Root Cause Analysis: Using Theory of Constraints Application to Measure the Impact of Employee Demographics on the Adoption of Information Technology Equipment

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (01) ◽  
pp. 1350004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irikefe Urhuogo ◽  
Victor Williams ◽  
David W. Hart
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Theory Of Constraints ◽  
Cause Analysis ◽  
Brigham Young University ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Race And Education ◽  
The Impact

This paper uses Theory of Constraints (TOC) improvement questions to measure how employees' demographics influence their adoption of various Information Technology Equipments (ITEs) in organisations. Survey questions in the form of a Likert scale are prepared to address these possible effects. The number of total participants was 216 and they were from two universities: Argosy University, Atlanta campus; and Brigham Young University, Provo campus. The research question for this study asked how the factors of age, gender, race, and education level positively or negatively influence employees' attitudes toward ITE adoption at their place of employment. A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was computed to assess the relationships and the Kruskal–Wallis and the Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare the independent groups. The results suggested that there was a correlation among age, race and education level and indicated that age negatively correlates with employees' level of comfort with ITE use. There was a statistically significant difference at the 0.01 level between White and Black participants.

Fault Tree-Based Root Cause Analysis Used to Study Mal-Operation of a Protective Relay in a Smart Grid

2022 ◽  
pp. 348-367
Author(s):  
Hamid Bentarzi
Keyword(s):  
Digital Filters ◽  
Fault Tree ◽  
Root Cause Analysis ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Cause Analysis ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Protective Relay ◽  
Protective Relays ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Overall Reliability

This chapter presents how root cause analysis based on fault tree technique can be used to study mal-operation of protective relay in a smart power grid. This approach is used to identify disturbances first and root cause of mal operation of protective relays which may lead to unnecessary tripping and hence to blackout. Once the critical root causes are identified, mitigation measures first such as blocking protection functions and digital filters may be used in view of increasing the reliability of the considered protection system. The proposed approach has many advantages as it allows obtaining an important quantitative figure (security). These permits to strongly strengthen the elements of the protecting system which are most likely appropriate to failure and hence the impact on the overall system's cost is significant. Another main advantage is that it takes into account the reliability of the software part of the system which is considered to have a significant contribution in the overall reliability of the protecting system.

Is it worth for bachelor graduates to diversify study programme for master level?

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 1387-1401
Author(s):  
Gábor Balogh ◽  
Norbert Sipos
Keyword(s):  
Tracking System ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Administrative Databases ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Major Subject ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Professional Profile ◽  
Career Strategies ◽  
Measurement Of Success ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to add supplement to the theory of human capital with a less researched aspect: diversification possibilities of the professional profile. Our empirical analysis tested the research question, whether there is a significant difference between diversificational and specialist career strategies in the BA-MA transition based on labour market data on salaries and time of getting employment.Design/methodology/approachPresent study analyses data from the Graduate Career Tracking System from 2011 to 2015 and the Integrated Administrative Databases from 2017. Graduates of master's courses were divided and compared in three groups: generalists, specialists and field changers. To evaluate career strategies the measurement of success was based on salaries and the time taken to get jobs.FindingsThe analysis showed that there are visible differences between the results of the three groups regarding factors of employment, so at the time of reaching the absolutorium a lower rate of major subject changers are employed, while field changers get jobs significantly faster. Based on net salaries we could not reveal a difference between major subject retainers and changers, while field changers earn significantly more.Practical implicationsSpecialists (major subject retainers) have jobs that match with their degree and specialty outstandingly, field changers have notably weaker matches, while major subject changers differ only minimally. Considering this it may be due to distorted perception that specialists think the least that their master's studies are essential for the proper execution of their jobs.Originality/valueIn the literature review we found a research gap: Although there is a large number of excellent works analysing the effects of education on wages (salary curve) and career, but only a few of them investigates the impact of the professional portfolio (diversification or specialisation). The novelty of our research is that we developed a new methodology to test this question on example of the Hungarian students of business and economics focused.

scholarly journals Evaluating Students’ Cyber Ethics Awareness in a Gender-Segregated Environment Under the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

TEM Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1248-1256
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Abou Naaj ◽  
Mirna Nachouki
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Cumulative Grade Point Average ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Gender Education ◽  
University Undergraduates ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Cyber Ethics

Cyber ethics are essential components of information technology. The COVID-19 situation has brought unprecedented challenges to traditional higher education institutions, especially for students using their electronic devices in all their learning activities. This study focused on cyber ethics perceptions among university undergraduates’ students during COVID-19 conditions. It aims to analyze the extent to which distinct attributes, such as gender, education level, grades, or Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), and major are related to cyber ethics awareness. An online survey was conducted on a sample of 322 undergraduates studying Information Technology majors and other majors to assess university students' cyber ethics awareness levels at a University in the UAE. The results show that, in general, respondents were aware of cyber ethics. In particular, gender and education level were found to directly affect cyber ethics awareness, while major and grades have no statistically significant effect.

