Middle and small manufacture enterprise e-commerce application systems research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Mingqiang

2017-04-01

With the extensive application of electronic commerce in manufacturing enterprises, e-commerce the influence of operation is increasingly becoming the focus of academic and business circles on the basis, this paper probes into the influence of e-commerce on the operation of the enterprise for the manufacturing enterprises to correctly understand the performance of e-commerce to provide a little help. The article first analyses e-commerce new environment on medium manufacturing enterprise requires, current medium manufacturing enterprise achieved e-commerce has many difficult, should e-commerce correctly awareness, and full planning, and points step implementation, and e-commerce and enterprise integration, and construction features of e-commerce platform, and procurement and supply chain of collaborative management, and attention customer management, and variety e-commerce of mode mixed, and flexible effective operations, and logistics socialization, views, focus on small and medium manufacturing enterprises in e-commerce applications to be innovative in design, production and management of agile and flexible production strategies.

Impact of Top Management Team on Firm Performance in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Adopting Commercial Open-Source Enterprise Resource Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cereola, Sandra J.; Wier, Benson; Norman, Carolyn Strand

2012-01-01

Based on the large number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the United States, their increasing interest in enterprise-wide software systems and their impact on the US economy, it is important to understand the determinants that can facilitate the successful implementation and assimilation of such technology into these firms' daily…

Development of Professional Identity in SMEs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puurula, Arja; Lofstrom, Erika

This paper describes a study of the development of professional identity among employees in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) participating in large-scale company-wide training programs. Managers and employees in 175 SMEs in Finland participated. These two research questions were posed: (1) are there differences in the perceptions of…

Foreign Language Management in Lazio SMEs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Incelli, Ersilia

2008-01-01

This paper investigates the foreign language management strategies of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Lazio, Italy. Based on empirical data from a questionnaire survey and ethnographic interviews, it also aims to validate the hypothesis that macro-level language planning (on a national scale) may not reflect language problems…

Linking human capital and enterprise sustainability in Indonesian medium-sized food manufacturing enterprises: the role of informal knowledge sharing practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunardi, O.

2017-12-01

Medium-sized food manufacturing enterprises in Indonesia are significant in a number of contexts, in terms of their part to the national production (GDP) and their establishment to the employment. In term of their role to national production, manufacturing sector contributes the highest GDP by 85%. In this sector, food manufacturing subsector contributes the highest GDP. Nevertheless, they faced the same common problems: quality of human capital and sustainability issues. Previous government supplementary programs have been established to expand the human capital capability amongst medium enterprises. Adequate amount of fund has been apportioned to develop human capital, though, the medium enterprises sustainability is still in question. This study proposes and examines the human capital role from informal knowledge sharing perspective. By conducting qualitative approach through interviews to four informants in Indonesian medium-sized food manufacturing enterprises, a set of hypotheses is derived from this study for future quantitative study. This study indicates that human capital traits (diverse education background, employee skills, and employee experience) could leverage the practice of informal knowledge sharing. Constructs such as mutual trust and reciprocal intention could play as mediating variables, and cultural interpretation perspective could act as moderating factor to informal knowledge sharing effectiveness. In final, informal knowledge sharing is indicated to play as moderating variable for human capital policy and practice to support enterprise sustainability.

Correlates of depressive symptoms among workers in small- and medium-scale manufacturing enterprises in Japan.

PubMed

Ikeda, Tomoko; Nakata, Akinori; Takahashi, Masaya; Hojou, Minoru; Haratani, Takashi; Nishikido, Noriko; Kamibeppu, Kiyoko

2009-01-01

Although the relationship between job stress and depressive symptoms has been well documented among workers in large scale enterprises, the situation in small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) is not fully understood. To clarify the factors associated with depressive symptoms in SMEs in Japan. 1,516 male and 738 female Japanese workers at SMEs were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. We applied hierarchical multiple linear regression with depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depressive Symptoms Scale) as the dependent variable, and (1) Individual, (2) Lifestyle, (3) Job stressors, and (4) SME unique factors as independent variables entered in 4 steps. Analyses were stratified by sex due to large differences in stress scores and demographic variables. Perceived lack of understanding from others with regard to health was the strongest factor associated with increased depressive symptoms (BETA=0.29 in males and 0.28 in females). Higher intragroup conflict (BETA=0.15 in males and 0.09 in females), perceived job future ambiguity (BETA=0.09 in males and 0.11 in females), higher quantitative workload (BETA=0.06 in males and 0.10 in females), and being an employer or a member of the employer's family (BETA=0.06 in males and 0.10 in females) were additional factors associated with high depressive symptoms. Economic concern, being single, cigarette smoking, shorter sleep duration, and skill underutilization were male specific, while younger age and lower social support at work were female specific factors significantly associated with increased depressive symptoms. These data suggest that poor mental health may be prevented by creating a workplace climate which focuses on the high value of the health of fellow workers.

Preparing the Production of a New Product in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises by Using the Method of Projects Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bijańska, Jolanta; Wodarski, Krzysztof; Wójcik, Janusz

2016-06-01

Efficient and effective preparation the production of new products is important requirement for a functioning and development of small and medium-sized enterprises. One of the methods, which support the fulfilment of this condition is project management. This publication presents the results of considerations, which are aimed at developing a project management model of preparation the production of a new product, adopted to specificity of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Managers' Understanding of Workplace Health Promotion within Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Ann; Parahoo, Kader; Fleming, Paul

2011-01-01

Objective: This study aimed at exploring managers' understanding of workplace health promotion and experiences of workplace health promotion activity within small and medium-sized enterprises. Design: A Heideggerian interpretive phenomenological methodology was adopted. Setting: This study was undertaken with small and medium-sized enterprise…

Commercial Internet Adoption in China: Comparing the Experience of Small, Medium and Large Businesses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riquelme, Hernan

2002-01-01

Describes a study of small, medium, and large enterprises in Shanghai, China that investigated which size companies benefit the most from the Internet. Highlights include leveling the ground for small and medium enterprises (SMEs); increased sales and cost savings for large companies; and competitive advantages. (LRW)

Peptides and Anti-peptide Antibodies for Small and Medium Scale Peptide and Anti-peptide Affinity Microarrays: Antigenic Peptide Selection, Immobilization, and Processing.

PubMed

Zhang, Fan; Briones, Andrea; Soloviev, Mikhail

2016-01-01

This chapter describes the principles of selection of antigenic peptides for the development of anti-peptide antibodies for use in microarray-based multiplex affinity assays and also with mass-spectrometry detection. The methods described here are mostly applicable to small to medium scale arrays. Although the same principles of peptide selection would be suitable for larger scale arrays (with 100+ features) the actual informatics software and printing methods may well be different. Because of the sheer number of proteins/peptides to be processed and analyzed dedicated software capable of processing all the proteins and an enterprise level array robotics may be necessary for larger scale efforts. This report aims to provide practical advice to those who develop or use arrays with up to ~100 different peptide or protein features.

Management Education for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the European Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holzer, Rainer

This report summarizes the activities of various bodies providing training impetus for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe on the three levels of (1) basic management education for potential small and medium-sized business owners and/or managers; (2) programs for small firm start-ups; and (3) activities to improve the management of…

Bank Size and Small- and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Lending: Evidence from China.

PubMed

Shen, Yan; Shen, Minggao; Xu, Zhong; Bai, Ying

2009-04-01

Using panel data collected in 2005, we evaluate how bank size, discretion over credit, incentive schemes, competition, and the institutional environment affect lending to small- and medium-sized enterprises in China. We deal with the endogeneity problem using instrumental variables, and a reduced-form approach is also applied to allow for weak instruments in estimation. We find that total bank asset is an insignificant factor for banks' decision on small- and medium-enterprise (SME) lending, but more local lending authority, more competition, carefully designed incentive schemes, and stronger law enforcement encourage commercial banks to lend to SMEs.

Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Inventory Management in Manufacturing SMEs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Shiau Wei; Tasmin, R.; Nor Aziati, A. H.; Zuraidah Rasi, Raja; Ismail, Fadillah Binti; Yaw, Li Ping

2017-08-01

Effectiveness of inventory management is a vital part in the manufacturing organization to be more competitive. The previous studies have indicated that there are several factors influencing the effectiveness of inventory management in the organization but there is lack of researchers who carried out the research in the manufacturing small medium enterprise in Johor. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to identify the problem of inventory management faced by the manufacturing small medium enterprise and also to determine the factors that will influence the effectiveness of inventory management. In completing this research, 80 employees were selected randomly from the manufacturing small medium enterprise in Batu Pahat, Johor and they were requested to complete questionnaires. The result have shown that the problems of inventory management faced by manufacturing organization were underproduction, overproduction, stock out situation, delays in the delivery of raw materials and discrepancy of records. The factors, documentation/store records, planning, knowledge of employees/staff skill have shown to significantly influence the effectiveness of inventory management while the funds have shown slightly significant influence on the inventory management in manufacturing small medium enterprises. This quantitative study is important to the manufacturing organization in Malaysia because it provides the guidelines to the employers of manufacturing small medium enterprises in Batu Pahat, Johor.

Bank Size and Small- and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Lending: Evidence from China

PubMed Central

SHEN, YAN; SHEN, MINGGAO; XU, ZHONG; BAI, YING

2014-01-01

Summary Using panel data collected in 2005, we evaluate how bank size, discretion over credit, incentive schemes, competition, and the institutional environment affect lending to small- and medium-sized enterprises in China. We deal with the endogeneity problem using instrumental variables, and a reduced-form approach is also applied to allow for weak instruments in estimation. We find that total bank asset is an insignificant factor for banks’ decision on small- and medium-enterprise (SME) lending, but more local lending authority, more competition, carefully designed incentive schemes, and stronger law enforcement encourage commercial banks to lend to SMEs. PMID:26052179

The web-based information system for small and medium enterprises of Tomsk region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senchenko, P. V.; Zhukovskiy, O. I.; Gritsenko, Yu B.; Senchenko, A. P.; Gritsenko, L. M.; Kovaleva, E. V.

2017-01-01

This paper presents the web enabled automated information data support system of small and medium-sized enterprises of Tomsk region. We define the purpose and application field of the system. In addition, we build a generic architecture and find system functions.

Systematic Analysis on the Environment of Innovative Small and Medium Enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Tao; Shi, Zhuqing

Environment has great influence on the growth of Innovative SMEs(small and medium enterprises), and Such enterprises has special requirements to growth environment. The ecological factors of Innovative SMEs growth environment include policy and law, social culture, finance, science and technology, market, service, and nature which get together with interactive and interrelated. Innovative SMEs depend on the environment; at the same time react to the environment, so as to achieve sustained innovation and healthy growth in the process of interaction with ecological environment.

Safety practices in Jordanian manufacturing enterprises within industrial estates.

PubMed

Khrais, Samir; Al-Araidah, Omar; Aweisi, Assaf Mohammad; Elias, Fadia; Al-Ayyoub, Enas

2013-01-01

This paper investigates occupational health and safety practices in manufacturing enterprises within Jordanian industrial estates. Response rates were 21.9%, 58.6% and 70.8% for small, medium and large sized enterprises, respectively. Survey results show that most companies comply with state regulations, provide necessary facilities to enhance safety and provide several measures to limit and control hazards. On the negative side, little attention is given to safety training that might be due to the lack of related regulations and follow-up, financial limitations or lack of awareness on the importance of safety training. In addition, results show that ergonomic hazards, noise and hazardous chemicals are largely present. Accident statistics show that medium enterprises have the highest accident cases per enterprise, and chemical industries reported highest total number of accidents per enterprise. The outcomes of this study establish a base for appropriate safety recommendations to enhance the awareness and commitment of companies to appropriate safety rules.

Sustainability and Small to Medium Sized Enterprises--How to Engage Them

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Condon, Linda

2004-01-01

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have a major advantage over larger organisations in regard to addressing sustainability issues--their size means they are able to react very quickly to changes in the business environment. They are disadvantaged, however, by lack of information on marketplace changes that make sustainability an opportunity…

Promoting Learning in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Maria; Gray, Sue

1998-01-01

In 1996, small and medium-sized enterprises constituted 99% of all businesses in the United Kingdom in all but the electricity, gas, and water supply sector, providing 46% of nongovernment employment. SMEs' concern with day-to-day demands leaves them with limited time and resources to consider their training needs. Although providing support and…

Workplace Health Promotion within Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Ann; Parahoo, Kader; Fleming, Paul

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore managers' understanding of workplace health promotion (WHP) and experiences of WHP activity within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a Health and Social Care Trust area of Northern Ireland. The paper aims to focus on engagement with activities within the context of prevention of…

Barriers to Employee Training in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises: Insights and Evidences from Mauritius

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padachi, Kesseven; Bhiwajee, Soolakshna Lukea

2016-01-01

Purpose: Training is an important component of successful business concerns. However, although there is growing acceptance amongst scholars that small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are engines that drive economies across nations, through their contribution in terms of job creation and poverty reduction; extant research portray that these…

Understanding Informal Learning in Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeong, Shinhee; McLean, Gary N.; Park, Soyoun

2018-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to explore informal learning experiences among employees working in South Korean small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 100 employees. This study specifically seeks to understand the characteristics of informal learning in Korean SMEs and culturally sensitive contextual factors that shape informal…

[Analysis of use of personal protective equipment among rural-to-urban migrant workers in small and medium enterprises in Zhongshan and Shenzhen, China].

PubMed

Zeng, Zhi; Lu, Liming; Rao, Zhanhong; Han, Lu; Shi, Jingrong; Ling, Li

2014-04-01

To investigate the current supply and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) among rural-to-urban migrant workers in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Zhongshan and Shenzhen, China and the influential factors for the use of PPE, and to provide a basis for better occupational health services and ensuring the health of migrant workers. Multi-stage sampling was used to select 856 migrant workers from 27 SMEs in Zhongshan and Shenzhen, and face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted in these subjects. Statistical analysis was performed by one-way analysis of variance, chi-square test, and logistic regression. Of all migrant workers, 38.67%were supplied with free PPE by the factory, and this rate varied across industries (furniture industry: 45.81%; electronic industry: 31.46%) and SMEs (medium enterprises: 42.13%; small enterprises: 39.20%; micro enterprises: 22.16%); 22.43% insisted on the use of PPE. The logistic regression analysis showed that factors associated with the use of PPE included sex, age, awareness of occupational health knowledge, and the size of enterprise. The rates of supply and use of PPE among migrant workers are low. The larger the enterprise, the better the supply of PPE. Male gender, being elder, and high occupational health knowledge score were favorable factors for the use of PPE, while small enterprise size was the unfavorable factor for the use of PPE.

The problems of professional training of practice-oriented specialists for small enterprises of footwear and leather production industries in Uzbekistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilkhamova, M. U.; Gafurov, J. K.; Maksudova, U. M.; Vassiliadis, S.

2017-10-01

At the present, the State authorities of the Republic of Uzbekistan pay special attention to the development of small and medium businesses and, in particular, to the enterprises oriented on manufacturing products with high added value. The leather and footwear industry of Uzbekistan is one of the dynamically developing sectors of economy. However, the study of the situation demonstrates that the increase in number of small and medium footwear and leather enterprises that have taken place in recent years, is not accompanied by a formation of corresponding professional training system for the enterprises, especially for associate specialists. The analysis of the legal base disclosed that the professional training level in footwear industry enterprises does not meet the up-to-date manufacturing requirements. The study is devoted to the issues of professional training of practice-oriented staff - the specialists for small enterprises of footwear and leather industry. The main task is the development of new vocational courses and programs for the training and professional development of personnel at all levels. The basic stages of complete staff training cycle for footwear sector have been determined based on the practical experience of staff training for small footwear enterprises in Greece. The 3-6 months duration short-term courses recommended for associate and medium level specialists have been developed and evaluated.

Virtual Class: Distance Learning for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in the Spanish Region of Castilla y Leon.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Blanca; Perez, Maria Angeles; Verdu, Maria Jesus; Navazo, Maria Agustina; Lopez, Ricardo; Mompo, Rafael; Garcia, Joaquin

Lifelong learning is becoming a necessity in the new Information Society where everyone, particularly small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), must keep up with new technologies. Education and training are of the most importance in this updating. An interdisciplinary and inter-university work group called "Canalejas" (Spain) has…

Successful E-Learning in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulsen, Morten Flate

2009-01-01

So far, e-learning has primarily been used when there are many learners involved. The up-front investments related to e-learning are relatively high, and may be perceived as prohibitive for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Some e-learning is, however, getting less expensive, and some e-learning models are more suited for small-scale…

75 FR 9431 - Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: U.S. and EU Export Activities, and Barriers and Opportunities...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-02

... and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Characteristics and Performance AGENCY: United States International... for February 9-10, 2010. The February 9-10 hearing was cancelled when Federal Government activity was... procedures relating to hearings in these investigations in St. Louis, MO, on March 10, 2010, and Portland, OR...

Analysis and Evaluation of Databases on Business and Management Training Schemes for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the European Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allesch, Jurgen; Preiss-Allesch, Dagmar

This report describes a study that identified major databases in operation in the 12 European Community countries that provide small- and medium-sized enterprises with information on opportunities for obtaining training and continuing education. Thirty-five databases were identified through information obtained from telephone interviews or…

Social Networks, Social Media and Absorptive Capacity in Regional Small and Medium Enterprises (SMES) in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bosua, Rachelle; Evans, Nina; Sawyer, Janet

2013-01-01

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are major sources of prosperity and employment and are viewed as critical to regional development in Australia. A key factor to foster productivity and growth in SMEs is their ability to identify, acquire, transform and exploit external knowledge. This ability, referred to as the "absorptive capacity…

A Bayesian Approach to International Distributor Selection for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Software Industry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lui, Joseph P.

2013-01-01

Identifying appropriate international distributors for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the software industry for overseas markets can determine a firm's future endeavors in international expansion. SMEs lack the complex skills in market research and decision analysis to identify suitable partners to engage in global market entry.…

Using the Critical Incident Technique to Research Decision Making regarding Access to Training and Development in Medium-Sized Enterprises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coetzer, Alan; Redmond, Janice; Sharafizad, Jalleh

2012-01-01

Employees in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form part of a "disadvantaged" group within the workforce that receives less access to training and development (T&D) than employees in large firms. Prior research into reasons for the relatively low levels of employee participation in training and development has typically…

78 FR 9938 - U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement: Effects on U.S. Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises; Institution...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-12

... Trade Agreement on U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) since entry into force of the... effects of the agreement on the production, distribution, and export strategy of U.S. SMEs, as identified by those SMEs, and describing how U.S. SMEs have benefited from specific provisions of the agreement...

Worldwide Report, Arms Control.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-10-11

active, innovative organizations—an indispensable force during the conception and start-up phase of new technologies—with heavyweight structures...This triangular coopera- tion— innovative PME [Small- and Medium-Sized Business]-big enterprises- government—is at work on the American continent, in...CSEE [Signals and Electrical Enterprises Company], and some innovative PME’s [Small- and Medium-Sized Business(es)] such as AID [expansion unknown] at

Is Small Finally Becoming Beautiful? Small and Medium-Size Enterprises in the New Economy. IES Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dejonckheere, J.; Ramioul, M.; Van Hootegem, G.

This report addresses small and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs') role in the changing international division of labor and trade in information service activities. Chapter 2 describes the EMERGENCE project to map and measure eWork. Chapter 3 reviews literature that shows SMEs account for the overwhelming majority of companies and make a crucial…

Design and development of a prototypical software for semi-automatic generation of test methodologies and security checklists for IT vulnerability assessment in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Möller, Thomas; Bellin, Knut; Creutzburg, Reiner

2015-03-01

The aim of this paper is to show the recent progress in the design and prototypical development of a software suite Copra Breeder* for semi-automatic generation of test methodologies and security checklists for IT vulnerability assessment in small and medium-sized enterprises.

78 FR 69047 - Travel and Tourism Trade Mission to Taiwan, Japan and Korea

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-18

... notify applicants that the fee for each additional participant (SME or larger) is $700 per participant... fee will be $1,400 for a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) and $1,625 for large firms. For... participation fee will be $1,725 for a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) and $1,925 for large firms. For...

Using Computer-Based Continuing Professional Education of Training Staff to Develop Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Thailand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sooraksa, Nanta

2012-01-01

This paper describes a career development program for staff involved in providing training for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand. Most of these staff were professional vocational teachers in schools. The program uses information communication technology (ICT), and its main objective is to teach Moodle software as a tool for…

Factors Influencing Information Communication Technology (ICT) Acceptance and Use in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyandoro, Cephus K.

2016-01-01

Research demonstrates that there is a gap in focusing understanding factors of information communication technology (ICT) acceptance and use in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). ICT is gaining popularity because it is a force in the economic growth equation. SMEs adopt ICT to promote their business strategy, performance, and growth. This study…

The Use of Financial Management Practices by Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises: A Perspective from South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brijlal, Pradeep; Enow, Samuel; Isaacs, Eslyn B. H.

2014-01-01

This paper reports on an investigation of financial management practices used by small, medium-sized and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa. It was found that more than half the SMMEs examined use external accounting staff to prepare accounting reports and more than 60% rely on external accounting staff to interpret and use accounting…

Entrepreneurial Training for the Growth of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Lessons from Central and Eastern Europe. Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

European Training Foundation, Turin (Italy).

This report brings together a number of principles as to best practice in supporting, through training, growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Central and Eastern Europe. Chapter 2 identifies key principles to be drawn from the West through a literature review. Chapter 3 reviews the "practice" of entrepreneurial training…

Consultant-Client Relationship and Knowledge Transfer in Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises Change Processes.

PubMed

Martinez, Luis F; Ferreira, Aristides I; Can, Amina B

2016-04-01

Based on Szulanski's knowledge transfer model, this study examined how the communicational, motivational, and sharing of understanding variables influenced knowledge transfer and change processes in small- and medium-sized enterprises, particularly under projects developed by funded programs. The sample comprised 144 entrepreneurs, mostly male (65.3%) and mostly ages 35 to 45 years (40.3%), who filled an online questionnaire measuring the variables of "sharing of understanding," "motivation," "communication encoding competencies," "source credibility," "knowledge transfer," and "organizational change." Data were collected between 2011 and 2012 and measured the relationship between clients and consultants working in a Portuguese small- and medium-sized enterprise-oriented action learning program. To test the hypotheses, structural equation modeling was conducted to identify the antecedents of sharing of understanding, motivational, and communicational variables, which were positively correlated with the knowledge transfer between consultants and clients. This transfer was also positively correlated with organizational change. Overall, the study provides important considerations for practitioners and academicians and establishes new avenues for future studies concerning the issues of consultant-client relationship and the efficacy of Government-funded programs designed to improve performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises. © The Author(s) 2016.

JPRS Report China.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-07-29

adequate play to the leverage of wages. Reforms of the enterprise mechanism causes very differ- ent benefits for an enterprise which has implemented... benefits received by the same enterprises before and after contracting also differ greatly. Citing as an example 110 large- and medium-sized...was that it only looked into single benefits , causing an irrational enterprise organizational structure, rigidi- fication of the product mix, and

Learning To Compete: Education, Training & Enterprise in Ghana, Kenya & South Africa. Education Research Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afenyadu, Dela; King, Kenneth; McGrath, Simon; Oketch, Henry; Rogerson, Christian; Visser, Kobus

A multinational, multidisciplinary team examined the impact of globalization on education, training, and small and medium sized enterprise development in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. The study focused on the following issues: developing a learner-led competitiveness approach; building learning enterprises; education for microenterprises and…

Collective Beer Brand Identity: A Semiotic Analysis of the Websites Representing Small and Medium Enterprises in the Brewing Industry of Western PA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cincotta, Dominic

2014-01-01

This research studies how brand identities, individually and communally, as read through websites are created among small and medium-sized enterprise breweries in western Pennsylvania. Content analysis through the frame of Kress and van Leeuwen was used as the basis for the codebook that reads each brand identity for the researcher. The…

Funding Continuing Training in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Discussion and Case Studies from across the EU. CEDEFOP Panorama Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pukkinen, Tommi; Romijn, Clemens; Elson-Rogers, Sarah

There are three main parts to this report of a study that used case studies to showcase the different approaches used to encourage more continuing training within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the European Union (EU). Section 1 discusses the importance of funding training in SMEs and highlights the various types of funding…

Concept of an Exchange Network for the Development of Vocational Training in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boudet, Rene

An examination of the ways in which vocational training can be extended to small and medium-sized enterprises in the European Economic Community, this document consists of: an introduction; four parts containing multiple chapters; 10 case studies; and a bibliography. Following the introduction, which is an update of a report made in 1985, part one…

Applicability of IHE/Continua components for PHR systems: learning from experiences.

