through individual interviews, a range of problems were identified and conceptually modeled. Stakeholder bias towards favoring economic appraisal over intangible social and environmental aspects was identified; costs appeared more influential than profit. Conceptual evaluation of the requirements to meet a stakeholder-approved solution suggested a complex linear systems approach, considerably different from the real-life situation. The stakeholders introduced bias to problem definition by transferring self-perceived issues onto the project owner. Application of soft systems methodology caused a shift in project goals away from further investigation towards consideration of project suitability. The challenge of sustainable hydropower is global, with a need to balance environmental, economic, and social concerns. It is clear that in this type of conflict, an individual can significantly influence outcomes; highlighting the need for more structured approaches to deal with stakeholder conflicts in sustainable hydropower development.     

民航与环境

国际民航组织(ICAO)理事会的航空环境保护委员会(cAEP)提出了与民航有关的主要的环境问题:飞机噪音和来自飞机发动机的排放.在源头减少飞机的噪音是CAEP的工作重点,但是消除噪声和土地利用计划也受到相当大的注意.有关排放的工作可分为三类:技术和标准、管理措施和基于市场的机制.国际民航组织通过技术合作和培训计划给一些国家提供与环境有关的帮助.