scholarly journals Reducing Nonsentinel Harm Events due to Medication Errors by Using Mini–Root Cause Analysis and Action

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-43
Author(s):  
Ghada Hussain Al Mardawi ◽  
Rajkumar Rajendram ◽  
Souzan Mohammed Alowesie ◽  
Mufareh Alkatheri
Keyword(s):  
Medication Errors ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Root Cause Analysis ◽  
Labor Costs ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Cause Analysis ◽  
System Failures ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Sentinel Events ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Introduction A full root cause analysis (RCA) such as that required following a sentinel event is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive. This quality improvement project used a similar but abbreviated process (mini-RCA and action; mini-RCA2) in response to medication errors that caused less serious harm. Methods In 2018, all medication errors that caused harm due to system failures but were not sentinel events were investigated by mini-RCA2. The incidence of similar medication errors reported in the year before and in the year after the introduction of mini-RCA2 was compared to determine the impact of this intervention. Similar events were identified by searching the safety reporting system database for reported medication errors by drug name (e.g., Humate® P) and/or event type (e.g., prescribing error—omission of a patient's home medications on admission to hospital). The time and labor costs of this intervention were estimated. Results Seven medication errors were investigated by mini-RCA2. More than 48 members of staff from 11 clinical and nonclinical departments contributed to the identification of 39 system failures and made 42 recommendations, of which 22 (52%) were implemented. This reduced the recurrence of reports of similar events from 35 (0.57%) to 21 (0.36%). Although this 0.21% absolute decrease did not achieve statistical significance, recurrence of similar harm events was reduced from 7 (0.11%) to 0 (p = 0.016). Benefits were greatest when the mini-RCA2 recommendations were fully implemented. This reduced the recurrence of similar events from 9 (0.21%) to 0 (p = 0.007). A total of 251 hours (mean ± SD, 35.9 ± 16.6 hours) were required for this intervention. The associated labor cost was Saudi Arabia Riyal (SAR) 34,181 (US $8256; mean SAR ± SD, 4883 ± 1302 [mean US $ ± SD, $2102 ± $561]). Conclusion The use of mini-RCA2 to review medication errors provided a structured process to manage reported events, monitor the implementation of recommendations, and assess the effectiveness of implemented actions. The use of this rapid process to investigate errors that cause harm but are not sentinel events reduced recurrence of similar medication errors. Although the time and cost required for this intervention is not insignificant, the cumulative benefit to patients, healthcare professionals, and the organization are greater.

scholarly journals Competency Improvement Needs of Farmers in Afforestation for Preventing and Controlling Soil Erosion in Kogi State, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
pp. 37-45
Author(s):  
Abu Mohammed ◽  
Ogbonnaya Elom ◽  
Ogechukwu Onah ◽  
Nnennaya Sinachi Monwuba
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Agricultural Extension ◽  
Extension Agents ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Level Of Significance ◽  
The Impact

Farmers’ lack of awareness of agricultural activities that contribute to soil erosion and competencies needed to prevent or control the menace through afforestation contributed to unprecedented hardship, the farmers, stakeholders and individuals in Kogi state. The purpose of this study was to determine competency improvement needs farmers in pre-planting, planting and post-planting operations in afforestation and recommend for a way forward in containing the challenges. Three research question and three hypotheses guided the study. The study made use of survey research design; it was carried out in Kogi state. The population for the study was 1,244 made up of 834 registered crop farmers and 410 Agricultural Extension Agents. The sample of the study was 540. A random sampling technique (Balloting) was used to select 330 registered crop farmers out of 834 and 210 Agricultural Extension Agent out of 410 respectively. The instrument for data collection was a 49 items questionnaire titled: Competency Improvement Needs of farmers Questionnaire (CINFQ). The instrument was validated by three experts. Cronbach Alpha method was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument and a reliability coefficient of 0.82was obtained. Five hundred and forty (540) copies of the questionnaire were administered to the respondents for data collection, but 534 copies were retrieved and analyzed. Weighted mean and Improvement Needed Index (INI) were used to answer the research questions while t-test statistics was used and test hypotheses of no significant difference at the probability of 0.05 level of significance at 532 degree of freedom. It was found out that farmers needed improvement in all the competencies in pre-planting, planting and post-planting operations for enhancing their skills in afforestation practices on their farms and that of their neighbours as a means of reducing the impact of soil erosion in the area of the study. It was recommended that the identified competencies should be used by the extension agents to re-train farmers on the practice of afforestation along with crop production and soil conservation to reduce soil erosion menace in the State.