PubMed

Urbauer, Philipp; Sauermann, Stefan; Frohner, Matthias; Forjan, Mathias; Pohn, Birgit; Mense, Alexander

2015-04-01

Capturing personal health data using smartphones, PCs or other devices, and the reuse of the data in personal health records (PHR) is becoming more and more attractive for modern health-conscious populations. This paper analyses interoperability specifications targeting standards-based communication of computer systems and personal health devices (e.g. blood pressure monitor) in healthcare from initiatives like Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) and Continua Health Alliance driven by industry and healthcare professionals. Furthermore it identifies certain contradictions and gaps in the specifications and suggests possible solutions. Despite these shortcomings, the specifications allow fully functional implementations of PHR systems. Henceforth, both big business and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can actively contribute to the widespread use of large-scale interoperable PHR systems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Networked Virtual Organizations: A Chance for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises on Global Markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cellary, Wojciech

Networked Virtual Organizations (NVOs) are a right answer to challenges of globalized, diversified, and dynamic contemporary economy. NVOs need more than e-trade and outsourcing, namely, they need out-tasking and e-collaboration. To out-task, but retain control on the way a task is performed by an external partner, two integrations are required: (1) integration of computer management systems of enterprises cooperating within an NVO; and (2) integration of cooperating representatives of NVO member enterprises into a virtual team. NVOs provide a particular chance to Small and Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) to find their place on global markets and to play a significant role on them. Requirements for SMEs to be able to successfully join an NVO are analyzed in the paper.

Waste generation and utilisation in micro-sized furniture-manufacturing enterprises in Turkey.

PubMed

Top, Y

2015-01-01

The number of small-scale businesses within most national economies is generally high, especially in developing countries. Often these businesses have a weak economic status and limited environmental awareness. The type and amount of waste produced, and the recycling methods adopted by these businesses during their operation can have negative effects on the environment. This study investigated the types of waste generated and the recycling methods adopted in micro-sized enterprises engaged in the manufacture of furniture. An assessment was also made of whether the characteristics of the enterprise had any effect on the waste recycling methods that were practised. A survey was conducted of 31 enterprises in the furniture industry in Gumushane province, Turkey, which is considered a developing economy. Surveys were undertaken via face-to-face interviews. It was found that medium-density fibreboard (MDF), and to a lesser extent, chipboard, were used in the manufacture of furniture, and two major types of waste in the form of fine dust and small fragments of board are generated during the cutting of these boards. Of the resulting composite board waste, 96.9% was used for heating homes and workplaces, where it was burnt under conditions of incomplete combustion. Enterprises were found to have adopted other methods to utilise their wastes in addition to using them as fuel. Such enterprises include those operating from a basement or first floor of a building in the cities, those continuing production throughout the year, those in need for capital and those enterprises not operating a dust-collection system. Copyright © 2014 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Graduate Transition into Work: The Bridging Role of Graduate Placement Programmes in the Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprise Workplace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Pádraig

2015-01-01

This research looks at the role of graduate placement programmes in bridging the gap between higher education and the small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector. The research design and methodology used in this study was exploratory, in-depth and qualitative in nature. The research took the form of a multiple case study and focused on seven…

Localisation, Globalisation and SMEs in European Tourism: The "Virtual Enterprise" Model of Intervention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davenport, Elisabeth

2000-01-01

Discussion of the effect of globalization on SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in Europe focuses on a case study of a current European Commission (EC) project, Net Quality, which is based on the virtual enterprise as an intervention model that may encourage small businesses to cooperate in strategic ventures. (Contains 29 references.)…

An Investigation into University Extra-Curricular Enterprise Support Provision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preedy, Sarah; Jones, Paul

2015-01-01

Purpose: The employment market means students need to be equipped with wide-ranging enterprising skills and experience. With small- and medium-sized enterprises crucial to the health of the UK economy providing graduates with the skills to start-up their own business is also of increasing pertinence. The purpose of this paper is to analyse…

An Online Information System to Support Blended Training of Rural SMEs on E-Government

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tzikopoulos, Argiris; Manouselis, Nikos; Kastrantas, Kostas; Costopoulou, Constantina

2012-01-01

Purpose: Away from central public authorities, regional (also called rural) enterprises do not have direct, physical access to all the services that governmental or public agencies offer. Very often, these services are essential for enterprises, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in such areas, in order to perform their business…

Relation of average and highest solvent vapor concentrations in workplaces in small to medium enterprises and large enterprises.

PubMed

Ukai, Hirohiko; Ohashi, Fumiko; Samoto, Hajime; Fukui, Yoshinari; Okamoto, Satoru; Moriguchi, Jiro; Ezaki, Takafumi; Takada, Shiro; Ikeda, Masayuki

2006-04-01

The present study was initiated to examine the relationship between the workplace concentrations and the estimated highest concentrations in solvent workplaces (SWPs), with special references to enterprise size and types of solvent work. Results of survey conducted in 1010 SWPs in 156 enterprises were taken as a database. Workplace air was sampled at > or = 5 crosses in each SWP following a grid sampling strategy. An additional air was grab-sampled at the site where the worker's exposure was estimated to be highest (estimated highest concentration or EHC). The samples were analyzed for 47 solvents designated by regulation, and solvent concentrations in each sample were summed up by use of additiveness formula. From the workplace concentrations at > or = 5 points, geometric mean and geometric standard deviations were calculated as the representative workplace concentration (RWC) and the indicator of variation in workplace concentration (VWC). Comparison between RWC and EHC in the total of 1010 SWPs showed that EHC was 1.2 (in large enterprises with>300 employees) to 1.7 times [in small to medium (SM) enterprises with < or = 300 employees] greater than RWC. When SWPs were classified into SM enterprises and large enterprises, both RWC and EHC were significantly higher in SM enterprises than in large enterprises. Further comparison by types of solvent work showed that the difference was more marked in printing, surface coating and degreasing/cleaning/wiping SWPs, whereas it was less remarkable in painting SWPs and essentially nil in testing/research laboratories. In conclusion, the present observation as discussed in reference to previous publications suggests that RWC, EHC and the ratio of EHC/WRC varies substantially among different types of solvent work as well as enterprise size, and are typically higher in printing SWPs in SM enterprises.

A Triple Helix Strategy for Promoting SME Development: The Case of a Dried Banana Community Enterprise in Thailand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuwawutto, Sauwapa; Smitinont, Thitapha; Charoenanong, Numtip; Yokakul, Nattaka; Chatratana, Sonchai; Zawdie, Girma

2010-01-01

This paper examines the university-industry-government relationship as a mechanism for enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The case of a community enterprise producing dried banana products in the north of Thailand is used to demonstrate the significance of the Triple Helix model for business…

The Potential of Distance Education and Training for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Mediterranean Countries of the European Community. A Report for the Commission of the European Communities--Task Force Human Resources, Education, Training, and Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quintino, Luisa

An evaluation was made of the training needs of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Portugal, Spain, Greece, and Italy and the potential of open, distance, flexible, and multimedia learning to meet those needs. The methodology included contacts with training providers, governmental institutions, and SMEs and circulation of…

Feasibility study analysis for multi-function dual energy oven (case study: tapioca crackers small medium enterprise)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soraya, N. W.; El Hadi, R. M.; Chumaidiyah, E.; Tripiawan, W.

2017-12-01

Conventional drying process is constrained by weather (cloudy / rainy), and requires wide drying area, and provides low-quality product. Multi-function dual energy oven is the appropriate technology to solve these problems. The oven uses solar thermal or gas heat for drying various type of products, including tapioca crackers. Investment analysis in technical, operational, and financial aspects show that the multi-function dual energy oven is feasible to be implemented for small medium enterprise (SME) processing tapioca crackers.

Enterprise PACS and image distribution.

PubMed

Huang, H K

2003-01-01

Around the world now, because of the need to improve operation efficiency and better cost effective healthcare, many large-scale healthcare enterprises have been formed. Each of these enterprises groups hospitals, medical centers, and clinics together as one enterprise healthcare network. The management of these enterprises recognizes the importance of using PACS and image distribution as a key technology in cost-effective healthcare delivery in the enterprise level. As a result, many large-scale enterprise level PACS/image distribution pilot studies, full design and implementation, are underway. The purpose of this paper is to provide readers an overall view of the current status of enterprise PACS and image distribution. reviews three large-scale enterprise PACS/image distribution systems in USA, Germany, and South Korean. The concept of enterprise level PACS/image distribution, its characteristics and ingredients are then discussed. Business models for enterprise level implementation available by the private medical imaging and system integration industry are highlighted. One current system under development in designing a healthcare enterprise level chest tuberculosis (TB) screening in Hong Kong is described in detail. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Resource efficiency and culture--workplace training for small and medium-sized enterprises.

PubMed

Bliesner, Anna; Liedtke, Christa; Rohn, Holger

2014-05-15

Although there are already some qualification offers available for enterprises to support resource efficiency innovations, the high potentials that can be identified especially for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have not been activated until now. As successful change lies in the hands of humans, the main aim of vocational education has to be the promotion of organisational and cultural changes in the enterprises. As there is already a small but increasing number of enterprises that perform very well in resource efficiency innovations one question arises: What are typical characteristics of those enterprises? Leaning on a good-practice approach, the project "ResourceCulture" is going to prove or falsify the hypothesis that enterprises being successful with resource efficiency innovations have a specific culture of trust, which substantially contributes to innovation processes, or even initially enables them. Detailed empirical field research will light up which correlations between resource efficiency, innovation and cultures of trust can be found and will offer important aspects for the improvement of management instruments and qualification concepts for workplace training. The project seizes qualification needs that were likewise mentioned by enterprises and consultants, regarding the implementation of resource efficiency. This article - based on first empirical field research results - derives preliminary indications for the design of the qualification module for the target groups resource efficiency consultants and managers. On this basis and in order to implement "ResourceCulture" conceptual and methodological starting points for workplace training are outlined. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Marketing information system online design for craftsmen small medium enterprises (case study: craftsmen ac)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitriana, Rina; Kurniawan, Wawan; Barlianto, Anung; Adriansyah Putra, Rizki

2016-02-01

AC is small and medium enterprises which is engaged in the field of crafts. This SME (Small Medium Enterprise) didn't have an integrated information system for managing sales. This research aims to design a marketing Information system online as applications that built as web base. The integrated system is made to manage sales and expand its market share. This study uses a structured analysis and design in its approach to build systems and also implemented a marketing framework of STP (Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning) and 4P (Price, Product, Place, Promotion) to obtain market analysis. The main market target customer craftsmen AC is women aged 13 years to 35 years. The products produced by AC are shoes, brooch, that are typical of the archipelago. The prices is range from Rp. 2000 until Rp. 400.000. Marketing information system online can be used as a sales transaction document, promoting the goods, and for customer booking products.

76 FR 81915 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; National Minority Enterprise Development (MED...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-29

... promotes the growth and competitiveness of large, medium, and small minority business enterprises by offering management and technical assistance through a network of regional and local business centers... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Minority Business Development Agency Proposed Information Collection...

Equal Opportunities and Vocational Training. Qualifications and Educational Needs of Co-Working Spouses of Owners of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riis-Jorgensen, Karin

A study examined the training needs of women working in moderate-sized enterprises owned by their husbands. Information collected from interviews with spouses of business owners in Belgium, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, and Italy confirmed the original hypothesis that in the kind of enterprise studied it is the man who owns the…

[Mortality among able-bodied population in industrial cities in accordance with specific enterprise forming a company city].

PubMed

Tikhonova, G I; Gorchakova, T Iu; Churanova, A N

2013-01-01

The article covers comparative analysis of mortality causes and levels among male able-bodied population in small and medium industrial cities of Murmansk region in accordance with specific enterprise forming a company city. Findings are that, if compared to Murmansk having no enterprise forming a company, other industrial cities in the region, situated in the same climate area, demonstrated higher levels of mortality among the male able-bodied population with the death causes associated etiologically to occupational hazards on the enterprises forming a company city.

An Analysis of Business Intelligence Maturity, Enterprise Size, and Environmental Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Karen M.

2017-01-01

Business intelligence (BI) maturity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is significantly behind larger companies that utilize BI solutions. Successful data oriented business environments require knowledge and insight to understand organizational capabilities. This quantitative correlational study assessed the relationship between…

Firm performance model in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) based on learning orientation and innovation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lestari, E. R.; Ardianti, F. L.; Rachmawati, L.

2018-03-01

This study investigated the relationship between learning orientation, innovation, and firm performance. A conceptual model and hypothesis were empirically examined using structural equation modelling. The study involved a questionnaire-based survey of owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in Batu City, Indonesia. The results showed that both variables of learning orientation and innovation effect positively on firm performance. Additionally, learning orientation has positive effect innovation. This study has implication for SMEs aiming at increasing their firm performance based on learning orientation and innovation capability.

Enterprise size and risk of hospital treated injuries among manual construction workers in Denmark: a study protocol.

PubMed

Pedersen, Betina H; Hannerz, Harald; Christensen, Ulla; Tüchsen, Finn

2011-04-21

In most countries throughout the world the construction industry continues to account for a disturbingly high proportion of fatal and nonfatal injuries. Research has shown that large enterprises seem to be most actively working for a safe working environment when compared to small and medium-sized enterprises. Also, statistics from Canada, Italy and South Korea suggest that the risk of injury among construction workers decreases with enterprise size, that is the smaller the enterprise the greater the risk of injury. This trend, however, is neither confirmed by the official statistics from Eurostat valid for EU-15 + Norway nor by a separate Danish study - although these findings might have missed a trend due to severe underreporting. In addition, none of the above mentioned studies controlled for the occupational distribution within the enterprises. A part of the declining injury rates observed in Canada, Italy and South Korea therefore might be explained by an increasing proportion of white-collar employees in large enterprises. To investigate the relation between enterprise size and injury rates in the Danish construction industry. All male construction workers in Denmark aged 20-59 years will be followed yearly through national registers from 1999 to 2006 for first hospital treated injury (ICD-10: S00-T98) and linked to data about employment status, occupation and enterprise size. Enterprise size-classes are based on the Danish business pattern where micro (less than 5 employees), small (5-9 employees) and medium-sized (10-19 employees) enterprises will be compared to large enterprises (at least 20 employees). The analyses will be controlled for age (five-year age groups), calendar year (as categorical variable) and occupation. A multi-level Poisson regression will be used where the enterprises will be treated as the subjects while observations within the enterprises will be treated as correlated repeated measurements. This follow-up study uses register data that include all people in the target population. Sampling bias and response bias are thereby eliminated. A disadvantage of the study is that only injuries requiring hospital treatment are covered.

Enterprise size and risk of hospital treated injuries among manual construction workers in Denmark: a study protocol

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background In most countries throughout the world the construction industry continues to account for a disturbingly high proportion of fatal and nonfatal injuries. Research has shown that large enterprises seem to be most actively working for a safe working environment when compared to small and medium-sized enterprises. Also, statistics from Canada, Italy and South Korea suggest that the risk of injury among construction workers decreases with enterprise size, that is the smaller the enterprise the greater the risk of injury. This trend, however, is neither confirmed by the official statistics from Eurostat valid for EU-15 + Norway nor by a separate Danish study - although these findings might have missed a trend due to severe underreporting. In addition, none of the above mentioned studies controlled for the occupational distribution within the enterprises. A part of the declining injury rates observed in Canada, Italy and South Korea therefore might be explained by an increasing proportion of white-collar employees in large enterprises. Objective To investigate the relation between enterprise size and injury rates in the Danish construction industry. Methods/Design All male construction workers in Denmark aged 20-59 years will be followed yearly through national registers from 1999 to 2006 for first hospital treated injury (ICD-10: S00-T98) and linked to data about employment status, occupation and enterprise size. Enterprise size-classes are based on the Danish business pattern where micro (less than 5 employees), small (5-9 employees) and medium-sized (10-19 employees) enterprises will be compared to large enterprises (at least 20 employees). The analyses will be controlled for age (five-year age groups), calendar year (as categorical variable) and occupation. A multi-level Poisson regression will be used where the enterprises will be treated as the subjects while observations within the enterprises will be treated as correlated repeated measurements. Discussion This follow-up study uses register data that include all people in the target population. Sampling bias and response bias are thereby eliminated. A disadvantage of the study is that only injuries requiring hospital treatment are covered. PMID:21510851

Economic assessments of potato production systems in Maine

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Using an integrated enterprise and whole-farm budget model for a 324-ha medium-sized potato farm, the profitability of potatoes grown in combination with fifteen common potato rotation crops in Maine are evaluated. Enterprise budgets for all sixteen crops are calculated while a whole-farm budget syn...

Face-to-Face or Distance Training: Two Different Approaches To Motivate SMEs to Learn.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawless, Naomi; Allan, John; O'Dwyer, Michele

2000-01-01

Two approaches to training for small/medium-sized enterprises were compared: a British distance learning program and an Irish program offering face-to-face training for micro-enterprises. Both used constructivist, collaborative, and reflective methods. Advantages and disadvantages of each approach were identified. (SK)

Enterprise Resource Planning in Small and Medium Enterprises: Examining the Business Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Millard A.

2016-01-01

Prior research pertaining to the behaviors that related to the acceptance and use of technology was primarily focused on individual end users with little concentration on the collective organizational perspective. Infrastructure changes in organizations developed as they transitioned from serviceable information technology systems to enterprise…

Experiences of Action Leaning in Two SME Business Support Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Laurie

2009-01-01

Action learning sets are used by Lancaster University Management School's Institute for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development to provide business support to owner managers of small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper compares the experiences of participants and facilitator of two programmes: one part of a wider programme of…

Hybrid neural intelligent system to predict business failure in small-to-medium-size enterprises.

PubMed

Borrajo, M Lourdes; Baruque, Bruno; Corchado, Emilio; Bajo, Javier; Corchado, Juan M

2011-08-01

During the last years there has been a growing need of developing innovative tools that can help small to medium sized enterprises to predict business failure as well as financial crisis. In this study we present a novel hybrid intelligent system aimed at monitoring the modus operandi of the companies and predicting possible failures. This system is implemented by means of a neural-based multi-agent system that models the different actors of the companies as agents. The core of the multi-agent system is a type of agent that incorporates a case-based reasoning system and automates the business control process and failure prediction. The stages of the case-based reasoning system are implemented by means of web services: the retrieval stage uses an innovative weighted voting summarization of self-organizing maps ensembles-based method and the reuse stage is implemented by means of a radial basis function neural network. An initial prototype was developed and the results obtained related to small and medium enterprises in a real scenario are presented.

The effects of a physical activity intervention on employees in small and medium enterprises: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Edmunds, Sarah; Stephenson, Duncan; Clow, Angela

2013-01-01

Workplaces have potential as a setting for physical activity promotion but evidence of the effectiveness of intervention programmes in small and medium sized enterprises is limited. This paper reports the impact of an intervention which trained existing employees to promote physical activity to their colleagues. Eighty-nine previously low-active employees from 17 small and medium sized organisations participated. A mixed methods evaluation design was used. Quantitative data were collected at baseline and 6 months later using an online questionnaire. Qualitative data from a series of 6 focus groups were analysed. Repeated measures t-tests showed significant increases over time in physical activity, general health rating, satisfaction with life and positive mood states. There were significant decreases in body mass index (BMI), perceived stress, negative mood states and presenteeism. There was no change in absenteeism. Analysis of focus group data provided further insight into the impact of the intervention. Five major themes emerged: awareness of physical activity; sustaining physical activity behaviour change; improved health and well-being; enhanced social networks; and embedding physical activity in the workplace culture. This study shows it is feasible and effective to train employees in small and medium sized enterprises to support their colleagues in physical activity behaviour change.

A 10-step safety management framework for construction small and medium-sized enterprises.

PubMed

Gunduz, Murat; Laitinen, Heikki

2017-09-01

It is of great importance to develop an occupational health and safety management system (OHS MS) to form a systemized approach to improve health and safety. It is a known fact that thousands of accidents and injuries occur in the construction industry. Most of these accidents occur in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This article provides a 10-step user-friendly OHS MS for the construction industry. A quantitative OHS MS indexing method is also introduced in the article. The practical application of the system to real SMEs and its promising results are also presented.

Improving Employability Skills, Enriching Our Economy. Case Study Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Foundation for Educational Research, 2015

2015-01-01

This report has been produced by four organisations--the National Foundation for Educational Research, South East Strategic Leaders, London Councils and the London Enterprise Panel. It is based on research into how secondary schools, colleges, SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and micro-businesses in London and the South East work together…

Improving Employability Skills, Enriching Our Economy. Research Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Foundation for Educational Research, 2015

2015-01-01

This report has been produced by four organisations--the National Foundation for Educational Research, South East Strategic Leaders, London Councils and the London Enterprise Panel. It is based on research into how secondary schools, colleges, SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and micro-businesses in London and the South East work together…

Why Do Small Enterprises Participate in a Programme for Competence Development?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kock, Henrik; Gill, Andreas; Ellstrom, Per Erik

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to increase our understanding of why firms, specifically small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), participate in a programme for competence development and why firms use different strategies for competence development. Design/methodology/approach: A study of 17 SMEs that all received support from the European…

SME Performance--Results from a Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isaacs, Eslyn; Friedrich, Christian

2010-01-01

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have become the backbone of industrialized economies. This trend is also evident in South Africa, where, however, there are more closures than expansions: it is believed that only around 1% of the micro-enterprises started with fewer than five employees grow to employ up to 10 people. Consequently, these…

Exploring Managerial Commitment towards SPI in Small and Very Small Enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Connor, Rory V.; Basri, Shuib; Coleman, Gerry

This paper compares and contrasts the results of two similar studies into the software process practices in Irish Small and Very Small Enterprises. The first study contains rich findings in relation to the role and influence of managerial experience and style, with particular respect to the company founder and software development managers in small to medium seized enterprises (SMEs), whilst the second study contains extensive findings in relation to people and management involvement / commitment and SPI goal planning in very small enterprises (VSEs). By combining these results of these two studies of Irish SMEs/VSEs we can develop a rich picture of managerial commitment towards SPI and in particular explore the similarities between Small and Very Small Enterprises.

Pricing Mechanism Design for Centralized Pollutant Treatment with SME Alliances.

PubMed

Li, Yuyu; Huang, Bo; Tao, Fengming

2016-06-22

In this paper, we assume that a professional pollutant treatment enterprise treats all of the pollutants emitted by multiple small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In order to determine the treatment price, SMEs can bargain with the pollutant treatment enterprise individually, or through forming alliances. We propose a bargaining game model of centralized pollutant treatment to study how the pollutant treatment price is determined through negotiation. Then, we consider that there is a moral hazard from SMEs in centralized pollutant treatment; in other words, they may break their agreement concerning their quantities of production and pollutant emissions with the pollutant treatment enterprise. We study how the pollutant treatment enterprise can prevent this by pricing mechanism design. It is found that the pollutant treatment enterprise can prevent SMEs' moral hazard through tiered pricing. If the marginal treatment cost of the pollutant treatment enterprise is a constant, SMEs could bargain with the pollutant treatment enterprise individually, otherwise, they should form a grand alliance to bargain with it as a whole.

Pricing Mechanism Design for Centralized Pollutant Treatment with SME Alliances

PubMed Central

Li, Yuyu; Huang, Bo; Tao, Fengming

2016-01-01

In this paper, we assume that a professional pollutant treatment enterprise treats all of the pollutants emitted by multiple small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In order to determine the treatment price, SMEs can bargain with the pollutant treatment enterprise individually, or through forming alliances. We propose a bargaining game model of centralized pollutant treatment to study how the pollutant treatment price is determined through negotiation. Then, we consider that there is a moral hazard from SMEs in centralized pollutant treatment; in other words, they may break their agreement concerning their quantities of production and pollutant emissions with the pollutant treatment enterprise. We study how the pollutant treatment enterprise can prevent this by pricing mechanism design. It is found that the pollutant treatment enterprise can prevent SMEs’ moral hazard through tiered pricing. If the marginal treatment cost of the pollutant treatment enterprise is a constant, SMEs could bargain with the pollutant treatment enterprise individually, otherwise, they should form a grand alliance to bargain with it as a whole. PMID:27338440

The natural selection of organizational and safety culture within a small to medium sized enterprise (SME).

PubMed

Brooks, Benjamin

2008-01-01

Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) form the majority of Australian businesses. This study uses ethnographic research methods to describe the organizational culture of a small furniture-manufacturing business in southern Australia. Results show a range of cultural assumptions variously 'embedded' within the enterprise. In line with memetics - Richard Dawkin's cultural application of Charles Darwin's theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, the author suggests that these assumptions compete to be replicated and retained within the organization. The author suggests that dominant assumptions are naturally selected, and that the selection can be better understood by considering the cultural assumptions in reference to Darwin's original principles and Frederik Barth's anthropological framework of knowledge. The results are discussed with reference to safety systems, negative cultural elements called Cultural Safety Viruses, and how our understanding of this particular organizational culture might be used to build resistance to these viruses.

Availability and the use of work-life balance benefits guaranteed by the Polish Labour Code among workers employed on the basis of employment contracts in small and medium enterprises.

PubMed

Andysz, Aleksandra; Jacukowicz, Aleksandra; Stańczak, Aleksander; Drabek, Marcin

2016-01-01

Polish Labour Code provides employees with a range of solutions (benefits) supporting them in achieving balance between work and private life. This paper was aimed at indicating availability and the use of legal benefits supporting work-life balance (WLB) among Polish workers of small and medium enterprises. The study sample included 219 respondents, aged 22-64, working in small and medium enterprises and employed on the basis of employment contracts for at least a year. The respondents completed a questionnaire on availability and the use of benefits guaranteed by the Polish Labour Code, referring to their current workplaces. Most frequently the studied employees took sick leave because of one's own illness and leave on demand. In our sample, 45% of the women took maternity leave and 26% of the men took paternity leave. The respondents took educational and parental leave the least frequently. More than half of the respondents (58%) did not return to the same position after leave devoted to childcare, even though they had such a possibility. In fact, most of work-life balance benefits guaranteed by law were available to the employees of small and medium enterprises, regardless of their gender. Availability and the use of the majority of benefits were similar among the women and men. Availability of benefits depended on the specificity of industry and a profession, thus, future research on work-life balance policy should control for variables related to the character of work. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Methodology of Systems' Development for the Internal Audit: The Case of the SME

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gountaras, George

2009-08-01

Recent changes in regulations of the most important institutions and Enterprises of USA, UK and Greece due to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 are modified the vision about the enterprises activities' inspection. This article investigates the role of the applied instruments in the successful realization of internal audit in the Small and Medium Enterprises in Greece. The hindered development of this kind of enterprises related to the intensive market competition is taken in consideration. The most important analyzed factors are the operations effectiveness and efficiency, the reliability of economic statements, and the adaptation to the legal frame of business development.

