The Eight-Consciousness Model of Ethical Decision Making

<p>This article explores a model of Vijñānavāda generally known as the eight consciousnesses, which relates to understanding consciousness itself from the Vijñānavāda perspective. The model is mainly based on the description in the ‘Verses Delineating the Eight Consciousnesses’. According to the eight-consciousness model, our entire consciousness involves the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mental consciousness, the <em>manas</em> and the <em>ālayavijñāna.</em> These components are presented beginning with the single mind through the increasing complexity of the process of consciousness.</p><p> </p><p>In this article, this model is examined as a potential theoretical resource that could guide insight, knowledge and enlightenment. Herein, it is expounded how the eight-consciousness model can increase our understanding of ethical decision making and develop a perspective that can facilitate enlightenment.</p><p> </p><p>This paper does not treat a very dense and complex doctrine of Vijñānavāda. However, when considering the actions and intentions that occur in the mind, these investigations represent the transformation of consciousness into wisdom.</p><p> </p>

Adoption of Mobile Banking in Bangladesh: A Conceptual Framework

<p>The objective of this paper is to present a framework to study the behavioral intention of customers to use mobile banking service in Bangladesh.Though many companies have taken initiatives to make it popular among the customers, there is still no sign of significant progress. It is therefore necessary to understand what factors influence the intentions of customers to adopt mobile banking in Bangladesh. However, there is a lack of scientific frameworks available to adopt for this study purpose. <strong></strong></p>

The Road to Teacher Burnout and its Possible Protecting Factors – A Narrative Review

<p><em>In this review study personality characteristics and workplace environment variables (with special attention to classroom conditions) areinvestigated regarding the phenomenon of teacher burnout in order to discover the basis of an effective intervention program. Regardingthe studies, the Maslach Burnout Inventory Educational Survey for burnout measurement</em>(Maslach, Schaufeli, &amp; Leiter, 2001)<em>was applied in all of the researches. Samples have been collected from the USA and several countries of Europe. According to the results, workload and social support turned out to be major influencing factors as much aswork characteristicsare concerned, and positive affectivity, emotional stability and self-efficacy were the major influencing variables as much as personality characteristicsare concerned. As a conclusion of the correlating tendencies, a hypothesized model has been created, in order to explain the process of how an individual responds to his or her environment in the process of burnout, where the steps are: </em>(1) emotional traits (e.g.: emotional stability, positive affectivity, extraversion) -&gt; (2) perceived work environment and work characteristics -&gt; (3) consideration about one’s ability to cope (self-efficacy, self-confidence) -&gt; (4) choice of a coping strategy -&gt; (5) influence on the level of burnout (either increase or decrease).<em></em></p>

Putting small-scale mining in perspective: an analysis of risk perception of a southwestern Nigerian community

<p>Across the developing world, informal small-scale mining is still growing in popularity, so are its significant socio-environmental burdens to the host communities. The assumption that understanding risk tolerance at small scale of mining is important to recommending effective planning approach, in mitigating its environmental impacts, and in promoting environmentally responsible oversight gave rise to this survey. Quantitative responses from a systematic random sampling of 506 residents of Ijero-Ekiti mining community (southwestern Nigeria) are presented with an emphasis on risk perception and management measures. By ranking 21 variables identified through an extensive literature review, residents’ tolerance index (RTI) and resident agreement index (RAI) are computed. The results suggest that while residents’ risk perception is largely motivated by socio-economic considerations brought about by a major surge in population growth in recent years, there is greater desire for an active public engagement and improved regulatory oversight. The conclusion highlights the value of local capacity building and increased awareness of less risky economic alternatives in successfully implementing long-terms solutions to risks associated with unsustainable mining practice at any scale.</p>

Widening Access of Nigerians To Distance Education Programmes

<p>Two distance education programmes prominently exist in Nigeria. These are the Nigerian Certificate of Education (NCE) distance learning programme and the Open University distance education models. Ample evidence abounds to show that numerous Nigerians have not maximally taken advantage of these programmes to acquire requisite knowledge and skills in order to fit into the world of work and/or to improve their productivity. A plethora of factors underlie these unsavory situations. This paper highlights the inherent needs to the participation of Nigerians into these distance learning programmes and also suggests different strategies for widening or enhancing the access of more Nigerians to these new paradigms of accessing education. </p>

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION OF OCCUPATIONAL ERGONOMICS PRINCIPLES IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR OF HARARE AND MUTARE IN ZIMBABWE

<p>A major challenge for the city authorities of Harare and Mutare in Zimbabwe is to come up with clear policies and actions aimed at supporting and nurturing the informal sector as well as improving health and safety in the sector. This study thus aims at assessing the awareness of ergonomics principles in the small scale enterprises of Harare and Mutare.<strong> </strong>The level of awareness of ergonomics principles is low in the small scale informal sectors of Harare and Mutare. It was expected that builders, woodworkers and welders would have a higher level of ergonomic principles, but this was not the case. The informal workers are employed in a high-risk sector, but survey results indicated that improving their work environment is not one of their top priorities. The financial situation and the fact that occupational hazards and diseases are not always visible means that their limited resources are allocated to field other than occupational health and safety. Workers in the informal sector are not affected by the traditional employer-employee relationship as that obtains in the formal sector where the employee is obliged to care for the workers occupational health and safety needs. In order to address occupational health and safety discrepancies in the informal sector there is need for change of mindset and this can be catalysed by the local authorities and other organizations. The local authorities can begin by ensuring basic occupational hygiene skills among the informal sector workers so that they may realize their economic potential and hence sustained businesses.</p>