Exploring the future impact of automation in Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuri Lima ◽  
Julia Celia Mercedes Strauch ◽  
Maria Gilda Pimentel Esteves ◽  
Jano Moreira de Souza ◽  
Miriam Barbuda Chaves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
Socioeconomic Analysis ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Impact

PurposeBrazil is struggling as the unemployment rate is 12.4% and nearly 13m people are unemployed. The fourth Industrial Revolution is advancing, and the country needs to consider how it will impact the labor market. This work explores the impact of automation on the Brazilian workforce to supply decision-makers with information about the subject.Design/methodology/approachThe authors converted the probability of computerization from the seminal work of Frey and Osborne to each of the more than 2,500 occupations in Brazil. They then crossed the automation probability with socioeconomic information about workers and companies available in the Brazilian Ministry of Labor Database.FindingsIn total, 60% of employment in Brazil is expected to be highly impacted by automation in the coming decades, with eight out of the ten occupations with the biggest workforce being highly automatable. Automation probability decreases as workers' education level increases, with the most significant difference between workers with higher education and those without it. The results show other inequalities in the impact of automation: the higher the wage, the lower the automation probability of occupations; the bigger the company, the lower the automation index; and workers from 16 to 24 years old have considerably higher chances of being automated.Originality/valueThis work is the first to study, in the context of the fourth Industrial Revolution, the impact of automation in Brazil with a socioeconomic analysis.

Study of cellulose-destroying activity of soil microflora on the radionuclide contaminated territories of Ukraine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alla Klepko ◽  
Volodymyr Illienko ◽  
Mykola Lazarev ◽  
Nataliya Bilyera
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Soil Microflora ◽  
Contamination Level ◽  
Similar Data ◽  
Exclusion Zone ◽  
Radiation Accidents ◽  
Tea Bag Index ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

<p>Elimination of the powerful radiation accidents consequences (i.e. Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents) has undoubtedly provided mankind with great experience in implementing both practical and fundamental knowledge about the radiation safety of society and the environment. In general, the practical application of scientific knowledge accumulated in the pre-accident period has led to significant positive successes of post emergency measures. The advantage of practical needs in scientific studies has narrowed the scope of fundamental work to the impact of radiation on biological objects in the affected area at the Chernobyl NPP, so the progress in this direction is modest so far.</p><p>To date, there is no unambiguous answer to the problem of the small radiation doses impact on biota, namely under such conditions people live today in areas contaminated with artificial radionuclides after Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents. Despite the accumulated experience in the elimination of radiation accidents, it is premature to consider the problem of environmental radionuclide pollution solved. This calls us to expand basic research question at identifying patterns in the state of cellulose-destroying soil microflora on contaminated areas in Ukrainian Polissya and assess their soil-forming activity.  </p><p>The study of the microbiota state on territories contaminated with radionuclides (including high level of contamination) is at an early stage, despite the intensive development of such studies after the radiation accident in Fukushima, Japan by a team of researchers from the University of Tokyo led by Professor T. Takahashi.</p><p>The aim of our work was to study the cellulose-destroying activity of the soil microflora of Ukrainian Polissya under conditions of elevated radionuclides contamination. We selected two locations - one outside the exclusion zone and the second in the exclusion zone. Both locations were characterized by a significant gradient of radionuclide contamination. At the first location, three points with soil <sup>137</sup>Cs activity of 0.6±0.045, 2.9±0.08, 4.6±0.11 kBq×kg<sup>-1</sup> soil and <sup>90</sup>Sr activity of 0.033±0.004, 0.18±0.015, 0.27±0.012 kBq×kg<sup>-1</sup> soil were selected. At the location in the exclusion zone, the <sup>137</sup>Cs activity at the sampling points 25±2, 170±1.5, 490±1 kBq×kg<sup>-1</sup> soil were selected. Since the experimental sites are located in a relatively small area, the physico-chemical soil properties between the points at each location do not have a significant difference.</p><p>To determine the rate of organic matter decomposition by soil microorganisms at all micro-sites, the standardized Tea Bag Index (TBI) method was applied. We used two types of tea bags TM Lipton - green tea (EAN8722700055525 or EAN8714100770542) and rooibos (EAN8722700188438) as a standardized plant material. Therefore, the obtained results can be compared between the microsites with different contamination level, as well as with similar data obtained by researchers for all ecosystems and many soil types from more than 2000 places around the world.</p><p>We acknowledge the National Research Foundation of Ukraine for the financial support of this research (Project №2020.01/0489).</p>

scholarly journals ASUPAN ZAT GIZI, INFEKSI DAN SANITASI DENGAN STUNTING ANAK USIA TIGA TAHUN DI WILAYAH PEDESAAN

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-75
Author(s):  
Sugeng Wiyono ◽  
Titus Priyo Harjatmo ◽  
Trina Astuti ◽  
Nanang Prayitno ◽  
Nils Aria Zulfianto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cross Section ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Complementary Feeding ◽  
Work Capacity ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Nutritional Intake ◽  
Health Costs ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Learning Productivity ◽  
The Impact