The current status of occupational health in China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xueyan; Li, Tao

2010-01-01

Objective This study aimed to summarize the major health problems among Chinese workers, the strategies and measures for occupational hazards control, the network and organizations of occupational health administration, and the achievements and current challenges of occupational health in China. Results The situation of occupational health was found to be still serious in China. Enterprises with occupational hazards were widely distributed, the exposed population and cases of occupational diseases were numerous, and occupational risks were being transferred from the city to the countryside and from developed areas to developing ones. New emerging problems coexisted with traditional occupational hazards. Besides, a lack of occupational health services for migrant workers could be a major problem for a long time. Conclusions It is necessary to improve the fields related to occupational health, such as the supervision and administration of small- and medium-scale enterprises, research into key techniques for the prevention and control of occupational hazards, systems for the diagnosis and reporting of occupational diseases, and the training of health professionals. PMID:21432554

The Relationship between Organizational Learning and SME Performance in Poland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michna, Anna

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify and define dimensions of organizational learning and the way it affects small- or medium-size enterprise (SME) performance. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical research is carried out in Polish SMEs (the sample size is 211 enterprises). In order to test the constructed hypotheses we use…

Data Integration in Computer Distributed Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwiecień, Błażej

In this article the author analyze a problem of data integration in a computer distributed systems. Exchange of information between different levels in integrated pyramid of enterprise process is fundamental with regard to efficient enterprise work. Communication and data exchange between levels are not always the same cause of necessity of different network protocols usage, communication medium, system response time, etc.

West Europe Report, Science and Technology, No. 136.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-02-01

their barriers and work with the large enterprises (Pechiney, Sanofi , Rhone- Poulenc) or the small and medium-size industrial enterprises on specific...traditional products of the agro-nutritional industries, —production of amino acids, antibiotics, vitamins, vaccines , hormones, en- zymes and...systems engineering; 4. Production of bioreagents for analysis, vaccines , monoclonal antibodies, and new cell-derived products for therapeutic

Acceptance of Mobile Learning at SMEs of the Service Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beutner, Marc; Rüscher, Frederike Anna

2017-01-01

Mobile Learning (mLearning) is becoming popular in several parts of education. The increasing availability of mobile technology and devices is an important fact, which fosters this trend. However, even if it attracts more and more attention at huge enterprises it is not clear what small and medium enterprises (SMEs) think about Mobile Learning.…

The Impact of Globalisation on SME-Subcontractors' Supply Chain Strategies: A Danish Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gammelgaard, Britta; Mathiasen, John Bang

2007-01-01

Globalisation and competition have impacted on not only large firms but also Small and Medium sizes Enterprises (SME) and these enterprises often act as subcontractors to larger firms operating in international markets. The impact of globalisation is severe on the SME-subcontractors due to supply chain linkages between large and SMEs through…

Information Technology Applications on Human Resources Management Functions in Large U.S. Metropolitan Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alsawafy, Qais Abdulkadum Kahalf

2013-01-01

The existing bond between human resources (HR) that team up in a business enterprise and the "real medium" information technology (IT) itself appears in the moment that the relationship is generated independently of the kind of enterprise and the relationship established between them. In today's competitive business world, companies who…

Factors Affecting the Provision of Entry-Level Training by Enterprises. Australian Apprenticeships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ball, K.; Freeland, B.

A study examined key determinants of apprentice and trainee employment in small and medium-sized enterprises that play an increasing role in providing employment-based training in Australia. It used unit record data from four waves of the Australian Bureau of Statistics business growth and performance surveys 1994-95 to 1997-98, which sent…

[Qualitative evaluation of employer requirements associated with occupational health and safety as good practice in small-scale enterprises].

PubMed

Kuroki, Naomi; Miyashita, Nana; Hino, Yoshiyuki; Kayashima, Kotaro; Fujino, Yoshihisa; Takada, Mikio; Nagata, Tomohisa; Yamataki, Hajime; Sakuragi, Sonoko; Kan, Hirohiko; Morita, Tetsuya; Ito, Akiyoshi; Mori, Koji

2009-09-01

The purpose of this study was to identify what motivates employers to promote good occupational health and safety practices in small-scale enterprises. Previous studies have shown that small-scale enterprises generally pay insufficient attention to issues of occupational health and safety. These findings were mainly derived from questionnaire based surveys. Nevertheless, some small-scale enterprises in which employers exercise good leadership do take a progressive approach to occupational health and safety. Although good practices can be identified in small-scale enterprises, it remains unclear what motivates employers in small-scale enterprises to actively implement occupational health and safety practices. We speculated that identifying employer motivations in promoting occupational health would help to spread good practices among small-scale enterprises. Using a qualitative approach based on the KJ methods, we interviewed ten employers who actively promote occupational health and safety in the workplace. The employers were asked to discuss their views of occupational health and safety in their own words. A semi-structured interview format was used, and transcripts were made of the interviews. Each transcript was independently coded by two or more researchers. These transcripts and codes were integrated and then the research group members discussed the heading titles and structural relationships between them according to the KJ method. Qualitative analysis revealed that all the employers expressed a strong interest in a "good company" and "good management". They emphasized four elements of "good management", namely "securing human resources", "trust of business partners", "social responsibility" and "employer's health condition itself", and considered that addressing occupational health and safety was essential to the achievement of these four elements. Consistent with previous findings, the results showed that implementation of occupational health and safety activities depended on "cost", "human resources", "time to perform", and "advisory organization". These results suggest that employer awareness of the relationship between good management and occupational health is essential to the implementation of occupational health and safety practices in small-scale enterprises.

The personal receiving document management and the realization of email function in OAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Biqing; Li, Zhao

2017-05-01

This software is an independent software system, suitable for small and medium enterprises, contains personal office, scientific research project management and system management functions, independently run in relevant environment, and to solve practical needs. This software is an independent software system, using the current popular B/S (browser/server) structure and ASP.NET technology development, using the Windows 7 operating system, Microsoft SQL Server2005 Visual2008 and database as a development platform, suitable for small and medium enterprises, contains personal office, scientific research project management and system management functions, independently run in relevant environment, and to solve practical needs.

Job stress and depressive symptoms among Korean employees: the effects of culture on work.

PubMed

Park, Shin-Goo; Min, Kyoung-Bok; Chang, Sei-Jin; Kim, Hwan-Cheol; Min, Jin-Young

2009-02-01

This study was conducted to investigate the association between depressive symptoms and job stress, as measured by the KOSS, among Korean employees in small- and medium-sized enterprises, and examined which components of stress are involved in the risk for depression among males and females. Data were collected from a work-stress survey of full-time employees of small- and medium-sized enterprises in Incheon, South Korea. A total of 3,013 participants were included in the analysis. Job stress was measured using 24 items (7 sub-scales) of the short form of Korean occupational stress scale (KOSS-SF), and depressive symptoms were evaluated using Center for epidemiologic studies depression scale (CES-D). After adjustment for confounding variables, most of subscales of job stress contributed to an increased risk of depressive symptoms, and job insecurity (male; OR = 2.02, 95%CI: 1.61-2.40, female; OR = 1.95, 95%CI: 1.42-2.70) and occupational climate (male; OR = 1.84, 95%CI: 1.49-2.28, female; OR = 1.78, 95%CI: 1.30-2.49) showed strong associations in both male and female. Other subscales revealed different effects for males and females; for males, job demands (OR = 1.68, 95%CI: 1.43-2.20), inadequate social support (OR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.23-1.94), and lack of rewards (OR = 1.88, 95%CI: 1.48-2.37) were associated with depressive symptoms, whereas for females, organizational injustice (OR = 1.62, 95%CI: 1.14-2.30) was associated with depressive symptoms. These results indicate that job stress may play a significant role in increasing the risk of depressive symptoms, and that further preventive efforts and research are needed to reduce job stress and address health problems caused by job stress among Korean employees.

Effectiveness of a Comprehensive Stress Management Program to Reduce Work-Related Stress in a Medium-Sized Enterprise

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Objectives To assess the effectiveness of a comprehensive workplace stress management program consisting of participatory action-oriented training (PAOT) and individual management. Methods A comprehensive workplace stress management program was conducted in a medium-sized enterprise. The baseline survey was conducted in September 2011, using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS) and Worker’s Stress Response Inventory (WSRI). After implementing both organizational and individual level interventions, the follow up evaluation was conducted in November 2011. Results Most of the workers participated in the organizational level PAOT and made Team-based improvement plans. Based on the stress survey, 24 workers were interviewed by a researcher. After the organizational and individual level interventions, there was a reduction of several adverse psychosocial factors and stress responses. In the case of blue-collar workers, psychosocial factors such as the physical environment, job demands, organizational system, lack of rewards, and occupational climate were significantly improved; in the case of white-collar workers, the occupational climate was improved. Conclusions In light of these results, we concluded that the comprehensive stress management program was effective in reducing work-related stress in a short-term period. A persistent long-term follow up is necessary to determine whether the observed effects are maintained over time. Both team-based improvement activities and individual interviews have to be sustainable and complementary to each other under the long-term plan. PMID:24524591

[Epidemiological study of cytopenia among benzene-exposed workers and its influential factors].

PubMed

Peng, Juan-juan; Liu, Mei-xia; Yang, Feng; Guo, Wei-wei; Zhuang, Ran; Jia, Xian-dong

2013-03-01

To evaluate the benzene exposure level and cytopenia among the benzene exposed workers in Shanghai, China and to analyze the influential factors for the health of benzene-exposed workers. A total of 3314 benzene-exposed workers, who were from 85 benzene-related enterprises selected by stratified random sampling based on enterprise sizes and industries, were included in the study. The time-weighted average (TWA) concentration of benzene in each workshop was measured by individual sampling and fixed point sampling, and the benzene exposure level in workshop was evaluated accordingly. The occupational health examination results and health status of benzene-exposed workers were collected. The median of TW A concentrations of benzene was 0.3 mg/m3. The TWA concentrations measured at 7 ( 1.4%) of the 504 sampling points were above the safety limit. Of the 7 points, 3 were from large enterprises, 2 from medium enterprises, and 2 from small enterprises; 3 were from shipbuilding industry, 1 from chemical industry, and 3 from light industry. Of the 3314 benzene-exposed workers, 451 ( 13.6%) had cytopenia, including 339 males ( 339/2548, 13.3%) and 112 females ( 112/766, 14.6% ). There were significant differences in the incidence rates of leukopenia and neutropenia among the benzene-exposed workers of different sexes and ages (P<0.05); there were significant differences in the incidence rate of cytopenia among the benzene-exposed workers of different ages and working years ( P<0.05 ); there were significant differences in the incidence of neutropenia among the benzene exposed workers of different working years ( P<0.05). Monitoring and intervention measures should be enhanced to protect the benzene-exposed workers in the large enterprises in shipbuilding industry and medium and private enterprises in chemical industry from occupational hazards.

Total (E)quality Management: Paradigmatic Shift in Personnel Management. IAB Labour Market Research Topics No. 28.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engelbrech, Gerhard

In Germany as elsewhere, enterprises are becoming increasingly convinced that the initial costs of increasing attention to promoting the employment of women are offset by the medium- and long-term benefits to the enterprise because of a larger pool of qualified female employees. This attitude change is partly due to the fact that, in western…

A complexity science-based framework for global joint operations analysis to support force projection: LDRD Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lawton, Craig R.

2015-01-01

The military is undergoing a significant transformation as it modernizes for the information age and adapts to address an emerging asymmetric threat beyond traditional cold war era adversaries. Techniques such as traditional large-scale, joint services war gaming analysis are no longer adequate to support program evaluation activities and mission planning analysis at the enterprise level because the operating environment is evolving too quickly. New analytical capabilities are necessary to address modernization of the Department of Defense (DoD) enterprise. This presents significant opportunity to Sandia in supporting the nation at this transformational enterprise scale. Although Sandia has significant experience with engineeringmore » system of systems (SoS) and Complex Adaptive System of Systems (CASoS), significant fundamental research is required to develop modeling, simulation and analysis capabilities at the enterprise scale. This report documents an enterprise modeling framework which will enable senior level decision makers to better understand their enterprise and required future investments.« less

What affects the innovation performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the biotechnology industry? An empirical study on Korean biotech SMEs.

PubMed

Kang, Kyung-Nam; Lee, Yoon-Sik

2008-10-01

Research-intensive small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in the advancement of the biotechnology industry. This paper explored the impacts of internal and contextual variables on innovative activity in Korea and compared the results of this analysis with previous studies of other countries. Our analysis of 149 Korean biotech SMEs showed that the ratio of R&D expenditure to sales, the ratio of R&D employees to total employees, CEO characteristics, governmental support and international networking are positively correlated with a firm's innovation performance. The results may help decision makers to better foster SMEs in the Korean biotechnology industry.

[Assessment and analysis of 108 health promotion demonstration enterprises in Jiangsu Province, China].

PubMed

Zhang, Qiaoyun; Xu, Zhongjie; Guo, Haijian; Wang, Jianfeng; Zhao, Yuan; Zhang, Hengdong; Xie, Yan; Zhu, Baoli

2015-02-01

To investigate the current status of carrying out the workplace health promotion (WHP) in the enterprises, and to provide a basis for formulation of relevant policies. The enterprises that declared Jiangsu Provincial Health Promotion Demonstration Enterprise received on-site assessment by the expert group, including organization management and protection measures, health management, workplace, health, and cultural environment. And a questionnaire survey was performed. The data of evaluations were analyzed by SPSS 19.0. In the last four years, 108 enterprises which had achieved the standard of Health Promotion Demonstration Enterprise were mainly distributed in Southern Jiangsu, including 34 (31.48%) large-sized enterprises, 58 (53.70%) medium-sized enterprises, and 16 (14.81%) small-sized enterprises. And there were 49 (45.37%) wholly foreign-owned enterprises. There were significant differences in the scores between different economic types of enterprises (F = 2.820, P = 0.014). The most deducted points were due to unqualified bulletin boards and warning label of occupation hazards, about 78 times (72.22%); 54.55% of the indices whose deduction rates were higher than 20% were related to occupational disease prevention and control. Regions and economic types affect carrying out WHP in enterprises. The current priority is to standardize physical work environment in China. The professional technical level should be improved, and the government needs to redouble efforts to promote the WHP.

The utility of injury narratives for prioritising future prevention activities in small and medium enterprises in rural Vietnam.

PubMed

Marucci-Wellman, Helen; Willetts, Joanna L; Diep, Nguyen Bich; Binh, Ta Thi Tuyet

2013-04-01

Injuries are a leading cause of work-related disability and death in rapidly developing countries such as Vietnam. The authors' objective was to demonstrate the utility of detailed injury narratives, derived from a household survey, in providing information on the determinants of work-related injuries to inform potential intervention targets. In a cross-sectional survey administered to 2615 households of a rapidly developing community of Vietnam where many workers engage in both agriculture and industrial work, the authors collected information about self-reported work-related injuries, annual hours worked in each industry and narrative text describing the circumstances of each injury. The authors used a customised coding taxonomy to describe injury scenarios. Several intervention themes emerged, including the implementation of machine guarding, the use of cut resistant gloves and safety glasses which would benefit the small- and medium-sized enterprises. Calculation of incidence rates using full-time equivalents, stratified by work group, provided some unexpected observations of the risks of working in agriculture; workers who work in agriculture in addition to another industry are at an increased risk of fatigue or overexertion and other consequences of working too hard in their agricultural activities. A lack of aggregate injury statistics makes it difficult for the owners of small- and medium-sized enterprises to recognise a priori the most effective safety interventions. This analysis of detailed injury narratives with an appropriate taxonomic basis offers the ability to focus on the level of cause, activity and source and may inform the choice of various potential interventions at the workplace or enterprise level.

Effects of organizational safety on employees' proactivity safety behaviors and occupational health and safety management systems in Chinese high-risk small-scale enterprises.

PubMed

Mei, Qiang; Wang, Qiwei; Liu, Suxia; Zhou, Qiaomei; Zhang, Jingjing

2018-06-07

Based on the characteristics of small-scale enterprises, the improvement of occupational health and safety management systems (OHS MS) needs an effective intervention. This study proposed a structural equation model and examined the relationships of perceived organization support for safety (POSS), person-organization safety fit (POSF) and proactivity safety behaviors with safety management, safety procedures and safety hazards identification. Data were collected from 503 employees of 105 Chinese high-risk small-scale enterprises over 6 months. The results showed that both POSS and POSF were positively related to improvement in safety management, safety procedures and safety hazards identification through proactivity safety behaviors. Our findings provide a new perspective on organizational safety for improving OHS MS for small-scale enterprises and extend the application of proactivity safety behaviors.

[Occupational hazards survey of specially supervised enterprises during 2011-2012 in one district of Shenzhen, China].

PubMed

Zhang, Hongsheng; Zhang, Xianxing; Zhang, Chu; Liu, Song; He, Jian-Feng

2014-04-01

To analyze the results of an occupational hazards survey of specially supervised enterprises (156 enterprise-times) during 2011-2012 in one district of Shenzhen, China and find out the changes in occupational hazards in these enterprises, and to put forward countermeasures for the prevention and control of occupational hazards. Occupational hazards monitoring results for specially supervised enterprises (156 enterprise-times) during 2011-2012 were included. Comparison and analysis were performed between different years, different industries, different occupational hazards, and different sizes of enterprises. A total of 1274 monitoring sites from these specially supervised enterprises were included, of which qualification rate was 73.55% (937/1274), and the noise monitoring sites showed the lowest qualification rate. The overall qualification rate in 2012 (70.37%) was significantly lower than that in 2011 (80.94%) (χ(2) = 15.38, P < 0.01). In electronics industry, the qualification rate in 2012 was significantly lower than that in 2011 (χ2 = 11.27, P = 0.001). Comparison of various hazards in different industries indicated that electronic enterprises and furniture enterprises had the lowest qualification rate in noise monitoring, printing enterprises had the lowest qualification rate in organic solvent monitoring, and furniture enterprises had the lowest qualification rate in dust monitoring. Comparison between different sizes of enterprises indicated that the qualification rate of large and medium enterprises in 2012 was significantly lower than that in 2011, while the qualification rate of small enterprises in 2012 was significantly higher than that in 2011 (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). In the prevention and control of occupational hazards in specially supervised enterprises, special attention should be paid to the control of organic solvents in printing enterprises and noise and dust in furniture enterprises.

Analysis of Managing Safety in Small Enterprises: Dual-Effects of Employee Prosocial Safety Behavior and Government Inspection

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

This paper aims to promote a national and international occupational health and safety (OHS) intervention for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within internal and external resources. Based on the characteristics of small SME management, the work environment and occupational health may be positively affected by the dual-effects of employees and government. Evolutionary game theory is utilized to identify relevant interactions among the government, small enterprises, and employees. Furthermore, dynamic simulations of the evolutionary game model are used to explore stability strategies and to identify modes of equilibrium. PMID:29707574

Analysis of successful rate factors for small and medium enterprises in furniture manufacturing sector in Klaten Regency - Central Java, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budhi Utomo, R.; Lasminiasih; Prajaka, S.

2018-03-01

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are business activities that can expand the level of employment rate and provide economic services to the wider community and can play a role in the process of equalizing and improving people’s income, stimulating economic growth as well as realizing national stabilities. The aim of this study is to identify the factors of the success rate for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in furniture manufacturing sector in Klaten regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The method employed in this study was descriptive qualitative by also employing quantitative analysis of which the data were collected through observations, interviews and by administering questionnaires. The results seemed to indicate that the furniture business in Klaten is still experiencing difficulties in managing its various aspects of business, namely in terms of marketing (either directly or indirectly or by making the best use media of technology) and managing capital. All this time, the SMEs in furniture manufacturing sector in Klaten have been utilizing a very simple system in producing tables, chairs, wardrobes and any other furniture products which are then distributed to be sold by larger furniture companies. This condition makes the SMEs unable to be independent in running their business.

Application of in-plant control measures in some Egyptian micro-scale dairy enterprises and its impact on heavy metal contents of their products.

PubMed

Abd El-Salam, Magda Magdy; Farahat, Mohamed F; Abu-Zuid, Gaber I; Saad, Samia G

2017-09-05

Egypt is encouraging micro-scale enterprises as proved to be one of the most important reasons of economic growth. Most of the annual milk production is processed in micro-scale dairy enterprises located in squatter areas with high health risks and negative environmental impact. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of in-plant control measures in controlling lead and cadmium levels in dairy products from nine Egyptian micro-scale enterprises. The results revealed that white cheese enterprises had the highest mean lead and cadmium contents; both in their raw milk (0.712 and 0.134 mg/L, respectively) and final products (0.419 and 0.061 mg/kg). Higher compliance percentages were found with cadmium levels specified in the Egyptian standards than with lead levels and ranged from 59.4% in raw milk to 100% in dry milk for cadmium levels and from 8.3% in white cheese to 66.7% in ice cream for lead; moreover, none of the collected raw milk samples were complying with the lead levels. After implementation of in-plant control measures, lower lead levels were found in all samples with reduction percentages ranging from 35.2% in raw milk from the ice cream enterprises to 73.2% in yoghurt; moreover, higher percentages of samples complied with cadmium levels. This study highlights the urgent need for applying in-plant control measures to the Egyptian micro-scale dairy enterprises to improve both safety and quality of their products.

Enterprise size and return to work after stroke.

PubMed

Hannerz, Harald; Ferm, Linnea; Poulsen, Otto M; Pedersen, Betina Holbæk; Andersen, Lars L

2012-12-01

It has been hypothesised that return to work rates among sick-listed workers increases with enterprise size. The aim of the present study was to estimate the effect of enterprise size on the odds of returning to work among previously employed stroke patients in Denmark, 2000-2006. We used a prospective design with a 2 year follow-up period. The study population consisted of 13,178 stroke patients divided into four enterprise sizes categories, according to the place of their employment prior to the stroke: micro (1-9 employees), small (10-49 employees), medium (50-249 employees) and large (>250 employees). The analysis was based on nationwide data on enterprise size from Statistics Denmark merged with data from the Danish occupational hospitalisation register. We found a statistically significant association (p = 0.034); each increase in enterprise size category was followed by an increase in the estimated odds of returning to work. The chances of returning to work after stroke increases as the size of enterprise increases. Preventive efforts and research aimed at finding ways of mitigating the effect are warranted.

Enabler for the agile virtual enterprise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuerst, Karl; Schmidt, Thomas; Wippel, Gerald

2001-10-01

In this presentation, a new approach for a flexible low-cost Internet extended enterprise (project FLoCI-EE) will be presented. FLoCI-EE is a project in the fifth framework program of the European commission with 8 partners from 4 countries, which started in January 2001 and will be finished in December 2003. The main objective of FLoCI-EE is the development of a software prototype, which enables flexible enterprise cooperation with the aim to design, manufacture and sell products commonly, independent of enterprise borderlines. The needed IT-support includes functions of product data management (PDM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), supply chain management (SCM) and customer relationship management (CRM). Especially for small and medium sized enterprises, existing solutions are too expensive and inflexible to be of use under current turbulent market conditions. The second part of this paper covers the item Web Services, because in the role-specific support approach of FLoCI-EE, there are user- interface-components, which are tailored for specific roles in an enterprise. These components integrate automatically the services of the so-called basic-components, and the externally offered Web Services like UDDI.

How Does the Concentration of Determinants Affect Industrial Innovation Performance? - An Empirical Analysis of 23 Chinese Industrial Sectors.

PubMed

Huang, Shansong; Bai, Yang; Tan, Qingmei

2017-01-01

The agglomeration of innovation determinants has a significant influence on the innovation performance of industries and enterprises. Such an effect has received less attention in empirical research studies. This study involves a survey of the agglomeration effect of two important innovation determinants, R&D investment and R&D personnel, and its influence on innovation performance from the perspective of the industrial level. We analysed the agglomeration features based on the panel data of 23 Chinese industrial sectors from 2001~2013. An interpretation model is proposed to examine the agglomeration effect on innovation performance for 4 industrial groups: state-owned enterprises, individual enterprises, foreign-owned enterprises and enterprises as a whole. We found two main results. First, the agglomeration of determinants has a clear positive effect on the innovation performance of all 4 groups but affects individual enterprises more significantly, followed by state-owned and foreign-owned enterprises. Second, the state-owned enterprises show a much higher concentration of R&D investment and R&D personnel than other groups. However, the induced innovation efficiency in the state-owned enterprises is worse than in the individual enterprises. The advantage of resources and capital does not translate into corresponding innovation output. The privately owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) show a high capability of technological innovation and mercerization but have limited innovation resources.

