Exploring the dark side of organizational citizenship behavior

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in positive organizational scholarship in general, including positive organizational behavior (POB) in particular. This work identifies organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) as a prototypical POB. Conceptualizing OCBs in this way is sensible in light of more than 30 years of research highlighting the desirable aspects of such behavior. At the same time, some researchers have raised questions about positive organizational scholarship and have called for a more balanced view of ostensibly positive behaviors. The purpose of this paper, then, is to take a more nuanced view of OCBs while highlighting the dark side of citizenship behavior. In doing so, we review conceptual and empirical work that has challenged the idea that OCBs are inherently positive. We also discuss research that seeks to develop a deeper understanding of the conditions under which OCB does more harm than good. Finally, important areas for future research and the practical realities facing scholars who seek to publish research investigating the dark side of citizenship are addressed as well. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

SAFEST TO TRAVEL BY BICYCLE,CAR, OR BIG TRUCK?

This study compares highway crash incidence, injuries, and costs by vehicle type. Annual crash and injury incidence were estimated using Crashworthiness Data System (1988-1991), National Automotive Sampling System (1982-1986), General Estimates System (1992-1993), and Fatal Analysis Reporting System (1993) data. Costs were computed based on restraint use, body region, and threat-to-life severity of the injury. Costs were then allocated between vehicle types using three different methods in order to answer comparative safety questions. Motor vehicle and bicycle crash costs total $389 billion annually; 75% resulting from passenger vehicles. Motorcycles and bicycles have the highest costs per 1000 vehicle and passenger miles; costs per victim are highest for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. Costs per vehicle mile for heavy trucks and passenger cars are comparable but exceed costs for light trucks. Passenger vehicle occupants are safest if a crash occurs. Light truck, other single truck, and bus occupants have the lowest cost per passenger mile, but higher costs than air and rail travelers. Motorcyclists face the greatest risks. Combination trucks may not impose an excess risk to other drivers, but their drivers face large risks.     

Biomechanics of Brain and Spinal-Cord Injury: Analysis of Neuropathologic and Neurophysiology Experiments

This study analyzes 46 brain and 48 spinal-cord impact experiments. The velocity of brain impact was 2.0-10.0 m/s and displacement, 0.75-5.0 mm (5.3-33% compression) using a controlled pneumatic impact. The velocity of spinal-cord impact was 1.5-6.0 m/s and displacement, 1.25-3.25 mm (25-65% compression). Brain injury varied from cortical contusion, diffuse axonal injury (DAI), to fatalities, and spinal-cord injury from temporary to complete loss of somatosensory-evoked potentials. Logist functions were determined for each injury severity and various biomechanical parameters, VC, C, V, and combinations. Brain and spinal-cord injury is most strongly correlated to VC, the viscous response. The goodness-of-fit was x² = 22.1, R-0.84 and p< 0.0000 for fatal brain injury, x² = 27.5, R = 0.96 and p< 0.0000 for cortical contusion, and x² = 17.7, R = 0.49 and p < 0.0001 for partial recovery of spinal-cord conduction. Neural tissue is viscoelastic, with a rate-dependent tolerance related to energy absorption. VC is a measure of energy absorption by impact deformation and is predictive of neural contusion, DAI, long-duration coma, spinal-cord dysfunction, and death. Tolerances for various severities of neural injury are presented. At the tissue level, VC is the product of strain and strain-rate, ε dε/dt. The research shows that strain is not a sufficient parameter of neural injury risk, and that the product of strain and strain-rate is a key biomechanical parameter for brain and spinal-cord injury.     

Protection Against Dust by Respirators

This article is a brief review of the mechanism of action of fibrous filters and of the performance of respirators; it neglects many of the complications discussed in longer and more detailed articles. An expression is given for the pressure drop across a filter in terms of fibre diameter and filtration velocity. The particle capture mechanisms of interception and diffusional deposition are introduced and the way in which filtration efficiency varies with particle size is discussed. Filters with fibres of small diameter are shown to be the most efficient, but their use can cause problems. Electrically charged materials are widely used in respirators because of their high efficiency and low pressure drop. Types of material, their means of charging, and their method of action are described. An account is given of respirator leakage, the protection factor, and of the way that these may vary in a period of use. The leakage of air and particles through face seal leaks and leaky valves is discussed. The frequent discrepancy in the protection given by respirators in the workplace, on the one hand, and that suggested by laboratory measurements, on the other, is reviewed, and the article ends with an account of the combined effect of aerosol penetration through a filter and through a leak.     