Background: The impact of stunting children is an enhancement in the incidence of morbidity and mortality, development cognitive, motoric, nonoptimal children verbal, enhancement of health costs, nonoptimal as an adult, enhancement risk of obesity, decreased health of reproduction, low capacity of learning, productivity and also work capacity which is not optimal.Purpose: The objective of this research is to find out overview of nutritional intake, infection and sanitation against stunting children under aged tree years.Method: The research design was cross section with the population of a household that have a children aged 6-35 months. A sample of 368 children aged 6-35 months were taken in a cluster.Results: There was no dependence on stunting with the length of birth (p0.05), and there was no dependance on stunting with the weight of birth (p 0.05). There is no relation between maternal education level with stunting (p 0.05). There is no relation between maternal energy intake with stunting (p 0.05).  There was a significant difference (p = 0.025) on stunting based on giving feed or ekslusif breastmilk.Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between the time of complementary feeding with exclusive breastfeeding and the incidence of stunting children under aged three years.Suggestion: Education is required for prospective mothers or mothers who have babies for giving breastmilk (ASI) until the baby is six months old or exclusively breastfed.

scholarly journals STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVES IN STUDYING MATHEMATICS SUBJECT THROUGH E-LEARNING TOOLS AT FOUNDATION EDUCATION LEVEL

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (23) ◽  
pp. 108-117
Author(s):  
Che Haziqah Che Hussin ◽  
Nurliyana Juhan ◽  
Suriana Lasaraiya ◽  
Ayu Afiqah Nasrullah
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Asynchronous Learning ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
E Learning ◽  
The Impact

The aim of the study was to find out how students preferred using asynchronous and synchronous e-learning tools. Asynchronous learning occurs when there is no predetermined time for it to take place. Learners can learn whenever and wherever they want, and they can take their time to learn what they need to know. Synchronous e-learning is characterized by structured and time-bound activities delivered via web conferencing and chatting. At the Preparatory Centre for Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (PCST, UMS) lecturers could conduct synchronous or asynchronous due to MCO which was enforced on March 18, 2020. As a result, this study was done to examine the impact of several learning styles on foundation UMS students during the COVID-19 crisis, including synchronous and asynchronous. The quantitative data analysis of research will be presented in this study. Microsoft Excel was used for data analysis. The male and female students' opinions were compared using an independent sample t-test. Additionally, the responses of students to various aspects of e-learning were represented using descriptive statistics. The findings found a significant difference in students' perceptions of the efficacy of asynchronous e-learning activities. Female students’ responses show that they found asynchronous is more effective than male students at the foundation education level. Students were found to have a greater interest in asynchronous and blended learning activities.

scholarly journals IMPACT OF FOLK DANCE ON PHYSICAL CONDITIONING OF YOUNGER SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Uģis Ciematnieks ◽  
Aija Gulbe
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
After School ◽  
Physical Conditioning ◽  
School Age ◽  
Folk Dance ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Out Of School

Children develop a variety of skills and knowledge from childhood, including physical activity habits that persist throughout their lives. Insufficient physical activity rates around the world are high and continue to increase (Latvian ministry of health, 2017). Dancing is one of the kinds of physical activity that can deliver benefits to health throughout life, even at the amateur level. Yet, it isn't quite clear yet whether dance intervention is as effective to health as other physical activities. (Yan, Cobley & Chan, 2018). The research question is – is it possible to increase general conditioning with folk dance classes besides a school activities? The aim of the study: explore the impact of folk dances on the children's body mass index and physical conditioning at a younger school age, compared with children engaged in other out of school physical activities and children not engaged in out of school physical activities. The study involved 117 children in age 9 -11 divided into three groups - going for folk dances after school, some kind of sport after school and without regular physical activity after school. The assessment of children's physical conditioning by the Eurofit tests showed a tendency that in average children's physical conditioning rates were “low“ or “below average” no matter in which group they are. For children who do afterschool activity as folk dance, BMI is statistically equivalent to those children who are going for other physical activities and children who are not engaged in any afterschool physical activity. The physical conditioning rates for all three groups are statistically equivalent in the tests: standing broad jump, bent arm hang, shuttle run 5x10m, while the test sit-ups the children lack of afterschool physical activity, average the result was one level lower than in the other groups. The main conclusion is, that volume of folk dance as afterschool physical activities is not enough to make significant difference of average physical conditioning level of children.

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