How Does the Concentration of Determinants Affect Industrial Innovation Performance? – An Empirical Analysis of 23 Chinese Industrial Sectors

PubMed Central

Huang, Shansong; Bai, Yang; Tan, Qingmei

2017-01-01

The agglomeration of innovation determinants has a significant influence on the innovation performance of industries and enterprises. Such an effect has received less attention in empirical research studies. This study involves a survey of the agglomeration effect of two important innovation determinants, R&D investment and R&D personnel, and its influence on innovation performance from the perspective of the industrial level. We analysed the agglomeration features based on the panel data of 23 Chinese industrial sectors from 2001~2013. An interpretation model is proposed to examine the agglomeration effect on innovation performance for 4 industrial groups: state-owned enterprises, individual enterprises, foreign-owned enterprises and enterprises as a whole. We found two main results. First, the agglomeration of determinants has a clear positive effect on the innovation performance of all 4 groups but affects individual enterprises more significantly, followed by state-owned and foreign-owned enterprises. Second, the state-owned enterprises show a much higher concentration of R&D investment and R&D personnel than other groups. However, the induced innovation efficiency in the state-owned enterprises is worse than in the individual enterprises. The advantage of resources and capital does not translate into corresponding innovation output. The privately owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) show a high capability of technological innovation and mercerization but have limited innovation resources. PMID:28099452

Knowledge Management in Health Technology SMEs.

PubMed

Huusko, Juhamatti; Kuusisto-Niemi, Sirpa; Saranto, Kaija

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine knowledge management's (KM) role in small and medium-sized (SMEs) health technology enterprises, which employ fewer than 250 employees. In this study, KM is understood as the ability to achieve competitive advantage by utilizing management knowledge and making it profitable. The health technology enterprises use modern technology to resolve health-related issues. The research data was acquired from Finnish health technology SMEs. The questionnaire was sent to 140 enterprises, generating 25 responses, or a 17.9% response rate. According to the results, health technology enterprises have not adopted KM concepts, nor do they have the necessary resources to do so. SMEs' KM use is informal: information is transferred informally through human interaction, rather than through information systems. In the SMEs, KM is not perceived as important, although it is seen as associated with the enterprise's financial performance through the potential in making the knowledge profitable.

Analyzing the efficiency of small and medium-sized enterprises of a national technology innovation research and development program.

PubMed

Park, Sungmin

2014-01-01

This study analyzes the efficiency of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of a national technology innovation research and development (R&D) program. In particular, an empirical analysis is presented that aims to answer the following question: "Is there a difference in the efficiency between R&D collaboration types and between government R&D subsidy sizes?" Methodologically, the efficiency of a government-sponsored R&D project (i.e., GSP) is measured by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), and a nonparametric analysis of variance method, the Kruskal-Wallis (KW) test is adopted to see if the efficiency differences between R&D collaboration types and between government R&D subsidy sizes are statistically significant. This study's major findings are as follows. First, contrary to our hypothesis, when we controlled the influence of government R&D subsidy size, there was no statistically significant difference in the efficiency between R&D collaboration types. However, the R&D collaboration type, "SME-University-Laboratory" Joint-Venture was superior to the others, achieving the largest median and the smallest interquartile range of DEA efficiency scores. Second, the differences in the efficiency were statistically significant between government R&D subsidy sizes, and the phenomenon of diseconomies of scale was identified on the whole. As the government R&D subsidy size increases, the central measures of DEA efficiency scores were reduced, but the dispersion measures rather tended to get larger.

[Study on occupational safety climate in different types of enterprises and its relationship with occupational accidental injury].

PubMed

Liu, Xinxia; Huang, Guoxian; Wang, Shuyu; Guo, Zhiping; Zhou, Yuchao; Chen, Weiqing

2014-04-01

To evaluate the occupational safety climate in different types of enterprises and its relationship with occupational accidental injury. A cross-sectional survey based on self-report questionnaires was performed among 3311 front-line workers from 54 medium and small-sized manufacturing enterprises of different types in Zhongshan, China to investigate the socio-demographic characteristics, safety climate experience in workplace, and incidence of occupational accidental injury in the past year. Analysis of the data revealed that employees in different types of companies perceived different levels of safety climate, according to the scores on four subscales; the European and American enterprises had significantly better safety climate than the Hong Kong and Chinese private enterprises (P < 0.01). The self-reported rates of occupational injury were 3.38%, 4.76%, and 6.72%, respectively, for European and American, Hong Kong, and Chinese private enterprises (χ(2) = 6.78, P < 0.05). After control of such factors as age, sex, income, education level, and marriage, the logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of occupational accidental injury in the European and American enterprises was significantly lower than that in the Chinese private enterprises (OR = 0.57, 95%CI = 0.35-0.91). The type of enterprise influences the occupational safety climate and incidence of occupational injury among workers.

Understanding Supply Chain Management Practices for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thoo, AC; Sulaiman, Z.; Choi, SL; Kohar, UHA

2017-06-01

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are a major source of dynamism, innovation and flexibility for emerging and developing countries, as well as for the economies of the most industrialised nations. However, the survival and growth of SMEs can be difficult in the current competitive business environment and global marketplace. It can be a real challenge to deliver the right product and service at the most opportune time and at the lowest possible cost to the right customer. The challenge stresses the importance of managing cross-boundary relationships between business partners. For gaining a competitive advantage, supply chain management (SCM) is an effective tool to SMEs. Therefore, this paper aims to review the tenet of SCM, its benefits and practices to SMEs.

Waste minimisation in a hard chromiun plating Small Medium Enterprise (SME).

PubMed

Viguri, J R; Andrés, A; Irabien, A

2002-01-01

The high potential of waste stream minimisation in the metal finishing sector justifies specific studies of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME). In this work, the minimisation options of the wastes generated in a hard chromium plating activity have been analysed. The study has been performed in a small job shop company, which works in batch mode with big pieces. A process flowsheet after connecting the unit operations and determining the process inputs (raw and secondary materials) and outputs (waste streams) has been carried out. The main properties, quantity and current management of the waste streams have been shown. The obvious lack of information has been identified and finally the waste minimisation options that could be adopted by the company have been recorded.

[Incidence and trend of occupational diseases in Ningbo, China, from 2006 to 2015].

PubMed

Li, X H; Wang, A H; Leng, P B; Bian, G L

2017-02-20

Objective: To investigate the incidence, distribution features, and incidence trend of occupational diseases in Ningbo, China, from 2006 to 2015. Methods: In February 2016, the data on occupational disease report cards in the occupational disease and occupational health information system from 2006 to 2015 were collected to perform a comprehensive analysis of the types, incidence trend, population characteristics, and enterprise characteristics of occupational diseases. Results: There were 845 new cases of occupational diseases in Ningbo from 2006 to 2015, among which 596 (70.53%) were pneumoconiosis; there were 445 (74.66%) cases of stage I pneumoconiosis, 73 (12.25%) cases of stage II pneumoconiosis, and 78 (13.09%) cases of stage III pneumoconiosis; silicosis (59.76%) was the most common type of pneumoconiosis. Of all patients with occupational diseases, 84.97% were male, 64.50%were aged 35-55 years, and 63.67% had 5-20 working years. Most of the patients with occupational diseases worked in small and medium-sized private (or foreign) enterprises; the most common industries were black metal smelting and rolling (38.76%) , construction (17.11%) , and non-metallic ore mining (13.09%) . A total of 51.28%, 10.26%, and 7.69% of the patients with occupational poisoning worked in the electric apparatus manufacturing industry, furniture manufacturing industry, and chemical raw material and chemical product manufacturing industry, respectively. The cases of occupational diseases are mainly distributed in Yuyao City (24.62%) , Yinzhou District (23.91%) , and Ninghai County (15.62%) . Conclusion: Pneumoconiosis is the most common type of occupational disease in Ningbo and most of these patients work in small and medium-sized private (or foreign) enterprises. The supervision of small and medium-sized private enterprises should be enhanced to protect workers' health.

Comparing Notes: Collaborative Networks, Breeding Environments, and Organized Crime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernández, Alejandro

Collaborative network theory can be useful in refining current understanding of criminal networks and aid in understanding their evolution. Drug trafficking organizations that operate in the region directly north of Colombia’s Valle del Cauca department and the “collection agencies” that operate in the Colombian city of Cali have abandoned hierarchical organizational structures and have become networked-based entities. Through the exposition of Camarinha-Matos and Afsarmanesh’s business networking ideas, this chapter examines the similarities and differences between the application of collaborative networks in licit enterprises, such as small and medium enterprises in Europe, and how the networks might be used by illicit criminal enterprises in Colombia.

JPRS Report, China.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-11-19

grew 253 percent, net assets grew 87 vigorous debates among economists a few years ago, has percent, fixed assets grew 155 percent, and average been...although enterprises. they only account for 2.7 percent of all industrial enter- prises, they possess two-thirds of all fixed assess, account If we are to...large- ther fiscal problems are handled on an ad-hoc basis. A and medium-sized enterprises do not appear strong fixed base number in contracts sets taxes

Evaluating the Acceptance of Cloud-Based Productivity Computer Solutions in Small and Medium Enterprises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dominguez, Alfredo

2013-01-01

Cloud computing has emerged as a new paradigm for on-demand delivery and consumption of shared IT resources over the Internet. Research has predicted that small and medium organizations (SMEs) would be among the earliest adopters of cloud solutions; however, this projection has not materialized. This study set out to investigate if behavior…

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, Europe, Economic Competitiveness.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-08-09

in the form of proportional subsidies for research contracts concluded with large companies. For contracts concluded with small - and medium ...special programs to help small - and medium -sized enterprises (SME’s) that carry out research work , and to foster the growth of an innovative SME base...process of being developed. MEDIA DUEMILA: In the past, the EEC relied on

Appraisal of work hazards and safety in the industrial estate of Jeddah.

PubMed

Noweir, M H; Alidrisi, M M; Al-Jiffry, M S

1993-08-01

An environmental study for the appraisal of work hazards and safety in Jeddah Industrial Estate (JIE), Saudi Arabia has been conducted. The study is based upon a representative (stratified random) sample of 44 enterprises, including 52 plants and employing 5830 workers.Nearly 2/3 of the workers have heat exposure, orginating from climatic heat and heat dissipated from industrial operations, while exposure to noise is slightly less, and is attributed to noisy operations and machinery and to lack of meticulous maintenance; both exposures are mild in most of the plants and moderate in some. Mild exposures to nonionizing radiations (UV and IR) and to deficient illumination occur in 25% and 19.2% of the plants studied. Respiratory exposure to chemical agents (organic and inorganic dusts, metal fumes, gases and vapours - including asphyxiants, irritants, liver and nervous system offenders and acid and alkali mists) occurs in 75% of the plants, particularly in the medium-size enterprises plants; however, is mainly mild with a few moderate and severe exposures. Skin absorption contributes to absorption of chemical agents in 29% of the plants, and direct skin contact to chemicals (particularly to lubricating oils) occurs in 81% of the plants.Meanwhile, only eight plants, out of the 32 plants where controls for physical hazards are required (51.2%), apply engineering controls, and even in a few of these plants the efficiency of the control measures has been rated 'bad'. A few of them provide personal protective equipment, and even no maintenance to this equipment is provided.The level of safety is better in the large plants than in the small and medium-size plants; the safety score is the best in the recently established plants, while is the worst in the plastic industry, which is relatively old. The appraisal of fire protection is better than that of the safety, due to efficient supervision of the General Directorate of Civil Defense (GDCD). However, most of the safety problems are managerial and are preventable.First aid is present in all enterprises, as required by the Saudi Labor Laws; however, an in-plant medical service is present in 75% of the large enterprises, in 31.6% of the medium-size and in only 17.6% of the small enterprises. Also, satisfactory medical, accidents and absenteeism records exist in only 15.9% of the enterprises; safety supervision exists in 27.3, and safety education exists in 91% of them, while no environmental monitoring is carried out in any enterprise. Sanitation facilities exist in satisfactory numbers in most of the enterprises; however, their maintenance is poor in most of them, due to lack of hygienic supervision. All enterprises dispose of their liquid wastes into the JIE sewerage system without any treatment, while the solid wastes are collected by the city authorities in 56.8% of them; both wastes are anticipated to cause environmental pollution problems.

Analysis of central enterprise architecture elements in models of six eHealth projects.

PubMed

Virkanen, Hannu; Mykkänen, Juha

2014-01-01

Large-scale initiatives for eHealth services have been established in many countries on regional or national level. The use of Enterprise Architecture has been suggested as a methodology to govern and support the initiation, specification and implementation of large-scale initiatives including the governance of business changes as well as information technology. This study reports an analysis of six health IT projects in relation to Enterprise Architecture elements, focusing on central EA elements and viewpoints in different projects.

Guidelines for Management Consulting Programs for Small-Scale Enterprise. Appropriate Technologies for Development. Manual M-14.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughan, Gary L.

This manual is designed to assist management consultants in working with small-scale entrepreneurs in developing countries. Addressed in an overview of the small-scale enterprise (SSE) are: the role of the SSE in third world development, problems of SSEs, and target firms. The second chapter deals with various forms of management assistance to…

Employers' Attitudes on Hiring Workers with Intellectual Disabilities in Small and Medium Enterprises: An Italian Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zappella, Emanuela

2015-01-01

Employers play a significant role in the process of hiring workers with intellectual disability. Through an in-depth interview, this research aims to investigate the attitudes of 30 representatives of small and medium-sized Italian companies involved in a process of recruitment. The data were analyzed using a phenomenological approach. The results…

An Agile Methodology for Implementing Service-Oriented Architecture in Small and Medium Sized Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laidlaw, Gregory

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of Lean/Agile principles, using action research to develop and deploy new technology for Small and Medium sized enterprises. The research case was conducted at the Lapeer County Sheriff's Department and involves the initial deployment of a Service Oriented Architecture to alleviate the data…

The Influence of Enterprise Diversification on Household Food Security among Small-Scale Sugarcane Farmers: A Case Study of Muhoroni Division, Nyando District, Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muthoni Thuo, Caroline

2011-01-01

This paper examines the levels of household food security and the influence of enterprise diversification on household food security among small-scale sugarcane farmers in Muhoroni division, Nyando District, Kenya. A cross-sectional research design was used in this study. The population consisted of small-scale sugarcane farmers who grow sugarcane…

Participation in global value chain and green technology progress: evidence from big data of Chinese enterprises.

PubMed

Song, Malin; Wang, Shuhong

2017-01-01

This study examined the stimulative effects of Chinese enterprises' participation in the global value chain (GVC) on the progress of their green technologies. Using difference-in-difference panel models with big data of Chinese enterprises, we measured influencing factors such as enterprise participation degree, enterprise scale, corporate ownership, and research and development (R&D) investment. The results revealed that participation in the GVC can considerably improve the green technology levels in all enterprises, except state-owned ones. However, the older an enterprise, the higher the sluggishness is likely to be in its R&D activities; this is particularly true for state-owned enterprises. The findings provide insights into the strategy of actively addressing Chinese enterprises' predicament of being restricted to the lower end of the GVC.

Data survey on the effect of product features on competitive advantage of selected firms in Nigeria.

PubMed

Olokundun, Maxwell; Iyiola, Oladele; Ibidunni, Stephen; Falola, Hezekiah; Salau, Odunayo; Amaihian, Augusta; Peter, Fred; Borishade, Taiye

2018-06-01

The main objective of this study was to present a data article that investigates the effect product features on firm's competitive advantage. Few studies have examined how the features of a product could help in driving the competitive advantage of a firm. Descriptive research method was used. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 22) was engaged for analysis of one hundred and fifty (150) valid questionnaire which were completed by small business owners registered under small and medium scale enterprises development of Nigeria (SMEDAN). Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were employed; reliability and validity procedures were also confirmed. The field data set is made publicly available to enable critical or extended analysis.

Patterns-Based IS Change Management in SMEs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makna, Janis; Kirikova, Marite

The majority of information systems change management guidelines and standards are either too abstract or too bureaucratic to be easily applicable in small enterprises. This chapter proposes the approach, the method, and the prototype that are designed especially for information systems change management in small and medium enterprises. The approach is based on proven patterns of changes in the set of information systems elements. The set of elements was obtained by theoretical analysis of information systems and business process definitions and enterprise architectures. The patterns were evolved from a number of information systems theories and tested in 48 information systems change management projects. The prototype presents and helps to handle three basic change patterns, which help to anticipate the overall scope of changes related to particular elementary changes in an enterprise information system. The use of prototype requires just basic knowledge in organizational business process and information management.

Applications integration in a hybrid cloud computing environment: modelling and platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Qing; Wang, Ze-yuan; Li, Wei-hua; Li, Jun; Wang, Cheng; Du, Rui-yang

2013-08-01

With the development of application services providers and cloud computing, more and more small- and medium-sized business enterprises use software services and even infrastructure services provided by professional information service companies to replace all or part of their information systems (ISs). These information service companies provide applications, such as data storage, computing processes, document sharing and even management information system services as public resources to support the business process management of their customers. However, no cloud computing service vendor can satisfy the full functional IS requirements of an enterprise. As a result, enterprises often have to simultaneously use systems distributed in different clouds and their intra enterprise ISs. Thus, this article presents a framework to integrate applications deployed in public clouds and intra ISs. A run-time platform is developed and a cross-computing environment process modelling technique is also developed to improve the feasibility of ISs under hybrid cloud computing environments.

Analysis of the labor productivity of enterprises via quantile regression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Türkan, Semra

2017-07-01

In this study, we have analyzed the factors that affect the performance of Turkey's Top 500 Industrial Enterprises using quantile regression. The variable about labor productivity of enterprises is considered as dependent variable, the variableabout assets is considered as independent variable. The distribution of labor productivity of enterprises is right-skewed. If the dependent distribution is skewed, linear regression could not catch important aspects of the relationships between the dependent variable and its predictors due to modeling only the conditional mean. Hence, the quantile regression, which allows modelingany quantilesof the dependent distribution, including the median,appears to be useful. It examines whether relationships between dependent and independent variables are different for low, medium, and high percentiles. As a result of analyzing data, the effect of total assets is relatively constant over the entire distribution, except the upper tail. It hasa moderately stronger effect in the upper tail.

The effect of gender and age differences on media selection in small and medium tourism enterprises.

PubMed

Dehkordi, Majid A; Zarei, Behrouz; Dehkordi, Shabnam A

2008-12-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact that gender and age differences have on the communication media selection within the context of small and medium tourism enterprises (SMEs). Media Richness Theory (MRT) was used to assess media preferences in the firms. Using a mail questionnaire, data from 78 firms were collected on seven popular media in use. Historical data of the firms, media characteristics, and other firm-specific factors were included in the analysis. The results indicated that there are substantial gender and age differences in term of communication media selection. This is consistent with MRT and highlights the importance of choosing the appropriate media in SMEs, according with the employee's behaviors, in order to achieve better outcomes and to smooth the path towards good performance in the future.

Review Of Implementation In Bunut Shoes Assistance Program In Order Of Micro, Small And Medium Enterprises Economic In Asahan Regency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh Malawat, M.; Putra, M. Umar Maya

2018-03-01

This paper studies the implementation of business opportunities that can improve the revenue of Bunut Shoes Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Probit model with E Views 6 program was used to see how far the opportunity of variable efforts to improve the revenue such as education, training, capital assistance, technological procurement of them. The data used was the primary data by conducting a survey using questionnaires to members of them with the observation period from 2013 to 2015. The results showed that all variables of implementation did not have a business opportunity correlation to the increase in revenue and Asahan District Governments are asked to create a creative breakthrough in order to achieve optimal business revenue and cooperate with other private institutions related to increase the business income.

The situation of hazardous chemical accidents in China between 2000 and 2006.

PubMed

Duan, Weili; Chen, Guohua; Ye, Qing; Chen, Qingguang

2011-02-28

From the aspects of the total quantity of accidents, regional inequality, enterprises scale and environmental pollution accidents, this study makes an analysis of hazardous chemical accidents in China for the period spanning from 2000 to 2006. The following results are obtained: firstly, there were lots of accidents and fatalities in hazardous chemical business, i.e., the number of casualty accidents fluctuated between 200 and 600/year, the number of fatality fluctuated between 220 and 1100/year. Secondly, the accident rate in developed southeast coastal areas, e.g., Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu, was far higher than that in the northwest regions, e.g., Xizang, Xinjiang, and Qinghai. Thirdly, nearly 80% of dangerous chemical accidents had occurred in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Finally, various sudden environmental pollution accidents resulted from hazardous chemicals were frequent in recent years, causing a huge damage to human and property. Then, based on the readjustment of economic structure in the last decades, the development status of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) in SMEs and other factors, the paper explores the main causes, which offers valuable insight into measures that should be taken to reduce hazardous chemical accidents. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Process optimization at small and medium-sized enterprises: production of small and medium-sized batches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stettmer, J.

2017-06-01

The organization of a company needs to refer to the production process and especially to the number of employees. Many enterprises which are growing, are primarily focused on the development of the technology and not on the development of the organization. This ends up in an increase of the turnover but in a reduced margin. For the development of the organization in growing companies there are two things necessary. The development of the staff to work systematically and coordinated in teams as well as the flow of the information and material between the teams. ERP - systems are required to install the material and information flow especially in the work floor. Unfortunately many enterprises don't use the ERP-systems to plan and control the material and information flow very detailed. In companies where the control of the material and information flow was installed, it could be demonstrated that the margin increased analog to it. The requirements to the development of the organization based on the increasing number of the employees are basically the same for most of the production processes like the production of metal sheet housings or the production of mirrors and lenses.

[Workplace safety in private companies of freights and on the road workers: comparison between small and medium enterprises].

PubMed

Mannocci, Alice; Gabrijelcic, Simona; Di Thiene, Domitilla; Saulle, Rosella; Boccia, A; La Torre, G

2012-01-01

The road freight and passenger transport sector exposes the workers of this sector to a considerable health risk. Application of the relative legislation to safeguard worker's safety is an obligation for the employer. The aim of the study was to assess the application of current legislation in the trucking sector and ascertain whether there are differences between large and small enterprises. The study was conducted through direct interview with managers of road freight and passenger transport companies in the Lazio Region in 2009. Information was collected using a questionnaire composed of 77 items concerning risk assessment and organization aspects in the enterprises. The enterprisers were stratified by number of workers and drivers. To detect possible associations the Chi-squared and Fisher's Exact tests were used. A total of 42 enterprisers participated in the study. Significant differences were found between larger enterprisers (10 workers) and smaller enterprises (< 10 workers), concerning risk assessment from vibrations (p = 0.006), night work (p = 0.026), microclimatic conditions (p = 0.047). Regarding risk prevention/management aspects, the enterprisers with a higher number of workers were more likely to have a workers' representative for safety compared to the smaller enterprises (respectively 88.9% versus 50.0%) and a road accidents Register (77.8% versus 16.7%), with p < 0.001 significance levels. The risks most frequently assessed, in decreasing order, were: vibrations, manual handling of loads, stress, noise, awkward postures, night work, alcohol consumption, drug addiction and microclimatic conditions. Vibrations, night work and microclimatic conditions risks were assessed to a lower degree in the smaller enterprisers compared to the larger enterprises.

Organizational Agility and Complex Enterprise System Innovations: A Mixed Methods Study of the Effects of Enterprise Systems on Organizational Agility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kharabe, Amol T.

2012-01-01

Over the last two decades, firms have operated in "increasingly" accelerated "high-velocity" dynamic markets, which require them to become "agile." During the same time frame, firms have increasingly deployed complex enterprise systems--large-scale packaged software "innovations" that integrate and automate…

Designing Performance Measurement For Supply Chain's Actors And Regulator Using Scale Balanced Scorecard And Data Envelopment Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusrini, Elisa; Subagyo; Aini Masruroh, Nur

2016-01-01

This research is a sequel of the author's earlier conducted researches in the fields of designing of integrated performance measurement between supply chain's actors and regulator. In the previous paper, the design of performance measurement is done by combining Balanced Scorecard - Supply Chain Operation Reference - Regulator Contribution model and Data Envelopment Analysis. This model referred as B-S-Rc-DEA model. The combination has the disadvantage that all the performance variables have the same weight. This paper investigates whether by giving weight to performance variables will produce more sensitive performance measurement in detecting performance improvement. Therefore, this paper discusses the development of the model B-S-Rc-DEA by giving weight to its performance'variables. This model referred as Scale B-S-Rc-DEA model. To illustrate the model of development, some samples from small medium enterprises of leather craft industry supply chain in province of Yogyakarta, Indonesia are used in this research. It is found that Scale B-S-Rc-DEA model is more sensitive to detecting performance improvement than B-S- Rc-DEA model.

77 FR 37685 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-22

... familiar with the data privacy- related issues addressed by small to medium enterprises; and 3. Other... within or outside the agency. In certain circumstances, DHS may share this information on a case-by-case...

[Cultivation strategy and path analysis on big brand Chinese medicine for small and medium-sized enterprises].

PubMed

Wang, Yong-Yan; Yang, Hong-Jun

2014-03-01

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are important components in Chinese medicine industry. However, the lack of big brand is becoming an urgent problem which is critical to the survival of SMEs. This article discusses the concept and traits of Chinese medicine of big brand, from clinical, scientific and market value three aspects. Guided by market value, highlighting clinical value, aiming at the scientific value improvement of big brand cultivation, we put forward the key points in cultivation, aiming at obtaining branded Chinese medicine with widely recognized efficacy, good quality control system and mechanism well explained and meanwhile which can bring innovation improvement to theory of Chinese medicine. According to the characters of SMEs, we hold a view that to build multidisciplinary research union could be considered as basic path, and then, from top-level design, skill upgrading and application three stages to probe the implementation strategy.