Driver Workload Response to In-Vehicle Device Operations

A central concern of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) is the effect of in-vehicle devices (e.g., cell phones, navigation systems, radios, etc.) on driver performance and safety. As diverse and innovative technologies are designed and implemented for in-vehicle use, questions regarding the presence and use of these devices assume progressively greater importance. Further concerns for advanced driver training require us to develop and validate reliable and effective procedures for assessing such effects. This work examines a number of candidate procedures, in particular the evaluation of change in cognitive workload as a strategy by which such goals might be achieved.     

Hot Steam Transfer Through Heat Protective Clothing Layers

The aim of this study was to analyse the transfer of steam through different types of textile layers as a function of sample parameters such as thickness and permeability. In order to simulate the human body, a cylinder releasing defined amounts of moisture was also used. The influence of sweating on heat and mass transfer was assessed.

The results show that in general impermeable materials offer better protection against hot steam than semi-permeable ones. The transfer of steam depended on the water vapour permeability of the samples, but also on their thermal insulation and their thickness. Increasing the thickness of the samples with a spacer gave a larger increase in protection with the impermeable samples compared to semi-permeable materials. Measurements with pre-wetted samples showed a reduction in steam protection in any case. On the other hand, the measurements with a sweating cylinder showed a beneficial effect of sweating.     

A new integrated treatment for the reduction of organic and nitrogen loads in methanogenic landfill leachates

Because of their high organic and nitrogen loads and the presence of toxic and phytotoxic compounds, methanogenic landfill leachates are not easily biodegradable; therefore, direct biological treatment of these wastewaters in conventional treatment plants is not recommended.In the present paper, we report the results of an experimental investigation conducted with the aim of defining an innovative integrated process that is low in cost and easily manageable and that is able to substantially improve the characteristics of methanogenic leachates.Thus, an initial oxidation process was developed using hydrogen peroxide without a catalyst, which, operating under ambient conditions, reduces the phytotoxic compound content to 10% of the initial level, reduces the COD (chemical oxygen demand) content by 50% and increases the rapidly biodegradable substrate content by 50%. Next, nitrogen removal is accomplished by means of struvite precipitation using seawater bittern and bone meal as sources of magnesium and phosphorus, respectively, with this process, abatements were reached of approximately 90% of the ammonia nitrogen, which was recovered as struvite powder.     

Photocatalytic degradation of dye effluent by titanium dioxide pillar pellets in aqueous solution

Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) process is an effective way to deal with organic pollutants in wastewater which could be difficult to be degraded by conventional biological treatment methods. Normally the TiO2 powder in nanometre size range was directly used as photocatalyst for dye degradation in wastewater. However the titanium dioxide powder was arduous to be recovered from the solution after treatment. In this application, a new form of TiO2(i. e. pillar pellets ranging from 2.5 to 5.3 mm long and with a diameter of 3.7 mm) was used and investigated for photocatalytic degradation of textile dye effluent. A test system was built with a flat plate reactor(FPR) and UV light source(blacklight and solar simulator as light source respectively) for investigating the effectiveness of the new form of TiO2. It was found that the photocatalytic process under this configuration could efficiently remove colours from textile dyeing effluent. Comparing with the TiO2 powder, the pellet was very easy to recovered from the treated solution and can be reused in multiple times without the significant change on the photocatalytic property. The results also showed that to achieve the same photocatalytic performance, the FPR area by pellets was about 91% smaller than required by TiO2 powder. At least TiO2 pellet could be used as an alternative form of photocatalyst in applications for textile effluent treatment process, also other wastewater treatment processes.