The effectiveness of behaviour based safety (BBS) in accident prevention at a pine timber processing plant in Nyanga District, Zimbabwe

<p>The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Behaviour Based Modelling (BBM) in the timber processing operations at a pine timber processing plant in Nyanga district in Eastern Zimbabwe. A detailed descriptive study was undertaken on the effectiveness of BBM in the timber processing operations. A sample size of 20% of all the employees directly involved in timber processing operations was used in data collection. Direct field observations, interviews and questionnaires surveys were used as primary sources of data collection. Secondary data was acquired from the division`s local clinic and the Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) department at the timber processing plant. Data collected was analysed using the statistical and descriptive methods. The study showed that BBM is accomplishing its intended goals although management support could increase with the prime focus centered on timber processing operations. Improvements on the existing operational procedures of Behaviour Based Modelling could, however, improve its effectiveness. The Safety, Health and Environment department should ensure that employees have the right to refuse to work under unsafe and unhealthy work conditions. Management must ensure that hazards and risks are eliminated prior to employees commencing the work. The procurement of Personal Protective Equipment/Clothing must be improved so as to allow the outright applicability of BBM.</p>

Ethno-Religious Pluralism and Sustainable National Development: The Nigeria Experience

<p>Ethno-religious pluralism and sustainable national development in Nigeria seem a paradox as well as an unattainable goal. Lives and properties have been wantonly destroyed with unabated zeal without due consideration to our common humanity. Resources that would have lifted the poor and underprivileged to higher levels of existence are regularly wasted in restoring damaged infrastructures. The Nigerian experience appears bleak without any hope in the horizon. This paper examines how these serious but intangible phenomena have bedeviled Nigeria as a nation. The study was carried out in sixteen Nigerian Universities. The research sample was made up of 800 lecturers from sixteen Nigerian University divided into north and south. The sampling technique adopted was the multi staged random sampling technique; data was collected through the use of structured questionnaire administered directly by the researchers and 10 research assistants over a period of 3 months. Two research questions and two hypotheses were designed to guide the study. After coding the data generated from the field using the research instrument, data was subjected to independent t-test analysis. Results obtained show that Muslim staff religious tolerance (15.9&gt;8.2); this produced t-value of 33.9 with a p-value higher than the .05 significance level with 798 degree of freedom, this implies that religious tolerance does significantly influence sustainable national development. The result of the second hypothesis also shows that mean score for north is slightly greater than the mean score for south (11.86&gt;10.73); this produced t-value of 2.41with a p-value higher than the .05 significance level with 798 degree of freedom. This implies ethnocentrism (religious pluralism and ethnicity) has significant influence on sustainable national development in Nigeria. The authors concluded that despite the religious pluralism as is observed in Nigeria, Nigerians can still live peacefully among the different ethnic nationalities and carry out sustainable national development. It was however recommended that leaders should make their followers understand that Nigeria is a country for all of us and as such every citizen has equal rights and privileged to govern or lead and every leader should give equal opportunities to every sector of the country.</p>

SITE SUITABILITY ANALYSIS FOR SOLID WASTE LANDFILL SITE LOCATION USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND REMOTE SENSING: A CASE STUDY OF BANKET TOWN BOARD, ZIMBABWE

<p>The aim of this study was to map the optimal sites that were environmentally suitable for locating a dumpsite in the Zimbabwean town of Banket as well as investigating the suitability of the dumpsite being currently used by the Banket Town Board. Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing constituted the main quantitative techniques used in data collection. Digitizing, buffering and overlaying were used to map suitable sites for locating a dumpsite in Banket. Environmental parameters were extracted from Google Earth by way of digitizing, buffered using Quantum GIS 2.8 and then overlaid using Quantum GIS 2.8 to produce the suitability map. In support of the quantitative techniques, qualitative techniques that included interviews, questionnaires, observations and literature were used to compliment the quantitative methods. Qualitative techniques comprised of knowledge accessed through interviews from the Banket Town Board, Environmental Management Agency and literature from which significant environmental parameters were drawn and their buffer distances as well as environmental effects of the current dumpsite in Banket. Results of the research presented a suitability map which showed the possible suitable sites for establishing a dumpsite in Banket as well as the most considered suitable site in the eastern part of the town. In mapping the suitable sites according to a number of buffered parameters (Central Business District, Railway line, Road, and Rivers) the current dumpsite was found to lie within the parameters designated as unsuitable. It was recommended that Banket should consider closing its current dumpsite for a better location from the possible suitable sites established by the study especially the site on the eastern part of the town which is suitable in terms of all buffered parameters as well as other confounding variables that include economy, accessibility and elevation as well as slope. </p>

The Analysis of White House Occupant and Political Polarization in the United States

<p>This paper examines a previously unidentified causal factor – White House Occupant (WHO) – in political polarization and then investigates its impact on legislative productivity and the aggregate economy. Objective pundits would agree that the United States has entered a new phase of “pandemic political polarization” because Congressional Republicans had racial resentment of Obama and they did everything to obstruct his policy agenda; and now, in retaliation and on policy issues, Democrats resent Trump. In view of the changing American electorate, we consider WHO’s race or gender or perceived religious affiliation or policy positions to be an important causal factor that will contribute to extreme political polarization in the foreseeable future. We model how political polarization will in turn depress economic growth. In addition to introducing a novel element to the ongoing research on the consequences of political polarization, this paper contributes to the broader literature by asserting that a WHO is one of the determinants of political polarization and Congressional productivity; and that the remarkable contraction in Congressional productivity during Obama’s presidency, which we found to be statistically and significantly different from the other three two-term presidents who served in the past four decades, supported this assertion. </p>