Foreign Assistance: Enterprise Funds’ Contributions to Private Sector Development Vary.

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-09-01

private sector development in selected countries of Central and Eastern Europe as they transition from centrally planned to market-oriented economies. The funds, which are private, nonprofit U.S. corporations, are supposed to make loans to, or investments in, small- and medium-sized businesses in which other financial institutions are reluctant to invest. With the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, enterprise funds were subsequently established in the newly independent states. Currently, 10 funds operate in Central Europe and the former Soviet Union, covering 19

Pautas para Programas de Asesoramiento Gestional para Microempresas (Guidelines for Management Consulting Programs for Small-Scale Enterprise). Appropriate Technologies for Development. Peace Corps Information Collection & Exchange Manual Series No. M-27.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughan, Gary L.

Written in Spanish, this manual is designed to assist management consultants in working with small-scale entrepreneurs in developing countries. Addressed in an overview of the small-scale enterprise (SSE) are the role of the SSE in Third World development, problems of SSEs, and target firms. The second chapter deals with various forms of…

Seismic safety in conducting large-scale blasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mashukov, I. V.; Chaplygin, V. V.; Domanov, V. P.; Semin, A. A.; Klimkin, M. A.

2017-09-01

In mining enterprises to prepare hard rocks for excavation a drilling and blasting method is used. With the approach of mining operations to settlements the negative effect of large-scale blasts increases. To assess the level of seismic impact of large-scale blasts the scientific staff of Siberian State Industrial University carried out expertise for coal mines and iron ore enterprises. Determination of the magnitude of surface seismic vibrations caused by mass explosions was performed using seismic receivers, an analog-digital converter with recording on a laptop. The registration results of surface seismic vibrations during production of more than 280 large-scale blasts at 17 mining enterprises in 22 settlements are presented. The maximum velocity values of the Earth’s surface vibrations are determined. The safety evaluation of seismic effect was carried out according to the permissible value of vibration velocity. For cases with exceedance of permissible values recommendations were developed to reduce the level of seismic impact.

Education, Training and Employment in Small-Scale Enterprises: Three Industries in Sao Paulo, Brazil. IIEP Research Report No. 63.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leite, Elenice M.; Caillods, Francoise

Despite the prophecies forecasting their probable disappearance or annihilation, small-scale enterprises have persisted in the Brazilian industrial structure since 1950. To account for the survival of small firms in Brazil, specifically in the state of Sao Paulo, a study examined 100 small firms in three industrial sectors: clothing, mechanical…

Exploring Crisis Management in U.S. Small Businesses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Jon

As a critical infrastructure, the US electricity grid supplies electricity to 340 million people within eight separate regions. The power infrastructure is vulnerable to many types of disasters capable of severing supplies of electricity. The impact on the employees and communities when small- and medium-size enterprises are shut down due to disasters can be severe. The purpose of the quantitative comparative study was to explore small- and medium-size enterprises crisis management strategies in the case of power infrastructure vulnerabilities. Perceptions of small business leaders were probed about crisis management planning relevant to three secondary factors: prior experience of crises, threat perceptions, and planning self-efficacy. Participants completed an adapted questionnaire instrument based on a five-point Likert scale for six sub-factors including resilience through planning, financial impact, operational crisis management, the perfect storm, the aftermath of survival, and atrophy. The instrument also measured three additional factors to include, prior experience of crises, threat perceptions, and planning self-efficacy, across seven types of crises. The results of this study indicated that of the 276 respondents, 104 had no crisis plans, but 172 did have crisis plans. Of those who had implemented crisis plans, 19% had specific provisions to address power outages or attacks on the electrical grid. Of the respondents who had not planned for power outages nor experienced significant losses of power, a statistically significant number acknowledged an external threat to their business. The majority of respondents indicated that long-term planning was related to resilience; however, the migration of crisis understanding into the planning process or implementation was not implemented. This heightened awareness of potential crises without the corresponding development and implementation of mitigation crisis plans requires additional research to understand drivers effecting the decision making process with crisis managers.

Total approach is a must for small and medium enterprises to attain sustainable working conditions and environment, with special reference to Bali, Indonesia.

PubMed

Manuaba, Adnyana

2006-01-01

Attention and assistance to enhance the role of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) by the government is more emphasized due to the success of SMEs in earning significant amount of foreign currency when Indonesia had to face economical crisis in 1997. This policy has been highly recognized again since the bombing tragedy in 2002; with the excellent evidence to show how important SMEs is in helping and maintaining the economic development of Bali. But in the implementation the assistance needs to be remanaged again in a more proper and appropriate way to attain the ultimate goals. The three economic potentials, agriculture in broad sense, tourism and SMEs (cottage industry included), must be developed in harmony, interdependence, support and complementary each other, if possible as synergist to obtain sustainable development of Bali. While assistance to SMEs must be done in a more coordinated way among the government technical offices, universities, NGOs, banking, and other social community institutions. By doing so, there would be no duplication or gap, nor creation of new disadvantageous problems. It could be in form of ergonomics, occupational health and safety impacts and problems in particular, and in adverse working conditions and environment in general. Therefore it is a must at this moment to carry out total approach in helping SMEs, by integrating the effort to improve their working conditions and environment, built-in within the effort to enhance SMEs'quality of life through economic assistance. In this process a total approach through SHIP approach and Appropriate Technology intervention must be done wisely and timely. By so doing, SMEs'sustainable working conditions and environment shall be attained.

The innovative medicines initiative: a European response to the innovation challenge.

PubMed

Goldman, M

2012-03-01

The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) was launched in 2008 as a large-scale public-private partnership between the European Commission and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). With a total budget of €2 billion, the IMI aims to boost the development of new medicines across Europe by implementing new collaborative endeavors between large pharmaceutical companies and other key actors in the health-care ecosystem, i.e., academic institutions, small and medium enterprises, patients, and regulatory authorities. Projects conducted by IMI consortia have already delivered meaningful results, providing proof-of-concept evidence for the efficiency of this new model of collaboration. In this article we review recent achievements of the IMI consortia and discuss the growing interest in the IMI as a best-practice model to reinvigorate drug development.

Eco-efficiency of solid waste management in Welsh SMEs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkis, Joseph; Dijkshoorn, Jeroen

2005-11-01

This paper provides an efficiency analysis of practices in Solid Waste Management of manufacturing companies in Wales. We apply data envelopment analysis (DEA) to a data set compiled during the National Waste Survey Wales 2003. We explore the relative performance of small and medium sized manufacturing enterprises (SME; 10-250 employees) in Wales. We determine the technical and scale environmental and economic efficiencies of these organizations. Our evaluation focuses on empirical data collected from companies in a wide diversity of manufacturing industries throughout Wales. We find significant differences in industry and size efficiencies. We also find correlations that exist among environmental and economic efficiencies. These variations show that improvements can be made using benchmarks from similar and different size industries. Further pursuit of an investigation of possible reasons for these differences is recommended.

78 FR 64230 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-28

... the data privacy- related issues addressed by small- to medium-sized enterprises; and 3. Other... information on a case-by-case basis as required by law or as necessary for a specific purpose, as described in...

76 FR 39406 - DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-06

... at least one individual who is familiar with the data concerns of small to medium enterprises; and 3... certain circumstances, DHS may share this information on a case-by-case basis as required by law or as...

An Examination of the Effects of Cultural, Climatic, Structural, and Technological Factors on Knowledge Management Effectiveness

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-15

ineffective or missing incentive systems (Ruggles, 1998). A study of small and medium sized enterprises found that culture was the second highest rated...communicated by management and shared by the employees throughout the organization. In a study of small and medium sized companies, senior leadership was...operationalized as industry performance , diversification, firm size , structure and risk level (Tanriverdi, 2005). 14 Two recent studies examine KM

On Adaptive Extended Compatibility Changing Type of Product Design Strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wenwen, Jiang; Zhibin, Xie

The article uses research ways of Enterprise localization and enterprise's development course to research strategy of company's product design and development. It announces at different stages for development, different kinds of enterprises will adopt product design and development policies of different modes. It also announces close causality between development course of company and central technology and product. The result indicated enterprises in leading position in market, technology and brand adopt pioneer strategy type of product research and development. These enterprise relying on the large-scale leading enterprise offering a complete set service adopts the passively duplicating type tactic of product research and development. Some enterprise in part of advantage in technology, market, management or brand adopt following up strategy of product research and development. The enterprises with relative advantage position adopt the strategy of technology applied taking optimizing services as centre in product research and development in fields of brand culture and market service.

Directives Relatives a l'Elaboration de Programmes de Conseil en Gestion pour Petites Entreprises (Guidelines for Management Consulting Programs for Small-Scale Enterprise). Appropriate Technologies for Development. Peace Corps Information Collection & Exchange Manual Series No. M-29.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughan, Gary L.

Written in French, this manual is designed to assist management consultants in working with small-scale entrepreneurs in developing countries. Addressed in an overview of the small-scale enterprise (SSE) are the role of the SSE in Third World development, problems of SSEs, and target firms. The second chapter deals with various forms of management…

The lead and lead-acid battery industries during 2002 and 2007 in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, H. Y.; Li, A. J.; Finlow, D. E.

In the past 15 years, the center of the international lead market has shifted to China. China has become the largest producer of raw and refined lead, plus the largest consumer. This paper reviews the status of the lead and lead-acid battery industries in China, including lead mining, lead refining, secondary lead production, the lead-acid battery industry, new opportunities for lead-acid batteries, and the environmental problems associated with lead and lead-acid batteries. The output of raw and refined lead has increased annually in China, and now accounts for more than 30% of the world total. As a result of a change in the Chinese government's policy regarding the export of lead, plus an increase in the price of lead, the profits of Chinese lead manufacturers were significantly reduced, the trade deficit of the Chinese lead industry increased, the operating rates of lead smelter enterprises greatly reduced, and some small enterprises were forced to shut down. At the present time, an increasing number of enterprises have begun to produce secondary lead, and the scale of production has expanded from tens of tons to tens of thousands of tons. In 2006, the output of secondary lead in China reached 700,000 tons, but outdated technology and equipment limited development of the secondary lead industry. Because of serious pollution problems, raw material shortages, and fierce price competition in the battery market, changes in the development of the lead-acid battery industry have been dramatic; approximately one thousand medium-sized and small lead-acid battery producers have been closed in the past 3 years. The output of large lead-acid battery enterprises has not been reduced, however, as a result of their manufacturing technology and equipment being comparable to those in other advanced industrial countries. In China, the flourishing development of electric bicycles, electric tricycles, and photovoltaic energy systems should provide ongoing opportunities for the lead-acid battery industry.

Developing cluster strategy of apples dodol SMEs by integration K-means clustering and analytical hierarchy process method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustaniroh, S. A.; Effendi, U.; Silalahi, R. L. R.; Sari, T.; Ala, M.

2018-03-01

The purposes of this research were to determine the grouping of apples dodol small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Batu City and to determine an appropriate development strategy for each cluster. The methods used for clustering SMEs was k-means. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach was then applied to determine the development strategy priority for each cluster. The variables used in grouping include production capacity per month, length of operation, investment value, average sales revenue per month, amount of SMEs assets, and the number of workers. Several factors were considered in AHP include industry cluster, government, as well as related and supporting industries. Data was collected using the methods of questionaire and interviews. SMEs respondents were selected among SMEs appels dodol in Batu City using purposive sampling. The result showed that two clusters were formed from five apples dodol SMEs. The 1stcluster of apples dodol SMEs, classified as small enterprises, included SME A, SME C, and SME D. The 2ndcluster of SMEs apples dodol, classified as medium enterprises, consisted of SME B and SME E. The AHP results indicated that the priority development strategy for the 1stcluster of apples dodol SMEs was improving quality and the product standardisation, while for the 2nd cluster was increasing the marketing access.

Systems Thinking for the Enterprise: A Thought Piece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rebovich, George

This paper suggests a way of managing the acquisition of capabilities for large-scale government enterprises that is different from traditional "specify and build" approaches commonly employed by U.S. government agencies in acquiring individual systems or systems of systems (SoS). Enterprise capabilities evolve through the emergence and convergence of information and other technologies and their integration into social, institutional and operational organizations and processes. Enterprise capabilities evolve whether or not the enterprise has processes in place to actively manage them. Thus the critical role of enterprise system engineering (ESE) processes should be to shape, enhance and accelerate the "natural" evolution of enterprise capabilities. ESE processes do not replace or add a layer to traditional system engineering (TSE) processes used in developing individual systems or SoS. ESE processes should complement TSE processes by shaping outcome spaces and stimulating interactions among enterprise participants through marketlike mechanisms to reward those that create innovation which moves and accelerates the evolution of the enterprise.

European Seminar on the Development of the Competencies of Trainers and Organizers of Training Programmes for SMES (Berlin, West Germany, June 7-8, 1989). CEDEFOP Flash 7/89.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melis, A.

This document summarizes the proceedings of a 2-day conference on training in small and medium businesses in the European Economic Community. Some of the topics discussed by the speakers include distance learning and the importance of training for owners and managers of small and medium enterprises. A series of guides that have been prepared to…

[Company integration management in small and medium-sized companies. Legal requirements and prerequisites for successful implementation].

PubMed

Ramm, D; Mahnke, C; Tauscher, A; Welti, F; Seider, H; Shafaei, R

2012-01-01

The article is based on the results of the project “Company integration management in small and medium-sized companies. Legal requirements and prerequisites for a successful implementation” (01 January 2009-31 August 2010). Since 2004 all employers have been legally bound to offer company integration management (BEM, Betriebliches Eingliederungsmanagement) for all employees who have been incapacitated for work for more than 6 weeks within a year (Section 84 SGB IX, Book 9 of the German Social Code). Objective of this law is to ensure ongoing employment. The aim of the study was to investigate the requirements companies, rehabilitation centres and services as well as social insurance institutions are faced with according to Section 84 SGB IX. Prerequisites for an effective implementation of BEM in small and medium-sized enterprises were analyzed. Protocol-based interviews with experts were adopted. A total of 38 interviews with experts were carried out. The experts interviewed were either willing to give information by interest (concernment) or were named by law as an initiator or co-operator in the process of integration. A substantial literature research was performed in advance of the interviews. The awareness level of BEM is still very low even 7 years after its introduction. Small and medium-sized enterprises do not have any significant experiential knowledge of long-term incapacity for work and, hence, about BEM. Due to a lack of workers representation in many small and medium companies, management does not receive initiatives or support in implementation of BEM from employees' side. Employers prefer a central contact point providing them with the information and help needed, the common service units, however, being widely unknown in this context. Cost comparisons suggest that a company integration management might be more cost-effective than dismissing employees who are incapacitated for some fields of work. These findings might even hold true for small and medium-sized companies. Social insurance institutions are aware of company integration management; however there is a substantial lack of experience. There is some evidence that incentives and bonuses according to Section 84, 3 SGB IX would not have any significant impact on the implementation of company integration management in small and medium-sized enterprises. POLICY RECOMMENDATION: All relevant actors in the field of company integration management should reassess their possibilities to advocate integration management. Not only employees but also employers and social security institutions will benefit from comprehensive implementation of company integration management. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Social Networks as a Source of Competitive Advantage for the Firm.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Laere, Kristien; Heene, Aime

2003-01-01

Proposes a conceptual framework for managing relationships of small and medium-sized enterprises, based on the necessity of cooperation for survival. Describes characteristics of embedded relationship in stakeholder interactions, including trust, durability, information transfer, and collaboration. (Contains 72 references.) (SK)

77 FR 51759 - U.S. Medical Mission to Brazil; Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 21-24, 2013

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-27

... for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) \\1\\ and $5475 for large companies. This includes entry... will be the responsibility of each mission participant. \\1\\ An SME is defined as a firm with 500 or...

Effects of irrigation water supply variations on limited resource farming in Conejos County, Colorado

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eckert, Jerry B.; Wang, Erda

1993-02-01

Farms in NE Conejos County, Colorado, are characterized by limited resources, uncertain surface flow irrigation systems, and mixed crop-livestock enterprise combinations which are dependent on public grazing resources. To model decision making on these farms, a linear program is developed stressing enterprise choices under conditions of multiple resource constraints. Differential access to grazing resources and irrigation water is emphasized in this research. Regarding the water resource, the model reflects farms situated alternatively on high-, medium-, and low-priority irrigation ditches within the Alamosa-La Jara river system, each with and without supplemental pumping. Differences are found in optimum enterprise mixes, net returns, choice of cropping technology, level of marketings, and other characteristics in response to variations in the availability of irrigation water. Implications are presented for alternative improvement strategies.

Microbial Contamination Level Profiles Attributed to Contamination of Beef Carcasses, Personnel, and Equipment: Case of Small and Medium Enterprise Slaughterhouses.

PubMed

Wambui, Joseph; Lamuka, Peter; Karuri, Edward; Matofari, Joseph; Njage, Patrick Murigu Kamau

2018-04-01

The microbial contamination level profiles (MCLPs) attributed to contamination of beef carcasses, personnel, and equipment in five Kenyan small and medium enterprise slaughterhouses were determined. Aerobic plate counts, Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus, and Salmonella were used to determine contamination at four different slaughter stages, namely, dehiding, evisceration, splitting, and dispatch. Microbiological criteria of the four microorganisms were used to score contamination levels (CLs) as poor (0), poor to average (1), average (2), or good (3). MCLPs were further assigned to carcasses, personnel, and equipment at each stage by summing up the CL scores. The CL score attributed to aerobic plate count contamination was 2 or 3 for carcasses but 0 for personnel and equipment in almost all slaughterhouses. A score of 0 on carcasses was mostly attributed to Enterobacteriaceae at evisceration and to Salmonella at dehiding and evisceration. In addition, a score of 0 was mostly attributed to Staphylococcus contamination of personnel at dehiding. A score of 3 was attributed mostly to Enterobacteriaceae on hands at splitting, whereas a score of 2 was mostly attributed to the clothes at dehiding and evisceration. A CL score of 3 was mostly attributed to Enterobacteriaceae and Salmonella contamination of equipment at dehiding and splitting, respectively. Although CLs attributed to contamination of carcasses, personnel, and equipment ranged from 0 to 3, the maximum MCLP score of 9 was only attained in carcasses from two slaughterhouses at dehiding and from one slaughterhouse at dispatch. There is, therefore, a lot of room for small and medium enterprise slaughterhouses to improve their food safety objectives by improving food safety management systems at the points characterized by low CL scores.

Engaging with economic evaluation methods: insights from small and medium enterprises in the UK medical devices industry after training workshops.

PubMed

Craven, Michael P; Allsop, Matthew J; Morgan, Stephen P; Martin, Jennifer L

2012-09-03

With increased governmental interest in value assessment of technologies and where medical device manufacturers are finding it increasingly necessary to become more familiar with economic evaluation methods, the study sought to explore the levels of health economics knowledge within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to scope strategies they employ to demonstrate the value of their products to purchasers. A short questionnaire was completed by participants attending one of five workshops on product development in the medical device sector that took place in England between 2007 and 2011. From all responses obtained, a large proportion of participants were based in SMEs (N = 43), and these responses were used for the analysis. Statistical analysis using non-parametric tests was performed on questions with approximately interval scales. Qualitative data from participant responses were analysed to reveal emerging themes. The questionnaire results revealed that 60% of SME participants (mostly company directors or managers, including product or project managers) rated themselves as having low or no knowledge of health economics prior to the workshops but the rest professed at least medium knowledge. Clinical trials and cost analyses or cost-effectiveness studies were the most highly cited means by which SMEs aim to demonstrate value of products to purchasers. Purchasers were perceived to place most importance on factors of safety, expert opinion, cost-effectiveness and price. However many companies did not utilise formal decision-making tools to prioritise these factors. There was no significant dependence of the use of decision-making tools in general with respect to professed knowledge of health economics methods. SMEs did not state a preference for any particular aspect of potential value when deciding whether to develop a product. A majority of SMEs stated they would use a health economics tool. Research and development teams or marketing and sales departments would most likely use one. This study points to the need for further research into the education requirements of SMEs in the area of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and also for investigation into how SMEs engage with existing HTA processes as required by assessors such as NICE.

Engaging with economic evaluation methods: insights from small and medium enterprises in the UK medical devices industry after training workshops

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background With increased governmental interest in value assessment of technologies and where medical device manufacturers are finding it increasingly necessary to become more familiar with economic evaluation methods, the study sought to explore the levels of health economics knowledge within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to scope strategies they employ to demonstrate the value of their products to purchasers. Methods A short questionnaire was completed by participants attending one of five workshops on product development in the medical device sector that took place in England between 2007 and 2011. From all responses obtained, a large proportion of participants were based in SMEs (N = 43), and these responses were used for the analysis. Statistical analysis using non-parametric tests was performed on questions with approximately interval scales. Qualitative data from participant responses were analysed to reveal emerging themes. Results The questionnaire results revealed that 60% of SME participants (mostly company directors or managers, including product or project managers) rated themselves as having low or no knowledge of health economics prior to the workshops but the rest professed at least medium knowledge. Clinical trials and cost analyses or cost-effectiveness studies were the most highly cited means by which SMEs aim to demonstrate value of products to purchasers. Purchasers were perceived to place most importance on factors of safety, expert opinion, cost-effectiveness and price. However many companies did not utilise formal decision-making tools to prioritise these factors. There was no significant dependence of the use of decision-making tools in general with respect to professed knowledge of health economics methods. SMEs did not state a preference for any particular aspect of potential value when deciding whether to develop a product. A majority of SMEs stated they would use a health economics tool. Research and development teams or marketing and sales departments would most likely use one. Conclusion This study points to the need for further research into the education requirements of SMEs in the area of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and also for investigation into how SMEs engage with existing HTA processes as required by assessors such as NICE. PMID:22943625

Universities, SMEs and Innovation Frameworks: Think Global, Act Local?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pickernell, David; Clifton, Nick; Senyard, Julienne

2009-01-01

Universities are increasingly encouraged to take a leading role in economic development, particularly through innovation. Simultaneously, economic development policy itself is increasingly focused on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), creating overlapping interactions in the roles of government policy, universities and SMEs and the…

Targeting overall equipment efficiency for small medium enterprises with irregular production system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasetyawan, Y.; Suef, M.; Claudia, L.; Handayani, F. D.

2018-04-01

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is widely used to measure the maturity of a production system. The company will be considered as World Class Manufacturing if it reaches more than 85% value, with near perfect value for availability, performance and quality factor. This assessment is usually taken on industries with regular production times named shift system. A typical 8 hours shift system is used in OEE measurement and performance monitoring. There are few Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) perform regular production times with shift systems, others using irregular production systems. The irregular production time in the SME production system is used because of demand fluctuations. This paper shows a quantitative analysis as a part of manufacturing system design to achieve a specific value of OEE for SME with irregular production systems, for individual businesses as well as collective business systems (some companies use the same production facilities for several processes). The results of experiments on several companies are presented, as a basis for determining the technical strategy of achieving OEE values.

The Association of Workplace Exposures on Quality of Life in Small and Medium Enterprises Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study in Four ASEAN Countries.

PubMed

Isahak, Marzuki; Loh, May Young; Susilowati, Indri Hapsari; Kaewboonchoo, Orawan; Harncharoen, Kitiphong; Mohd Amin, Nursuhaili; Toai, Nguyen Phuong; Low, Wah-Yun; Ratanasiripong, Paul

2017-05-01

Quality of life is associated with several factors, including personal living styles and working conditions. This article aims to investigate the factors associated with quality of life among small and medium enterprises (SME) workers in 4 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. A total of 2014 workers from food and textile industries were asked to answer a questionnaire about their sociodemographic characteristics, working environment and conditions, and quality of life. Results from showed that lifestyle (ie, alcohol intake and exercising), working characteristics (ie, shift work, working hours, and working days) and workplace conditions were associated with SME workers' quality of life (ie, physical, psychological, social, and environmental domain). Among the 16 types of workplace conditions, "sitting on the chair" and "slippery floor" most affect their quality of life . It is important for these variables to be taken into account in promoting workers' well-being and quality of life.

Carbon footprint analysis as a tool for energy and environmental management in small and medium-sized enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giama, E.; Papadopoulos, A. M.

2018-01-01

The reduction of carbon emissions has become a top priority in the decision-making process for governments and companies, the strict European legislation framework being a major driving force behind this effort. On the other hand, many companies face difficulties in estimating their footprint and in linking the results derived from environmental evaluation processes with an integrated energy management strategy, which will eventually lead to energy-efficient and cost-effective solutions. The paper highlights the need of companies to establish integrated environmental management practices, with tools such as carbon footprint analysis to monitor the energy performance of production processes. Concepts and methods are analysed, and selected indicators are presented by means of benchmarking, monitoring and reporting the results in order to be used effectively from the companies. The study is based on data from more than 90 Greek small and medium enterprises, followed by a comprehensive discussion of cost-effective and realistic energy-saving measures.

Environmental management systems as sustainable tools in the way of life for the SMEs and VSMEs.

PubMed

Zorpas, Antonis

2010-03-01

Small medium enterprises (SMEs) and very small medium enterprises (VSMEs) are the economic backbone of the most economies in Europe. Those VSMEs have mono-service or product, they feel economic pressure, they sell to the local market, they are family traditions and they are informal organizations, they have very "low management", they have employees from different nationalities, they have little access to adult training and to the new requirements of the market, they do not federate and they produce high amount of waste. The research question of our study was: why do SMEs build up environmental management systems (EMS)? This paper presents the need for the implementation of the EMS as a sustainable tool in order to monitor the production of the waste from SMEs and VSMEs. The paper presents benefits, disadvantages, motivation, differences from the international literature in order to present the necessity for the implementation of the EMS. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drivers for OSH interventions in small and medium-sized enterprises.

PubMed

Cagno, Enrico; Masi, Donato; Leão, Celina Pinto

2016-01-01

The debate concerning occupational safety and health (OSH) interventions has recently focused on the need of improving the evaluation of interventions, and in particular on the need for providing information about why the intervention worked or not, under what circumstances and in which context. Key concepts in the analysis of the context are the drivers, i.e., those factors enabling, fostering or facilitating OSH interventions. However, the concept of driver for an OSH intervention is both confused and contested. Although the term is widely used, there is little consensus on how drivers should be understood, how important they are in different contexts and how they can facilitate interventions. This exploratory study based on interviews with the owner-managers and the safety officers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) gives an overview of the most characteristic drivers for OSH interventions. The results will be used to make an initial evaluation of SMEs' needs, and will help orient interventions and future research.

[The certification of advanced therapy medicinal products. A quality label for product development in small and medium-sized enterprises].

PubMed

Berger, A; Schüle, S; Flory, E

2011-07-01

Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) are gene therapy, cell therapy, and tissue engineered products. To gain access to the market within the European Union, ATMPs must be authorized by the European Commission (EC). Especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the European centralized procedure of marketing authorization that is conducted by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) constitutes a major challenge, because SMEs often have little experience with regulatory procedures and many have limited financial possibilities. To tackle these challenges, a certification procedure exclusively for SMEs and their ATMP development was introduced by the EC. Independently from a marketing authorization application, development and/or production processes can be certified. An issued certificate demonstrates that the respective process meets the current regulatory and scientific requirements of the EMA, representing a valuable milestone for putative investors and licensees. This article highlights the background, the detailed procedure, the minimum requirements, as well as the costs of certification, while giving further noteworthy guidance for interested parties.

Differentiated strategy, business performance, and intellectual capital: Evidence small medium enterprise from Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hariyati; Venusita, L.; Dyani, Z. F.

2018-01-01

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have a very important position in Indonesian economics. Implementation of the differentiated strategy has been impacted on improving the business performance of SMEs where the role of intellectual capital strongly supports the success of the implementation of the differentiated strategy. This study applied quantitative research which used survey method. This research examines the relationship between differentiated strategy to the performance of SMEs with mediated by intellectual capital. The results of this study show that intellectual capital mediates the relationship between differentiation strategies and business performance of SMEs. This study theoretically proves the importance of contextual variables in contingency theory. The practical results of this study contribute to raising awareness of business unit managers or other equivalent positions, especially managers in East Java to understand the importance of the role of intellectual capital, this is because intellectual capital meets the criteria as a unique source of the company that is able to create competitive advantage and increase the firm’s value.

Enterprise System Implementations: Lessons from the Trenches.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCredie, Jack; Updegrove, Dan

1999-01-01

Offers 20 practical guidelines for colleges and universities embarking on large-scale administrative software initiatives or enterprise resource planning systems. Guidelines are based on the extensive experience of the authors and a series of panel discussions at 1999 professional meetings. (DB)

Better value digital health: the medium, the market and the role of openness.

PubMed

Reynolds, Carl J

2013-08-01

The recent NHS 'hack days' have showcased the enthusiasm and talent of the junior doctor body as well as the potential of open source, open governance and small-medium enterprise. There still remains much scope for developing better value digital health services within the NHS. This article sets out the current state of NHS information technology (IT), how it fails to meet the needs of patients and professionals alike and suggests how better value digital health can be achieved.

Study on Base Management Pattern of Food Producing Enterprise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Weibin

When the food producing enterprises often comply with food safety regulations and industry management system passively, we need to consider can they transform their production and business pattern in order to avoid the food safety incidents completely? The answer is yes. The food producing enterprises can develop to the two directions of material planting and products in circulation through base management pattern substituting for the original operation pattern of in-plant processing and outside sales. The food producing enterprises should establish coordination and safe supervision mechanisms in order to achieve the management objectives of unified production, controllable risks and scale magnitude.

[Some aspects regarding occupational health in small and middle enterprises].

PubMed

Bîclea, Carmen; Silion, I

2010-01-01

The objective of the study was to assess occupational health services in small and medium enterprises (SME's) in Bacău, between 2007 and 2008, in order to increase the quality of services' management. Five hundred seventy nine SME's with 21,815 employees have been studied, with a number of employees varying from ten to 250 per enterprise. About 4478 employees, out of which 587 with different occupational exposures, have no occupational health services provided on a contract basis. The high number of occupational diseases and work related accidents in SME's show a low level of concern for occupational health and safety matters, compared to big enterprises. The employees' opinions showed that the role of occupational health is not known, there is no concern for the medical adaptation of new employees or old employees rehired after a long break, the employees do not consult occupational health services on their own accord. The occupational services do not fully satisfy the need. The study offers useful data to physicians and SME's management in order to improve the occupational health management.

ECMT31 New Mexico Manufacturing Environmental Survey. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM.

The Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing Technology Transfer and Training Initiative (ECMT3I) is a cooperative effort among education and research institutions in New Mexico to analyze problems in transferring environmental technologies from Department of Energy laboratories to small and medium enterprises (SME's). To identify and analyze…

78 FR 51746 - Trade Barriers That U.S. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Perceive as Affecting Exports to the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-21

... this report, an SME is defined as a firm with fewer than 500 U.S.-based employees.) The Commission is... countries; the relative effect on exports of different EU trade barriers; and ways in which SME...

An analytical approach to customer requirement information processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zude; Xiao, Zheng; Liu, Quan; Ai, Qingsong

2013-11-01

'Customer requirements' (CRs) management is a key component of customer relationship management (CRM). By processing customer-focused information, CRs management plays an important role in enterprise systems (ESs). Although two main CRs analysis methods, quality function deployment (QFD) and Kano model, have been applied to many fields by many enterprises in the past several decades, the limitations such as complex processes and operations make them unsuitable for online businesses among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Currently, most SMEs do not have the resources to implement QFD or Kano model. In this article, we propose a method named customer requirement information (CRI), which provides a simpler and easier way for SMEs to run CRs analysis. The proposed method analyses CRs from the perspective of information and applies mathematical methods to the analysis process. A detailed description of CRI's acquisition, classification and processing is provided.

Alternative Personality Variables and the Relationship to Holland's Personality Types in College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberti, Jonathan W.; Fox, Daniel J.; Tunick, Roy H.

2003-01-01

The Vocational Preference Inventory, two personality questionnaires, and the Sensation-Seeking Scale were completed by 126 college students. Younger students had undifferentiated vocational profiles. Men tended toward Realistic, Enterprising, and Investigative occupations, women toward Social, Enterprising, and Artistic. Significant convergence…

Logistics Management: New trends in the Reverse Logistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonyová, A.; Antony, P.; Soewito, B.

2016-04-01

Present level and quality of the environment are directly dependent on our access to natural resources, as well as their sustainability. In particular production activities and phenomena associated with it have a direct impact on the future of our planet. Recycling process, which in large enterprises often becomes an important and integral part of the production program, is usually in small and medium-sized enterprises problematic. We can specify a few factors, which have direct impact on the development and successful application of the effective reverse logistics system. Find the ways to economically acceptable model of reverse logistics, focusing on converting waste materials for renewable energy, is the task in progress.

Promotion of a healthy work life at small enterprises in Thailand by participatory methods.

PubMed

Krungkraiwong, Sudthida; Itani, Toru; Amornratanapaichit, Ratanaporn

2006-01-01

The major problems of small enterprises include unfavourable working conditions and environment that affect safety and health of workers. The WISE (Work Improvement in Small Enterprises) methodology developed by the ILO has been widely applied to improve occupational safety and health in small enterprises in Thailand. The participatory methods building on local good practices and focusing on practicable improvements have proven effective in controlling the occupational hazards in these enterprises at their sources. As a result of applying the methods in small-scale industries, the frequency of occupational accidents was reduced and the working environment actually improved in the cases studied. The results prove that the participatory approach taken by the WISE activities is a useful and effective tool to make owner/managers and workers in small enterprises voluntarily improve their own working conditions and environment. In promoting a healthy work life at small enterprises in Thailand, it is important to further develop and spread the approach.

A design of strategic alliance based on value chain of surveying and mapping enterprises in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Hong; Huang, Xianfeng

2007-06-01

In this paper, we use value chain and strategic alliance theories to analyzing the surveying and mapping Industry and enterprises. The value chain of surveying and mapping enterprises is highly-contacted but split by administrative interference, the enterprises are common small scale. According to the above things, we consider that establishing a nonequity- Holding strategic alliance based on value chain is an available way, it can not only let the enterprises share the superior resources in different sectors of the whole value chain each other but avoid offending the interests of related administrative departments, by this way, the surveying and mapping enterprises gain development respectively and totally. Then, we give the method to building up the strategic alliance model through parting the value chain and the using advantage of companies in different value chain sectors. Finally, we analyze the internal rule of strategic alliance and prove it is a suitable way to realize the development of surveying and mapping enterprises through game theory.

Technology Transfer: Creating the Right Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCullough, John M.

2003-01-01

Small and medium-sized enterprises are considered to be the backbone of many European economies and a catalyst for economic growth. Universities are key players in encouraging and supporting economic growth through technology and knowledge-related transfer. The right environment to foster transfer is a proactive culture. (Contains 22 references.)…

The Career Choice of Business Graduates: SMEs or MNCs?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moy, Jane W.; Lee, Sze M.

2002-01-01

Business undergraduates' (n=116) ratings of job attributes were overall less favorable for small/medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) than multinational corporations. SME employers' (n=30) perceptions of the attractiveness of these attributes were very different. Comparison of recruitment packages indicated that job security and long-term career…

Building a Sustainable Project Management Capacity in Cyprus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Steven J.; Esque, Timm J.; Novak, M. Mari; Cermakova, Anna

2012-01-01

The performance-driven project management program examined in this article was funded to support a variety of technical assistance efforts designed to strengthen the performance of small and medium enterprises in the Turkish Cypriot community in Cyprus. The customized program combined progressive workshops with hands-on and distance coaching by…

Core ethical values: EuropaBio.

PubMed

2002-01-01

EuropaBio, the European Association for BioIndustries, represents 40 companies operating world wide and 14 national association (totaling around 600 small and medium-sized enterprises) involved in the research, development, testing, manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution of biotechnology products and services in the fields of healthcare, agriculture, food and the environment.

Environmental Sustainability Change Management in SMEs: Learning from Sustainability Champions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chadee, Doren; Wiesner, Retha; Roxas, Banjo

2011-01-01

This study identifies the change management processes involved in undertaking environmental sustainability (ES) initiatives within Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) and relate these to the main attributes of learning organisations. Using case study techniques, the study draws from the change management experiences of a sample of 12 ES…

Employing Knowledge Transfer to Support IS Implementation in SMEs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wynn, Martin; Turner, Phillip; Abas, Hanida; Shen, Rui

2009-01-01

Information systems strategy is an increasingly important component of overall business strategy in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The need for readily available and consistent management information, drawn from integrated systems based on sound and upgradeable technologies, has led many senior company managers to review the business…

75 FR 60408 - Government Programs To Assist Businesses Protect Their Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-30

... Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), in foreign markets. As evidenced by the launch of the.... Identify specific challenges businesses, including SMEs, face in protecting their intellectual property... to SMEs? Should U.S. government programs focus on specific areas of intellectual property protection...

Working towards Skills: Perspectives on Workforce Development in SMEs. Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Maria; Keddie, Vince; Webb, Peter; Corney, Mark

Research into workforce development (WD) considered the relationship between corporate assessments of workers' development needs and WD strategies; how learning at work takes place; and what learning methods are used and their effectiveness. Focus was on practice in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Methodology included a literature…

Knowledge Production in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van der Meer, Han

2010-01-01

This article presents the author's response to Hisham B. Ghassib's (2010) article entitled "Where Does Creativity Fit into a Productivist Industrial Model of Knowledge Production?" When the author tries to characterise Ghassib's (2010) world, three words come into mind: University, Scientific Knowledge, and Marx. The author's world on the other…

Partnering for Real World Learning, Sustainability, Tourism Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jennings, Gayle; Cater, Carl I.; Hales, Rob; Kensbock, Sandra; Hornby, Glen

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to study how real world learning was used to engender and enhance sustainability principles and practices with 11 micro-, small- and medium-tourism business enterprises and 101 university tourism students enrolled across three university courses. Design/methodology/approach: Action research processes were…

Competitive Intelligence for SMEs. From Intellectual Concepts to Actionable CI Rules and Good Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dou, Henri

2000-01-01

Presents several aspects of the development of actionable competitive intelligence into SMEs (small and medium enterprises). Describes types of information used in SMEs, economic intelligence in France, suggestions for information management, and various works undertaken through the European Community. (Contains 11 references.) (Author/LRW)

Learning in Smaller Companies. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seagraves, Liz; Osborne, Mike; Neal, Peter; Dockrell, Richard; Hartshorn, Christina; Boyd, Alison

The Learning in Smaller Companies (LISC) project was undertaken to develop links between academic institutions and work-based learning in Scotland. The University of Stirling worked with Falkirk College and Clackmannan College to create a number of work-based learning schemes for employers in small and medium-sized enterprises. The programs were…

Leadership Development in SMEs: An Action Learning Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leitch, Claire M.; McMullan, Christel; Harrison, Richard T.

2009-01-01

In this paper we evaluate an action learning-based, leadership development programme designed for founders and leaders of growth-oriented, entrepreneurial small to medium-sized enterprises. Based on in-depth, qualitative interviews with participants on one cohort, undertaken two years after completion of the seven-month programme, we demonstrate…

Face-to-Face or Distance Training? Two Different Approaches To Motivate SMEs To Learn--An Update.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allan, John; O'Dwyer, Michele; Ryan, Eamon; Lawless, Naomi

2001-01-01

Two projects attempted to assess and meet small and medium-sized enterprises' training needs. Britain's Learning support for Small Businesses delivery methods included paper, CD-ROM, and the Internet. The University of Limerick, Ireland, offered face-to-face learning for microenterprises. (SK)

Experiential Learning in Accounting Work-Integrated Learning: A Three-Way Partnership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elijido-Ten, Evangeline; Kloot, Louise

2015-01-01

Purpose: Work-integrated learning (WIL) helps improve the work readiness of accounting graduates. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role played by large and small-to-medium enterprise (SME) employers in providing experiential learning opportunities to accounting students in an Australian higher education context.…

Understanding the Learning Process in SMEs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, James; Gannon-Leary, Pat

2007-01-01

A major obstacle to the diffusion of management development learning technologies from Higher Education Institutions to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) is a lack of understanding about how SME learners learn. This article examines the nature of learning in SMEs and considers the incidence of informal support for informal learning.…

Educational Validity of Business Gaming Simulation: A Research Methodology Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stainton, Andrew J.; Johnson, Johnnie E.; Borodzicz, Edward P.

2010-01-01

Many past educational validity studies of business gaming simulation, and more specifically total enterprise simulation, have been inconclusive. Studies have focused on the weaknesses of business gaming simulation; which is often regarded as an educational medium that has limitations regarding learning effectiveness. However, no attempts have been…

The Determinants of Training in Australian Manufacturing SMEs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Janice T.

2005-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to examine the factors influencing the provision of increased training in Australian manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have embarked upon different growth development pathways. Design/Methodology/Approach: The longitudinal panel data employed in this research are drawn from the…

SMEs and Barriers to Skill Development: A Scottish Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lange, Thomas; Ottens, Melanie; Taylor, Andrea

2000-01-01

Analysis of Scottish small and medium-sized enterprises reveals that small business culture is a significant barrier to skill development. Other barriers include awareness, finance, and access to training. A welter of recent policy initiatives has added to a state of confusion about the role of training. (SK)

An Integrative Concept for Technical, Personnel and Organizational Development for Professional Skill Enhancement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kroll, Martin

1997-01-01

Training needed to implement technological and organizational change in small- and medium-sized enterprises is restrained by lack of systematic organization, negative effects of organizational and personnel structures, and different interpretations of managerial tasks. Article suggests that managers should strive to create the necessary…

Notes on a Vision for the Global Space Weather Enterprise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Head, James N.

2015-07-01

Space weather phenomena impacts human civilization on a global scale and hence calls for a global approach to research, monitoring, and operational forecasting. The Global Space Weather Enterprise (GSWE) could be arranged along lines well established in existing international frameworks related to space exploration or to the use of space to benefit humanity. The Enterprise need not establish a new organization, but could evolve from existing international organizations. A GSWE employing open architectural concepts could be arranged to promote participation by all interested States regardless of current differences in science and technical capacity. Such an Enterprise would engender capacity building and burden sharing opportunities.

Positioning the library at the epicenter of the networked biomedical enterprise.

PubMed

Stead, W W

1998-01-01

The changing economic environment in which our biomedical enterprises operate presents unparalleled opportunities to the profession of medical librarianship. Evidence-based medicine, patient empowerment, asynchronous learning networks, and research colaboratories each involve a new type of shared information, or access to information in new ways or by different people. These tasks are ones with which librarianship is directly involved. Librarians are therefore placed perfectly to provide new products and services. To position the library at the epicenter of the networked biomedical enterprise we must meet three challenges: We must align the library's business strategy with that of the larger enterprise. We must provide services in ways that will scale-up to enable new business strategies. We must measure the effectiveness of services in ways that document their role in supporting the enterprise.

Strategic Enterprise Resource Planning for Global Supply Chain Competitiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nageswararao, A. V.; Sahu, Dasarathi; Mohan, V. Krishna

2011-01-01

Strategic Enterprise Resource planning (SERP) systems are networked and integrated information mechanisms which are developed to achieve competitive advantage for organizations operating in global scale. It plays a vital role in Integrating various stake holders and channel partners involved in day to day operations. In the present Globalized…

Recycling research on spent fluorescent lamps on the basis of extended producer responsibility in China.

PubMed

Peng, Lihong; Wang, Yejun; Chang, Chang-Tang

2014-11-01

Mercury is a physiological toxin released by spent fluorescent lamps (SFLs) and is considered a serious pollutant. As the world's largest producer of fluorescent lamps, China suffers from SFL pollution because of inefficient recycling and management of SFLs. Drawing upon the most successful practices worldwide, this paper suggests the recycling of SFLs on the basis of the extended producer responsibility (EPR) system in China. Manufacturers and importers are the main parties responsible for the take-back, recycling, and disposal ofSFLs in the EPR system. In view of the situation in China and to address the objectives of the EPR system, this paper recommends the implementation of a third-party take-back mode for small- and medium-scale enterprises and of a takeback mode for large enterprises to be carried out by original equipment manufacturers. This paper suggests an extended responsibility fund to finance and support the SFL recycling system and discusses in detail the different recycling network systems and fund flows of the two take-back modes. By conducting a case study, the authors determine that the subsidy rate for SFLs that a recycling company can obtain from the extended responsibility fund for recycling and disposing of lamps can be set at $1.35/kg. The authors also predict the levy level that fluorescent lamp manufacturers must submit.

Tape SCSI monitoring and encryption at CERN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laskaridis, Stefanos; Bahyl, V.; Cano, E.; Leduc, J.; Murray, S.; Cancio, G.; Kruse, D.

2017-10-01

CERN currently manages the largest data archive in the HEP domain; over 180PB of custodial data is archived across 7 enterprise tape libraries containing more than 25,000 tapes and using over 100 tape drives. Archival storage at this scale requires a leading edge monitoring infrastructure that acquires live and lifelong metrics from the hardware in order to assess and proactively identify potential drive and media level issues. In addition, protecting the privacy of sensitive archival data is becoming increasingly important and with it the need for a scalable, compute-efficient and cost-effective solution for data encryption. In this paper, we first describe the implementation of acquiring tape medium and drive related metrics reported by the SCSI interface and its integration with our monitoring system. We then address the incorporation of tape drive real-time encryption with dedicated drive hardware into the CASTOR [1] hierarchical mass storage system.

Lost in Cloud

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maluf, David A.; Shetye, Sandeep D.; Chilukuri, Sri; Sturken, Ian

2012-01-01

Cloud computing can reduce cost significantly because businesses can share computing resources. In recent years Small and Medium Businesses (SMB) have used Cloud effectively for cost saving and for sharing IT expenses. With the success of SMBs, many perceive that the larger enterprises ought to move into Cloud environment as well. Government agency s stove-piped environments are being considered as candidates for potential use of Cloud either as an enterprise entity or pockets of small communities. Cloud Computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than as a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network. Underneath the offered services, there exists a modern infrastructure cost of which is often spread across its services or its investors. As NASA is considered as an Enterprise class organization, like other enterprises, a shift has been occurring in perceiving its IT services as candidates for Cloud services. This paper discusses market trends in cloud computing from an enterprise angle and then addresses the topic of Cloud Computing for NASA in two possible forms. First, in the form of a public Cloud to support it as an enterprise, as well as to share it with the commercial and public at large. Second, as a private Cloud wherein the infrastructure is operated solely for NASA, whether managed internally or by a third-party and hosted internally or externally. The paper addresses the strengths and weaknesses of both paradigms of public and private Clouds, in both internally and externally operated settings. The content of the paper is from a NASA perspective but is applicable to any large enterprise with thousands of employees and contractors.

Enterprise tools to promote interoperability: MonitoringResources.org supports design and documentation of large-scale, long-term monitoringprograms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weltzin, J. F.; Scully, R. A.; Bayer, J.

2016-12-01

Individual natural resource monitoring programs have evolved in response to different organizational mandates, jurisdictional needs, issues and questions. We are establishing a collaborative forum for large-scale, long-term monitoring programs to identify opportunities where collaboration could yield efficiency in monitoring design, implementation, analyses, and data sharing. We anticipate these monitoring programs will have similar requirements - e.g. survey design, standardization of protocols and methods, information management and delivery - that could be met by enterprise tools to promote sustainability, efficiency and interoperability of information across geopolitical boundaries or organizational cultures. MonitoringResources.org, a project of the Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership, provides an on-line suite of enterprise tools focused on aquatic systems in the Pacific Northwest Region of the United States. We will leverage on and expand this existing capacity to support continental-scale monitoring of both aquatic and terrestrial systems. The current stakeholder group is focused on programs led by bureaus with the Department of Interior, but the tools will be readily and freely available to a broad variety of other stakeholders. Here, we report the results of two initial stakeholder workshops focused on (1) establishing a collaborative forum of large scale monitoring programs, (2) identifying and prioritizing shared needs, (3) evaluating existing enterprise resources, (4) defining priorities for development of enhanced capacity for MonitoringResources.org, and (5) identifying a small number of pilot projects that can be used to define and test development requirements for specific monitoring programs.

Risk determinants of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) - an exploratory study in New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, Ariful; Tedford, Des

2012-08-01

The smooth running of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) presents a significant challenge irrespective of the technological and human resources they may have at their disposal. SMEs continuously encounter daily internal and external undesirable events and unwanted setbacks to their operations that detract from their business performance. These are referred to as `disturbances' in our research study. Among the disturbances, some are likely to create risks to the enterprises in terms of loss of production, manufacturing capability, human resource, market share, and, of course, economic losses. These are finally referred to as `risk determinant' on the basis of their correlation with some risk indicators, which are linked to operational, occupational, and economic risks. To deal with these risk determinants effectively, SMEs need a systematic method of approach to identify and treat their potential effects along with an appropriate set of tools. However, initially, a strategic approach is required to identify typical risk determinants and their linkage with potential business risks. In this connection, we conducted this study to explore the answer to the research question: what are the typical risk determinants encountered by SMEs? We carried out an empirical investigation with a multi-method research approach (a combination of a questionnaire-based mail survey involving 212 SMEs and five in-depth case studies) in New Zealand. This paper presents a set of typical internal and external risk determinants, which need special attention to be dealt with to minimize operational risks of an SME.

An Evaluation-Led Virtual Action Learning Programme--Was the Theory Put into Practice?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giambona, G.; Birchall, D. W.

2011-01-01

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in creating a dynamic and successful European economy. Time-poor managers in these organisations generally have fewer opportunities for training and development than their counterparts in larger organisations. As a result, different requirements are placed on training. The aim of…

Quality Management and Qualification Needs 1: Quality and Personnel Concepts of SMEs in Europe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koper, Johannes; Zaremba, Hans Jurgen

This book examines how quality management is implemented in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It presents the survey results as two sector studies. Competitive and specialization tendencies of the sectors and company concepts of "quality" and…

Higher Education Institutions and Regional Mission: Lessons Learnt from the OECD Review Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puukka, Jaana; Marmolejo, Francisco

2008-01-01

With the processes of globalization and localization, the local availability of knowledge and skills, and the transfer of technology and innovation to industry, small and medium-sized enterprises and the wider society have become increasingly important. In recent years, there have been many initiatives across Organization for Economic Cooperation…

The Implementation of Technology-Based SME Management Development Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, James

2005-01-01

Learning technology is seen as one solution to the problem of delivering management training in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). This paper investigates how the Higher Education (HE) sector can use its growing expertise in learning technology implementation to develop effective SME management development solutions. It is found that there…

Skills Development Training in the Consultancy Mode: An Experience in Ecuador.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhola, H. S.

A group of instructional planners from the United States was invited to help establish a vocational skills development project to help meet the need for adequately trained workers in Ecuador's small- and medium-sized enterprises in the industrial, service, commercial and agricultural sectors of the economy. A logicodialetical model called the CLER…

How Colleges Are Working with Small Businesses: Survey Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Anne Marie, Ed.

A survey of 456 further education (FE) colleges in England and Wales identified the FE sector's activities in providing effective training and development to smaller and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Of 120 colleges that responded, 87.5 percent provided direct training to SMEs; 79.2 percent were developing or acquiring teaching or training…

SMEs and their E-Commerce: Implications for Training in Wellington, New Zealand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beal, Tim; Abdullah, Moha Asri

2005-01-01

One of the greatest challenges facing traditional small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) throughout the world is that posed by the Internet. While the Internet offers great potential to SMEs, from improving and cheapening production processes through to reaching global customers, it also poses great problems. SMEs' resources, human and…

78 FR 66950 - Trade Barriers That U.S. Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Perceive as Affecting Exports to the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-07

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 332-541] Trade Barriers That U.S. Small and.... ADDRESSES: All written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary, United States International Trade... held at the U.S. International Trade Commission Building, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC, beginning...

Networking Industry and Academia: Evidence from FUSION Projects in Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Simon; Onofrei, George

2009-01-01

Graduate development programmes such as FUSION continue to be seen by policy makers, higher education institutions and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as primary means of strengthening higher education-business links and in turn improving the match between graduate output and the needs of industry. This paper provides evidence from case…

75 FR 68325 - Government Programs to Assist Businesses Protect Their Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-05

... of U.S. businesses, including Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), in foreign markets. As... rights in foreign markets in particular. 2. Identify specific challenges businesses, including SMEs, face..., patents, trade secrets) present the most challenges to SMEs? Should U.S. government programs focus on...

A Pan-European Survey Leading to the Development of WITS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mullins, Roisin; Duan, Yanqing; Hamblin, David

2001-01-01

Describes a study of the training needs of small- and medium-sized enterprises in relation to the Internet, electronic commerce, and electronic data interchange in the United Kingdom, Poland, Slovak Republic, Germany, and Portugal. Discusses the development of a Web-based intelligent training system (WITS) as a result of the study. (Author/LRW)

A Comprehensive, Competency-Based Education Framework Using Medium-Sized ERP Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scholtz, Brenda; Cilliers, Charmain; Calitz, Andre

2012-01-01

Graduates with industry-relevant ERP competencies are highly sought after. This requirement is due to a dominance of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and the positive affect which good quality ERP specialists have on the success rate of ERP system implementation projects. Universities are therefore increasingly pressurised to supply…

Enhancing SMTEs' Business Performance through the Internet and E-Learning Platforms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Catherine; Buhalis, Dimitrios; Peters, Mike

2003-01-01

Investigates small and medium-sized tourist enterprises (SMTEs) in the European hotel sector and their utilisation of the Internet and their perception of online learning systems. Aims to demonstrate to SMTEs that training is imperative and that information and communication technologies (ICTs) can enable them to improve their inventory…

Training as an E-Commerce Enabler.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darch, Helen; Lucas, Trevor

2002-01-01

An investigation into lack of skills and awareness as barriers to the use of electronic commerce by 20 small- to medium enterprises within the food industry in Queensland, Australia, found that lack of knowledge and technical skills and structural issues are barriers. A range of training and development strategies are needed. (Contains 20…

Action Learning: How Learning Transfers from Entrepreneurs to Small Firms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Karen; Sambrook, Sally A.; Pittaway, Luke; Henley, Andrew; Norbury, Heather

2014-01-01

This paper presents research with small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners who have participated in a leadership development programme. The primary focus of this paper is on learning transfer and factors affecting it, arguing that entrepreneurs must engage in "action" in order to "learn" and that under certain conditions…

Fostering an Entrepreneurial Mindset by Using a Design Thinking Approach in Entrepreneurship Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniel, Ana Dias

2016-01-01

Entrepreneurship education has generated considerable interest in recent decades, largely attributable to the evidence of the positive impact of small and medium-sized enterprises on economic growth, job creation, innovation and wealth generation. Since the first entrepreneurship course was held in 1947 at Harvard University, countless courses and…

Exploring Market and Competitive Intelligence Research as a Source for Enhancing Innovation Capacity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bajaj, Deepak

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the role of Competitive and Market Intelligence (CI/MI) Research as a potential source for improving the innovation capability of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME's) leading to successful new product/services/processes/capabilities development (Cooper & Edgett, 2002). This report highlights the…

Competitive Strategy and Influences on E-Learning in Entrepreneur-Led SMEs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roffe, Ian

2007-01-01

Purpose: To explore the influence of competitive strategy in entrepreneur-led SMEs and the effects on e-learning HRD. Design/methodology/approach: Performance consulting company reviews provide holistic information on nine case studies on small and medium sized enterprises drawn from the printing, agri-foods and media industries. Findings:…

Strategic HRM for SMEs: Implications for Firms and Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brand, Maryse J.; Bax, Erik H.

2002-01-01

This paper is on the growing importance of strategic human resource management (SHRM) for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Many small firms encounter serious human resource problems, while at the same time these human resources play a vital role in developing and sustaining their competitive advantages. In (S)HRM literature specific…

Foundational Competencies for Enhancing Work Engagement in SMEs Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haruna, Aliyu Yelwa; Marthandan, Govindan

2017-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of foundational competencies on work engagement in the context of the Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) service sector. Design/Methodology/Approach: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in Malaysia, and data were gathered via a survey on 312 employees representing SMEs service…

Improving Young Entrepreneurship Education and Knowledge Management in SMEs by Mentors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamburg, Ileana

2014-01-01

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have a great importance in Europe, but the dynamic nature of market has created a competitive incentive among companies requiring them to improve their critical area of knowledge management (KM) and corresponding skills to create new business. More entrepreneurs, more innovation and growth are necessary…

Mapping of Supply Chain Learning: A Framework for SMEs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thakkar, Jitesh; Kanda, Arun; Deshmukh, S. G.

2011-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to propose a mapping framework for evaluating supply chain learning potential for the context of small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach: The extracts of recently completed case based research for ten manufacturing SME units and facts reported in the previous research are utilized…

The Effectiveness of Knowledge Networks: An Investigation of Manufacturing SMEs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Tim; O'Regan, Nicholas; Sims, Martin A.

2009-01-01

Purpose: Although considerable attention in the extant literature has been devoted to knowledge acquisition and transfer within firms, there is a dearth of research on the effectiveness of outside sources of knowledge for technology-based small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Furthermore, the majority of empirical studies in this area focus on…

Distance Education and Training for Small Firms--United Kingdom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dey, Ian; Harrison, Jean

This document on the United Kingdom (UK) is one of a series of five monographs published by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP). The document includes seven chapters, three appendices, and a section of case studies. The first chapter describes small and medium-sized business enterprises in the UK. Vocational…

The Business Communication Course and the Moodle Framework System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krisko, Edina

2011-01-01

In this article I will argue that the use of learning content management systems is also justified in full-time education, especially in business education and communication studies. Nowadays not only multinational companies, but domestic medium enterprises also manage the training of new employees and existing staff with LCMSs. Companies in…

Human Resource Development in Mauritius: Context, Challenges and Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garavan, Thomas N.; Neeliah, Harris; Auckloo, Raj; Ragaven, Raj

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore human resource development (HRD) in Mauritius and the challenges and opportunities faced by organisations in different sectors in adopting HRD practices. Findings: This special issue presents four papers that explore dimensions of HRD in public sector, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and…

Building Skills and Qualifications among SME Employees. Leonardo da Vinci Good Practices Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Commission of the European Communities, Brussels (Belgium). Directorate-General for Education and Culture.

This document profiles 10 European programs that exemplify good practice in building skills and qualifications among employees of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The programs profiled are as follows: (1) TRICTSME (a program providing World Wide Web-based information and communication technologies training for SMEs in manufacturing); (2)…

Assessing ICTs Skill Challenges in SMEs: Insights from Three Country Investigations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duan, Yangqing; Mullins, Roisin; Hamblin, David; Stanek, Stanislaw; Sroka, Henry; Machada, Virgilio; Araujo, Joao

2002-01-01

Responses from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Britain (n=81), Poland (n=30), and Portugal (n=69) identified current levels of information/communications technology use and training provided and needed. Despite high demand, training is not provided regularly or effectively. Extent of e-commerce adoption influenced level of training.…

Framework for a Technology-Watch Relay Station

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stokes, C. A.; Palmer, P. J.

2004-01-01

At the centre of the PRIME Faraday Partnership's Technology Watch service is a growing series of technology and market reviews for managers and engineers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) producing "smart" products. Its aim is to help them maintain their awareness of new technologies and markets and thereby seize opportunities to…

Work Ability and Its Related Factors Among Workers in Small and Medium Enterprises: Comparison Among Four ASEAN Countries.

PubMed

Kaewboonchoo, Orawan; Isahak, Marzuki; Susilowati, Indri; Phuong, Toai Nguyen; Morioka, Ikuharu; Harncharoen, Kitiphong; Low, Wah Yun; Ratanasiripong, Paul

2016-07-01

Work ability is related to many factors that might influence one's capacity to work. This study aimed to examine the work ability and its related factors among small and medium enterprises (SME) workers in 4 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. The participants in this study included 2098 workers from food and textile industries in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. A cross-sectional survey of anonymous self-administrated questionnaire was designed to collect information on sociodemographic factors, work environment and ergonomic condition, musculoskeletal disorders, and work ability. Bivariate correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analyses were used to predict the work ability. Results of this study confirm that work ability in 4 ASEAN countries was similar to that in European countries, and that the sociodemographic factors, work environment and ergonomic condition, and musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) were associated with work ability. These factors are important for considering occupational health and safety policy to promote work ability in food, textile, and other SME workers. © 2016 APJPH.

An examination on the influence of small and medium enterprise (SME) stakeholder on green supply chain management practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahlan, M. Z.; Sidek, A. A.; Suffian, S. A.; Hazza, M. H. F. A.; Daud, M. R. C.

2018-01-01

In this paper, climate change and global warming are the biggest current issues in the industrial sectors. The green supply chain managements (GSCM) is one of the crucial input to these issues. Effective GSCM can potentially secure the organization’s competitive advantage and improve the environmental performance of the network activities. In this study, the aim is to investigate and examine how a small and medium enterprises (SMEs) stakeholder pressure and top management influence green supply chain management practices. The study is further advance green supply chain management research in Malaysia focusing on SMEs manufacturing sector using structural equation modelling. Structural equation modelling is a multivariate statistical analysis technique used to examine structural relationship. It is the combination of factor analysis and multi regression analysis and used to analyse structural relationship between measure variable and latent factor. This research found that top management support and stakeholder pressure is the major influence for SMEs to adopt green supply chain management. The research also found that top management is fully mediate with the relationship between stakeholder pressure and monitoring supplier environmental performance.

Development of Keropok Keping Drying Machine for Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamaddan, S.; Mohd Mohtar, A. M. A. A.; Junaidi, N.; Mohtadzar, N. A. A.; Mohamad Suffian, M. S. Z.

2016-02-01

Keropok is a traditional cracker product in Southeast Asia. Keropok is made from fish, squid or shrimp mixed with starch or sago flour and eggs. In Malaysia, keropok industry is widely operated at the coastal areas where the fish/seafood supply can be easily accessed. Keropok need to be dried before the packaging process. At the moment, conventional method was used where the keropok is arranged under the sunlight on a board called pemidai. The method is considered less hygienic since it exposed to the dirt and dust and less practical especially during the raining season. This research is focusing on a new automation technique to solve the problems. Rotary drum with internal holder was developed as the drying machine. Keropok keping (types of keropok) was selected to be experimented using the machine with three different rotating speeds. Preliminary experiment result shows that the broken rate of the keropok keping was around 27% of the total weight. The development of new automation system is hoped to improve the small medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia.

Mental health status and work environment among workers in small- and medium-sized enterprises in Guangdong, China-a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Zeng, Zhi; Guo, Yan; Lu, Liming; Han, Lu; Chen, Wen; Ling, Li

2014-11-12

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) generate nearly 80% of the jobs in China, but the dangerous work environment often found in these enterprises poses a major concern for public health. Psychosocial pressure and mental health problems among the workers are also common in SMEs. However, mental health of workers in SMEs is largely neglected in occupational health research and practice in China. The purpose of this study is to assess mental health of the workers and to explore the associations between physical and psychosocial work environment and workers' mental health in SMEs in South China. Data were collected in 2012 through a cross-sectional survey among 1200 workers working in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Guangdong, China. Mental health was measured by psychological well-being in the current study. Job Demand-Control-Support (JDCS) model was used as a theoretical framework to examine the psychosocial factors associated with workers' psychological well-being. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 and analysis was performed using bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression. About three in ten workers (35.3%) in the sample had poor psychological well-being. Those who were men, younger in age, or migrant workers had worse psychological outcome in bivariate analyses. After controlling for individual variables (gender, age, marital status, and household registration), we found that longer weekly work hours (OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.13 ~ 1.50), more exposure to hazardous work environment (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.10 ~ 1.44), higher job demands (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.12 ~ 1.49), and lower job autonomy (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.60 ~ 0.81) were significant associated with worse psychological well-being. The results were consistent with predictions of the JDCS model. The results indicate that the JDCS model is a useful framework in predicting psychological well-being among Chinese workers in SMEs. Future mental health promotion should focus on young migrant male workers as they appear to be most vulnerable in their psychological well-being. Both physical and psychosocial aspects of the work environment should be taken into account in policy making to prevent mental disorder and promote psychological well-being among workers in SMEs.

[Employment conditions and a system of occupational health administration for disabled workers].

PubMed

Nagae, S; Baba, Y; Inoue, N

1985-12-01

A survey using a questionaire was conducted to elucidate the employment conditions and a system of occupational health administration status of the disabled workers in private enterprises. The average employment rate of disabled workers was found to be higher in small-scale enterprises, than in large-scale enterprises. Also, the low employment rate was found among cases of spinal cord injuries and hemipregia. The reasons for workers becoming disabled were "private accident and illness" (59.2%) "congenital" (30.6%) and "labor accident" (10.2%). The main physical factor influencing work efficiency of disabled workers was "degree of disability" while "work morale" was found to be the most influential psychological factor. Also it was found that about 50% of private enterprises will accept the reinstatement and employment of spinal cord injury or hemipregia workers. But it will be necessary that the disabled workers are able to do the requested job. However, it is necessary for employers of disabled workers to make various efforts in overcoming situations such as, changes in organization, improvement of occupational health administration staffs and improvements in the working environment and equipment.

Risk Assessment for Stonecutting Enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aleksandrova, A. J.; Timofeeva, S. S.

2017-04-01

Working conditions at enterprises and artisanal workshops for the processing of jewelry and ornamental stones were considered. The main stages of the technological process for processing of stone raw materials were shown; dangerous processes in the extraction of stone and its processing were identified. The characteristic of harmful and dangerous production factors affecting stonecutters is given. It was revealed that the most dangerous are the increased level of noise and vibration, as well as chemical reagents. The results of a special assessment of the working conditions of stone-cutting plant workers are studied. Professions with high professional risk were identified; an analysis of occupational risks and occupational injuries was carried out. Risk assessment was produced by several methods; professions with high and medium risk indicators were identified by results of the evaluation. The application of risk assessment methods was given the possibility to justify rational measures reducing risks to the lowest possible level. The received quantitative indicators of risk of workers of the stone-cutting enterprises are the result of this work.

ERP system implementation in SMEs: exploring the influences of the SME context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zach, Ondrej; Munkvold, Bjørn Erik; Håkon Olsen, Dag

2014-03-01

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Compared to large enterprises, SMEs differ in a number of inherent characteristics, which are likely to impact the ERP system implementations. The purpose of this study is to explore these influences of the SME context on the ERP system implementation process. SME characteristics are synthesised from relevant literature and the influences of the contextual factors on various activities across the ERP life cycle are investigated. The study presents findings from a multiple case study of four SMEs. The ownership type of the companies and limited resources were identified as the most influential contextual factors. Among the ERP life-cycle phases, the implementation phase was affected most by the SME context. The case studies also illustrate the need for a more nuanced view on what should be considered general characteristics of SMEs; for example, regarding the level of IS knowledge, business processes, and market characteristics.

Governance of extended lifecycle in large-scale eHealth initiatives: analyzing variability of enterprise architecture elements.

PubMed

Mykkänen, Juha; Virkanen, Hannu; Tuomainen, Mika

2013-01-01

The governance of large eHealth initiatives requires traceability of many requirements and design decisions. We provide a model which we use to conceptually analyze variability of several enterprise architecture (EA) elements throughout the extended lifecycle of development goals using interrelated projects related to the national ePrescription in Finland.

Application of Open-Source Enterprise Information System Modules: An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Sang-Heui

2010-01-01

Although there have been a number of studies on large scale implementation of proprietary enterprise information systems (EIS), open-source software (OSS) for EIS has received limited attention in spite of its potential as a disruptive innovation. Cost saving is the main driver for adopting OSS among the other possible benefits including security…

Knowledge Creation and Deployment in the Small, but Growing, Enterprise and the Psychological Contract

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leach, Tony

2010-01-01

This paper contains an account of a small scale investigation into the usefulness of the concepts of the learning organisation and organisational learning when seeking to describe the processes of knowledge creation and deployment within the small, but growing, enterprise (SME). A review of the literature reveals a concern that the relationship…

Outsourcing in the public refuse collection sector: exploiting old certainties or exploring new possibilities?

PubMed

Gustafsson, Ove; Saksvik, Per Øystein

2005-01-01

An outsourcing process in a medium-size city, by Norwegian standards, provided the background for our study. In 1996, the city council decided to contract out the refuse collection in half of its total area (the western part of the city), and to let the public refuse collection enterprise continue to collect in the other half of the area. The public enterprise also participated in the competitive tender, without success, however. The bid submitted by the public refuse collection enterprise was used as the basis for a benchmarking process performed by the chief administrative officer of the city in May 1999. The process resulted in the requirement that the public enterprise downsize its number of refuse collectors by 27 per cent. The city thus acquired a more cost-effective refuse collection system both in the western part, now run by a private company, and in the rest of the city, where the collection remained the responsibility of the public enterprise, in its newly pared-down and reorganized version. Detectable changes in the refuse collectors' health status in the three-year period immediately following the outsourcing constitute our main focus in this study. We found that the downsizing and reorganization of the public enterprise had a negative impact on the refuse collectors' health status. One year after the downsizing, six of the 27 refuse collectors remaining in the public enterprise had been diagnosed with heart problems or musculoskeletal pains that were sufficiently serious to form the basis of their individual approaches to secure a disability pension, which all six were in the process of acquiring. The registered sick leave among the refuse collectors showed a dramatic increase during the same period. We found clear indications that the refuse collectors remaining in the employment of the public enterprise had no alternatives in the labour market. Although not the focus of this study, we found that the totality of costs and benefits, not only for the enterprise in question, but also for local and national authorities, needs to be considered in any realistic assessment of the impact of public sector outsourcing of activities.

Helping Spanish SMEs Staff to Develop Their Competence in Writing Business Letters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foz-Gil, Carmen; Gonzalez-Pueyo, Isabel

2009-01-01

This paper reports on the development of a website tool aimed at helping Spanish small and medium enterprises (SMEs) staff to write their commercial correspondence in English. It describes the steps involved in the tool system design process, making an emphasis on the methodological criteria and rational that guided us to develop the site. In…

Technology Entrepreneurship Promoted by Universities' Incubation Centers in Taiwan: Its Successes and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Lung-Sheng; Lai, Chun-Chin

2005-01-01

Since 1996, the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration (SMEA) in Taiwan has supported various institutions to establish incubation centers (ICs) for facilitating start-ups and innovation. At present, there are 79 ICs in total and 65 (or 83%) of them are established in universities/colleges. Most ICs in the universities/colleges offering…

SME Non-Executive Directors: Having One and Being One

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Ian

2013-01-01

The objective of the study reported here was to ascertain the impact on small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owner-managers of simulating having and being a non-executive director (NED) within the GOLD programme at Lancaster University, the purpose of which is to help owner-managers of SMEs to become better strategic leaders of their companies.…

Creation and implementation of a certification system for insurability and fire risk classification for forest plantations

Treesearch

Veronica Loewe M.; Victor Vargas; Juan Miguel Ruiz; Andrea Alvarez C.; Felipe Lobo Q.

2015-01-01

Currently, the Chilean insurance market sells forest fire insurance policies and agricultural weather risk policies. However, access to forest fire insurance is difficult for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with a significant proportion (close to 50%) of forest plantations being without coverage. Indeed, the insurance market that sells forest fire insurance...

78 FR 45969 - Trade Barriers That U.S. Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Perceive as Affecting Exports to the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-30

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 332-541] Trade Barriers That U.S. Small and... Investigation and Scheduling of Hearing AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission. ACTION... 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)), the U.S. International Trade Commission...

"It's Pretty Simple and in Greek …": Global and Local Languages in the Greek Corporate Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahili, Ifigenia

2014-01-01

Today's corporate world is in a state of flux. The globalisation of business activity and the escalating economic crises force even small/medium enterprises to become international. This impacts on the competitiveness, profitability and survival of organisations, and as a result the companies' recruitment strategies and language policies,…

75 FR 5804 - Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: U.S. and EU Export Activities, and Barriers and Opportunities...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-04

... significant constraints that U.S. SMEs face in their efforts to export. The strategies that SMEs have adopted to address or overcome those constraints. The benefits to SMEs of increased export opportunities from... arrangements that have been most beneficial to SMEs that export. The characteristics of SMEs that export...

Higher Education Engagement in Leadership Development: Using Autobiographical Narrative to Understand Potential Impact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Karen; Sambrook, Sally; Henley, Andrew; Norbury, Heather

2012-01-01

This paper explores the lived experience of leadership learning and development in a single case study of an entrepreneur participating in a major leadership development programme for owner-managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Based on autobiographical research, it provides a rich contextual account of the nature and underlying…

The Relationship between Internet Use and Perceptions of Barriers Facing Small Business Exporters in Pakistan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Awan, Mahmood A.

2010-01-01

With the emergence of the Internet and the World Wide Web, economic conditions and business practices have been fundamentally reshaped. The Internet is believed to promote the rapid internationalization of companies, particularly small and medium enterprises (SME). The purpose of this quantitative study was to study the affect of Electronic…

Learning with a Website for the Textile Industry in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mbambo, Buhle; Cronje, Johannes C.

2007-01-01

This paper reports on a locally initiated investigation into the suitability of the Internet in helping to meet the information needs of women in small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in the textile industry in Botswana. The background is the stated government policy to encourage the development of SMMEs and the Internet infrastructure. The…

SMEs and Electronic Commerce: A Departure from the Traditional Prioritisation of Training?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barry, Helen; Milner, Brigid

2002-01-01

A survey of 56 small/medium-sized Irish enterprises showed that 46% were highly proficient in electronic commerce, 42% were at the basic level. Media pressure significantly influenced adoption. In 40% of firms, owner-managers were the driving force. E-commerce was not yet business critical and relevant training was not yet a comprehensive…

It All Began with Raiffeisen: Co-operatives as Instruments of Self-Help and Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nover, Kurt

1986-01-01

The rural and manufacturing co-operatives and credit co-operatives in the Federal Republic of Germany have succeeded in continuously expanding and consolidating their position within the framework of the country's market economy. As the biggest organizations of medium-size enterprises, the co-operatives have adapted to the new circumstances…

Working Life Changes and Training of Older Workers. Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tikkanen, Tarja; Lahn, Leif Christian; Withnall, Alexandra; Ward, Peter; Lyng, Kolbein

WORKTOW was a multidisciplinary action research project carried out in 27 small and medium-sized enterprises in the United Kingdom, Finland, and Norway. The main focus was on the learning of workers aged 45 and older. In-depth case studies were conducted in all three countries involving a range of learning interventions. Results showed age was not…

Government Approaches to Foster Competitive Intelligence Practice in SMEs: A Comparative Study of Eight Governments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergeron, Pierrette

2000-01-01

Presents results from a study examining approaches developed by seven governments to foster competitive intelligence practice in SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and compares them with the approach taken by the government of Quebec. Suggests a need for a better understanding of information needs and uses in SMEs. (Contains 22 references.)…

Technology and Knowledge Transfer in the Graz Region Ten Years of Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hofer, Franz; Adametz, Christoph; Holzer, Franz

2004-01-01

Technology and knowledge transfer from universities to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is seen as one way to strengthen a region's innovation capability. But what if SMEs do not want to play along? Looking back at some 10 years' experience of supporting SMEs, the authors describe in detail the 'Active Knowledge Transfer' programme, which…

Small Companies Seeking Information on the Internet: Any Changes for Online Intermediaries?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraaijenbrink, Jeroen; Groen, Aard

2006-01-01

With the current growth of the Internet, we expect significant changes in how and to what extent companies acquire business information. By comparing two studies on information seeking by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) carried out in 1982 and 2003 respectively, and comparing the results with other studies, this paper indicates that the…

Toward an Understanding of People Management Issues in SMEs: a South-Eastern European Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Szamosi, Leslie T.; Duxbury, Linda; Higgins, Chris

2004-01-01

The focus of this paper is on developing an understanding, and benchmarking, human resource management HRM issues in small and medium enterprises SMEs in South-Eastern Europe. The importance of SMEs in helping transition-based economies develop is critical, but at the same time the research indicates that the movement toward westernized business…

The Cultural Orientations of Entrepreneurs and Employees' Job Satisfaction: The Turkish Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yetim, Nalan; Yetim, Unsal

2006-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether cultural orientations which were pervasive and salient in the society of SMEs' entrepreneurs predict employees' job satisfaction. Paternalism, collectivism, individualism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance were assessed as pervasive and salient attributes for Turkish society. Data were…

Intellectual Capital and Corporate Performance in Knowledge-Intensive SMEs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Sandra; Kaimenakis, Nikolaos

2007-01-01

Purpose: In recent years a significant number of intellectual capital (IC) metrics has been developed and applied in many organizations. However, there is still a strong need to specify the relations among the different categories of intellectual assets that exist in the context of small to medium-sized enterprises (SME), and to determine the way…

Develop the Worker: Develop the Business. A Guide for Smaller Businesses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGivney, Veronica

This document, which was developed on the basis of recent research and testimony of small business owners, managers and employees, and training providers, is a basic practical manual for those owners and managers of British small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who want to initiate or improve staff training and development activities. The…

Training and Developing an Age Diverse Workforce in SMEs: The Need for a Strategic Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaver, Graham; Hutchings, Kate

2005-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of strategic human resource development (HRD) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with specific reference to key issues around training, development and education as well as an emerging issue of significance, age diversity management. Design/Methodology/Approach: The approach…

Organisational Learning and the Organisational Life Cycle: The Differential Aspects of an Integrated Relationship in SMEs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tam, Steven; Gray, David E.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to relate the practice of organisational learning in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the organisational life cycle (OLC), contextualising the differential aspects of an integrated relationship between them. Design/methodology/approach: It is a mixed-method study with two consecutive phases. In…

Cooperative VET in Training Networks: Analysing the Free-Rider Problem in a Sociology-of-Conventions Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leemann, Regula Julia; Imdorf, Christian

2015-01-01

In training networks, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises pool their resources to train apprentices within the framework of the dual VET system, while an intermediary organisation is tasked with managing operations. Over the course of their apprenticeship, the apprentices switch from one training company to another on a (half-) yearly…

A Web Based Intelligent Training System for SMEs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mullins, Roisin; Duan, Yanqing; Hamblin, David; Burrell, Phillip; Jin, Huan; Jerzy, Goluchowski; Ewa, Ziemba; Aleksander, Billewicz

2007-01-01

It is widely accepted that employees in small business suffer from a lack of knowledge and skills. This lack of skills means that small companies will miss out on new business opportunities. This is even more evident with respect to the adoption of Internet marketing in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This paper reports a pilot research…

The Impact of a Learning Culture on Organisational Change in Regional SMEs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bamberry, Goff; Sabri-Matanagh, Saeed; Duncan, Glen

2015-01-01

This paper explores the impact of a learning culture on organisational change in small to medium-sized regional manufacturing enterprises following a review of the related literature, and a qualitative study of 10 manufacturing SMEs in the Riverina region of New South Wales. The research confirmed that key learning culture factors as identified in…

Its All Action, Its All Learning: Action Learning in SMEs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Jean; Thorpe, Richard; Anderson, Lisa; Gold, Jeff

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to argue that action learning (AL) may provide a means of successfully developing small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach: The literature around SME learning suggests a number of processes are important for SME learning which similarity, it is argued, are encompassed in AL. AL may…

Brokerage and SME Innovation: An Analysis of the Technology Transfer Service at Area Science Park, Italy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cattapan, Paolo; Passarelli, Mariacarmela; Petrone, Michele

2012-01-01

This paper contributes to the literature on innovation brokerage by analysing the effects of brokerage activities on the innovation and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The authors provide a detailed description of the Technology Transfer Service (TTS), credited as a European best-practice innovation broker, at Area Science…

75 FR 15687 - Safety and Security Equipment and Services Trade Mission to Brazil

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-30

... or medium enterprises (SME \\1\\) and $5,200 per company for large firms. If a company chooses not to... additional firm representative (large firm or SME) is $500 per person. Expenses for lodging, transportation... SME is defined as a firm with 500 or fewer employees or that otherwise qualifies as a small business...

Action Learning in an SME: Appetite Comes with Eating

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hauser, Bernhard

2009-01-01

This account describes action learning in a small to medium-size enterprise (SME) that operates as a local power utility on an established market that is currently going through a process of radical transformation. The task of the action learning set was to improve the flow of information to employees about the evolving framework in which the…

Evaluation of an Action Learning Programme for Leadership Development of SME Leaders in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Jean-Anne

2009-01-01

This paper presents the findings from an evaluation research project undertaken by Henley Management College in 2006. This project followed an earlier research study that focused on identifying the leadership development needs for leaders of small and medium sized-enterprises (SMEs) in the UK, developed a leadership development model and made…

Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing Technology Transfer and Training Initiative (ECMT3I) Technology Transfer Model Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM.

The Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing Technology Transfer and Training Initiative (ECMT3I) is a cooperative effort among education and research institutions in New Mexico to analyze problems in transferring environmental technologies from Department of Energy laboratories to small and medium enterprises (SME's). The goal of the ECMT3I is to…

Education in Management of Data Created by New Technologies for Rapid Product Development in SMEs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, A.; Aitchison, D.

2003-01-01

This paper presents outcomes from a research programme aimed at developing new tools and methodologies to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in rapid product development (RPD). The authors suggest that current education strategies for the teaching of RPD tools and methodologies may be of limited value unless those strategies also…

Lifelong Learning through SMEs: Exploring Workplace Learning in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahlgren, Linda; Engel, Laura C.

2011-01-01

Purpose: The primary objective in this paper is to examine the role of small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in promoting and/or hindering educational opportunities to adult employees in the UK. Design/methodology/approach: The paper draws on 12 case studies of SMEs in England and Scotland, which form part of a larger European Sixth Framework…

Psychosocial risks in small enterprises: The mediating role of perceived working conditions in the relationship between enterprise size and workers' anxious or depressive episodes.

PubMed

Encrenaz, Gaëlle; Laberon, Sonia; Lagabrielle, Christine; Debruyne, Gautier; Pouyaud, Jacques; Rascle, Nicole

2018-03-20

The relationship between enterprise size and psychosocial working conditions has received little attention so far but some findings suggest that they are more favorable in small enterprises. This could have a positive impact on workers' mental health. The objective of this study was to test the mediating effect of perceived working conditions in the relationship between enterprise size and anxious or depressive episodes. Data from the 2010 SUMER French periodical cross-sectional survey was analyzed (N=31 420 for the present study). Anxious or depressive episodes were measured with the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD) and perceived working conditions were psychological demand, decision latitude and social support as assessed with Karasek's job content questionnaire (JCQ). The indirect effect was tested according to the method proposed by Preacher and Hayes (2008). In a multivariate logistic regression, the risk of anxious or depressive episodes was found to be lower in micro-enterprises (2-9 employees). Formal tests pointed to a significant indirect effect of enterprise size on mental health through perceived working conditions, with a larger effect for psychological demand. Conclusion This study highlights perceived working conditions as an explanation of the effects of enterprise size.

Co-operative bidding of SMEs in health care sector.

PubMed

Mezgár, István; Kovács, György; Bonfatti, Fabio

2002-01-01

Tendering become an important process for customers in the health care sector to select products and services from the market for the lowest price, with the highest quality and with the shortest delivery time. The number of SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) delivering products or services for the health care sector is increasing, but they have usually limited capital and expertise to participate in tenders. The paper introduces a possible solution for this problem, when SMEs form special groups, so called Smart Bidding Organisations (SBO), to prepare a bid for the tender jointly. The SBO appears for the customer (tender issuer) as a single enterprise and the bidding procedure will be faster and less expensive in this way.

Use of work-life balance benefits guaranteed by law in Poland - Do size of the enterprise and gender matter?

PubMed

Merecz-Kot, Dorota; Drabek, Marcin; Stańczak, Aleksander; Andysz, Aleksandra; Jacukowicz, Aleksandra

2017-07-26

The paper is aimed at indicating the similarities and differences in use of benefits supporting work-life balance (WLB) between women and men working in Polish small/medium and large enterprises. The sample included 556 workers (311 women, 245 men), aged 20-68 years old employed on the basis of employment contracts for at least a year in Polish enterprises. The respondents completed a questionnaire on the use of benefits guaranteed by the Polish Labour Code, referring to their current workplaces. Women took maternity leaves and returned to the same work position after using childcare leaves more often than men. Men took leaves on demand more often than women. Our results also showed that in comparison to women working in smaller enterprises, those working in large enterprises were more likely to use almost all the analyzed WLB benefits - paid days off to take care of others, educational leaves, leaves on demand, maternity leaves and return to the same work position after childcare leave, reduction of business trips when pregnant or having young children and breastfeeding breaks. The size of enterprise, however, did not differentiate the take-up of benefits among the studied men. Our analysis brought unexpected results on the lack of common availability of the WLB benefits guaranteed by the law in the case of employees who worked on the basis of employment contracts. We also found that women used most of child rearing benefits guaranteed by the law more often than men, which might reflect still a traditional division of child care responsibilities in Poland. Med Pr 2017;68(5):575-581. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

ENTRY PORTION OF SOUTH SIDE, VIEW FACING NORTHNORTHWEST (with scale ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

ENTRY PORTION OF SOUTH SIDE, VIEW FACING NORTH-NORTHWEST (with scale stick). - Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Aircraft Storehouse, Between Midway & Card Streets at Enterprise Avenue intersection, Ewa, Honolulu County, HI

Internet Usage in Small Businesses in Regional South Australia: Service Learning Opportunities for a Local University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Nina; Sawyer, Janet

2009-01-01

The Internet offers opportunities for electronic trading in the global marketplace and as such it can provide substantial benefits to a business. Despite this, the rate of adoption of e-commerce by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Australia has been slower than anticipated and these benefits are not being realised (Pease & Rowe,…

How To Work with Small Businesses: Advice and Guidance for Providers of Training and Business Support.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Anne Marie, Ed.

This publication provides guidance on good practice to help training providers in the United Kingdom improve the quality and relevance of services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Section 1 focuses on key research findings regarding SMEs' needs and SME-college collaboration, including trading conditions for SMEs; services on offer by…

Historical Perspectives on Diaspora Homeland Tourism: "Israel Experience" Education in the 1950s and 1960s

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelner, Shaul

2013-01-01

Homeland tourism is a powerful medium of diasporic education. Yet, efforts to understand the enterprise are hampered by neglect of the field's history. This article contributes to the historiography of diaspora homeland tourism by examining the emergence of American Jewish educational tours of Israel in the 1950s and 1960s. Archival research and…

The Role of Training and Skilled Labour in the Success of SMEs in Developing Economies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Paul L.

2003-01-01

The ability of small and medium-sized enterprises in developing nations to evolve technologically is frequently constrained by a variety of environmental factors that are beyond their control. In many cases, it is necessary for the strategy of SMEs to be aligned with the international supply chain strategies of multinational firms, who can provide…

Leading the Way. Report of Employers Whose Companies and Employees Took Part in the Learning in Smaller Companies (LISC) Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seagraves, Liz, Ed.

This document is written by employers whose companies participated in the Learning in Smaller Companies (LISC) project, during which a university and two further education colleges created a number of work-based learning schemes for employers in small and medium-sized enterprises in Scotland. The foreword (Peter Swinson) discusses the importance…

Decision Making Regarding Access to Training and Development in Medium-Sized Enterprises: An Exploratory Study Using the Critical Incident Technique

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coetzer, Alan; Redmond, Janice; Sharafizad, Jalleh

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of factors that impinge on managerial decision-making processes regarding employee access to structured training and development (T&D) opportunities that are at least partially funded by the firm. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews incorporating the Critical…

A Framework for Research on E-Learning Assimilation in SMEs: A Strategic Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raymond, Louis; Uwizeyemungu, Sylvestre; Bergeron, Francois; Gauvin, Stephane

2012-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to propose an integrative conceptual framework of e-learning adoption and assimilation that is adapted to the specific context of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach: The literature on the state of e-learning usage in SMEs and on the IT adoption and assimilation factors that can be…

A University-Industry Cooperation Model for Small and Medium Enterprises: The Case of Chengdu KEDA Optoelectronic Technology Ltd.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peng, Shanzhong; Ferreira, Fernando A. F.; Zheng, He

2017-01-01

In this study, we develop a firm-dominated incremental cooperation model. Following the critical review of current literature and various cooperation models, we identified a number of strengths and shortcomings that form the basis for our framework. The objective of our theoretical model is to contribute to overcome the existing gap within…

Action Learning as a Core Process for SME Business Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, James A.; Houghton, Jane

2008-01-01

This is an account the work of NetworkNorthWest, a [pound]1m project at the University of Salford that ran between 2004 and 2007 and was developed to address the issues relating to poor take up of traditional business support by small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and low levels of engagement of the business community with Institutes of…

Analysis of Intellectual Capital Based on Quantity, Quality, and Systematic Assessment: A Case Study of Seven Industrial Centres in Bandung, Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Astuti, Yuhana; Anggadwita, Grisna; Wahyuningtyas, Ratri

2017-01-01

Trade liberalisation among ASEAN countries requires each country to compete to increase the competencies of entrepreneurs. Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) is a business sector that contributes to the economy of a country, especially in Indonesia. The tight business competition requires MSMEs to find resources that can create a…

An Inter-Industry Comparison of VET in Australian SMEs: Inter-Industry Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Janice

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the extent and nature of Vocational Education and Training (VET) vis-a-vis other forms of training in three size categories of small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from two industry sectors. Design/methodology/approach: The longitudinal panel data employed in this paper are drawn…

Practical implementation of good practice in health, environment and safety management in enterprise in the Lodz region.

PubMed

Michalak, Jacek

2002-10-01

Good practice in health, environment and safety management in enterprise (GP HESME) is the process that aims at continuous improvement in health, environment and safety performance, involving all stakeholders within and outside the enterprise. The GP HESME system is intended to function at different levels: international, national, local community, and enterprise. The most important issues at the first stage of GP HESME implementation in the Lodz region are described. Also, the proposals of future activities in Lodz are presented. Practical implementation of GP HESME requires close co-operation among all stakeholders: local authorities, employers, employees, research institutions, and the state inspectorate. The WHO and the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (NIOM) are initiating implementation, delivering professional consultation, education and training of stakeholders in the NIOM School of Public Health. The implementation of GP HESME in the Lodz region started in 1999 from a WHO meeting on criteria and indicators, followed by close collaboration of NIOM with the city's Department of Public Health. 'Directions of Actions for Health of Lodz Citizens' is now the city's official document that includes GP HESME as an important part of public health policy in Lodz. Several conferences were organized by NIOM together with the Professional Managers' Club, Labor Inspection, and the city's Department of Public Health to assess the most important needs of enterprises. The employers and managerial staff, who predominated among the participants, stated the need for tailored sets of indicators and economic appraisal of GP HESME activities. Special attention is paid to GP HESME in supermarkets and community-owned enterprises, e.g., a local transportation company. A special program for small- and medium-size enterprises will be the next step of GP HESME in the Lodz region. The implementation of GP HESME is possible if the efforts of local authorities; research institutions and state inspectorate are combined with the support of employers' organizations.

Experimental testing of centrifugal pump: small and medium sized enterprise product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismail, R.; Paddiyatu, F.; Khafidh, M.; Nugroho, S.; Sugiyanto, S.; Jamari, J.

2014-06-01

This paper reports the experimental testing for centrifugal pump for fisherman ship, manufactured by small and medium sized enterprises in Central Java Province, Indonesia. The research covers material analysis, component observation, endurance and vibration test. Six centrifugal pumps are tested and three main pump components are discussed: shaft, bearings and seals. The results show that the material of the shaft is predicted to support and transmit the load from the engine to impeller. The problem found in the tolerance and geometry accuracy of the shaft which causes difficulties during assembling process, excessive wear and leakage during testing. From the endurance and vibration test, the ball bearings fail and lock the shaft due to the fatigue on the rolling elements and raceways. The oil seal and water seal also fail in maintaining the oil and water in the chamber and induce the unlubricated system for the ball bearings. Some suggestions are delivered to improve the product quality of the centrifugal pump. A good quality of the centrifugal pump for fishermen ship and long life span is expected to be produced by local SMEs to win the free trade competition in the Indonesian market.

A Study on the Models for Corporate Social Responsibility of Small and Medium Enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Jun

The role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in corporate social responsibility (CSR) has attracted increasing attention and interest in recent years. The purpose of this study is to build some relevant models of CSR which are the foundations of empirical study later. The paper begins by an overview of the CSR literature in the context of seven step model for CSR and differences between corporate and small businesses. Noting the general lack of theoretical framework in the literature, the paper then presents relevant theoretical models of CSR that could be useful in conducting further research on CSR and SMEs. The study is qualitative in nature, capitalizing on a comparative research design to highlight differences in CSR orientations between SMEs and MNCs. The research is presented and implications are drawn regarding the peculiar relational attributes of SMEs in the context of CSR generally, and developing countries more specifically, and how this inclination can be further nurtured and leveraged. Further research can seek to highlight how to leverage this natural affinity to CSR among SMEs detected in this study in pursuit of more systematic engagement and more benefits.

Health-Related Quality of Life and Its Correlates among Chinese Migrants in Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Two Cities of Guangdong

PubMed Central

Lu, Liming; Zou, Guanyang; Zeng, Zhi; Han, Lu; Guo, Yan; Ling, Li

2014-01-01

Objectives To explore the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) status and associated factors among rural-to-urban migrants in China. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 856 rural-to-urban migrants working at small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Shenzhen and Zhongshan City in 2012. Andersen's behavioral model was used as a theoretical framework to exam the relationships among factors affecting HRQOL. Analysis was performed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results Workers with statutory working hours, higher wages and less migrant experience had higher HRQOL scores. Need (contracting a disease in the past two weeks and perception of needing health service) had the greatest total effect on HRQOL (β = −0.78), followed by enabling (labor contract, insurance purchase, income, physical examination during work and training) (β = 0.40), predisposing (age, family separation, education) (β = 0.22) and health practices and use of health service (physical exercise weekly, health check-up and use of protective equipments) (β = −0.20). Conclusions Priority should be given to satisfy the needs of migrant workers, and improve the enabling resources. PMID:24392084

Quantitative evaluation of waste prevention on the level of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

PubMed

Laner, David; Rechberger, Helmut

2009-02-01

Waste prevention is a principle means of achieving the goals of waste management and a key element for developing sustainable economies. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) contribute substantially to environmental degradation, often not even being aware of their environmental effects. Therefore, several initiatives have been launched in Austria aimed at supporting waste prevention measures on the level of SMEs. To promote the most efficient projects, they have to be evaluated with respect to their contribution to the goals of waste management. It is the aim of this paper to develop a methodology for evaluating waste prevention measures in SMEs based on their goal orientation. At first, conceptual problems of defining and delineating waste prevention activities are briefly discussed. Then an approach to evaluate waste prevention activities with respect to their environmental performance is presented and benchmarks which allow for an efficient use of the available funds are developed. Finally the evaluation method is applied to a number of former projects and the calculated results are analysed with respect to shortcomings and limitations of the model. It is found that the developed methodology can provide a tool for a more objective and comprehensible evaluation of waste prevention measures.

An effective physical fitness program for small and medium-sized enterprises.

PubMed

Tsai, Han Hui; Peng, Shu Mei; Yeh, Ching Ying; Chen, Chiou Jong; Chen, Ruey Yu

2011-01-01

The aim of this study is to develop a practicable worksite physical fitness program for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Community-based intervention consisting of a three-month exercise course was conducted, and its benefits evaluated. A self-administrated structured questionnaire and physical fitness examination were designed to compare the difference between pre and post intervention. A total of 133 SME workers completed the lifestyle/exercise course and filled out the questionnaire, but 16 were excluded from the exercise group due to health reasons. After the intervention, health indicators such as weight, blood pressure, resting heart rate, waistline, BMI, front and back trunk flexibility, abdominal muscle durability and back muscle strength were significantly improved, and improvements in musculoskeletal disorders were seen in reduced neck pain (18.8%), wrist pain (17.4%), and upper/lower back pain (8.7% and 21.7%, respectively). Cardiovascular risk factors (BMI and resting heart rate) showed a significant improvement related to frequent participation in the program (p=0.02), and the exercise group reported a significant difference in overall health (p=0.02). This study has demonstrated an effective approach to community-based fitness intervention through SMEs.

Solar project description for Perl-Mack Enterprises' single family residences, Denver, Colorado

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1979-08-21

The Perl-Mack Enterprises Co. solar energy system(s) are installed in a total of 25 single family dwellings located in Denver, Colorado. The 25 dwellings are of three different configurations. Two of the twenty-five dwellings have been fully instrumented for performance monitoring and evaluation since September 1977. All the solar systems are designed to provide approximately 69 percent of the space heating and energy requirements for each dwelling. Solar energy is collected by an array of flat plate collectors having a gross area of 470 square feet. A water-glycol mixture is used as the medium for delivering solar heat from themore » collection to the storage tank. The storage tank has a total capacity of 945 gallons. A liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, within the storage tank, transfers the stored heat from the transfer medium to the domestic hot water tank of the house. Space heating demands are met by circulating heated water/glycol mixture from the storage tank through the heat exchanger coil installed downstream from the auxiliary furnace blower. The auxiliary gas-fired furnace is activated whenever room thermostat demands heat.« less

Conducting Creativity Brainstorming Sessions in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Using Computer-Mediated Communication Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murthy, Uday S.

A variety of Web-based low cost computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools are now available for use by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). These tools invariably incorporate chat systems that facilitate simultaneous input in synchronous electronic meeting environments, allowing what is referred to as “electronic brainstorming.” Although prior research in information systems (IS) has established that electronic brainstorming can be superior to face-to-face brainstorming, there is a lack of detailed guidance regarding how CMC tools should be optimally configured to foster creativity in SMEs. This paper discusses factors to be considered in using CMC tools for creativity brainstorming and proposes recommendations for optimally configuring CMC tools to enhance creativity in SMEs. The recommendations are based on lessons learned from several recent experimental studies on the use of CMC tools for rich brainstorming tasks that require participants to invoke domain-specific knowledge. Based on a consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of the various configuration options, the recommendations provided can form the basis for selecting a CMC tool for creativity brainstorming or for creating an in-house CMC tool for the purpose.

Salary Management System for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Zhang; Guangli, Xu; Yuhuan, Zhang; Yilong, Lei

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the process of wage entry, calculation, the total number are needed to be done manually in the past, the data volume is quite large, processing speed is low, and it is easy to make error, which is resulting in low efficiency. The main purpose of writing this paper is to present the basis of salary management system, establish a scientific database, the computer payroll system, using the computer instead of a lot of past manual work in order to reduce duplication of staff labor, it will improve working efficiency.This system combines the actual needs of SMEs, through in-depth study and practice of the C/S mode, PowerBuilder10.0 development tools, databases and SQL language, Completed a payroll system needs analysis, database design, application design and development work. Wages, departments, units and personnel database file are included in this system, and have data management, department management, personnel management and other functions, through the control and management of the database query, add, delete, modify, and other functions can be realized. This system is reasonable design, a more complete function, stable operation has been tested to meet the basic needs of the work.

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, USSR: Science & Technology Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-19

industrial introduction to a significant degree depend on the level of equipment of the bases and on the methods of the organization of work. The...planning, financing, and the remuneration of labor, and legal status. A significant number of pilot-scale, experimental, and semi- industrial units...plants, and shops operate directly at industrial enterprises and in associations. The pilot experimental enterprises of scientific institu- tions are

Occupational Safety and Health Measures in Micro-scale Enterprises (MSEs) in Shiraz, Iran.

PubMed

Jahangiri, Mehdi; Rostamabadi, Akbar; Malekzadeh, Gholamreza; Sadi, Amin Fahandej; Hamzavi, Golnar; Rasooli, Javad; Momeni, Zahra; Ghaem, Haleh

2016-05-25

This study aimed to determine the extent of implementation of occupational safety and health measures in micro-scale enterprises (MSEs) and to assess the prevalence of occupational injuries and accidents and its relationship with occupational safety and health measures provided in the MSEs. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 595 of MSEs. An index called the Safety and Health Requirement Index (SHRI) was created and used to calculate the percentage of provided occupational safety and health measures. The relationship between the SHRI and the occurrence of occupational accidents and injuries was investigated with the independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA. The mean SHRI score was 60.43%, which was categorized into moderate level. Of the 30.9% of enterprises that had experienced accidents and injuries, the most common types of injuries were musculoskeletal disorders and cuts, and the least common types were pulmonary and hearing problems. Results of one-way ANOVA revealed a statistically significant relationship between the mean SHRI score and industrial branch, enterprise size, and type of accident and injury. The independent samples t-test showed that the occurrence of occupational accidents and injuries was not significantly influenced by provided health and safety measures in MSEs. Given the high percentage of enterprises with very poor to poor levels for the SHRI and the high prevalence of occupational accidents and injuries among the studied MSEs, feasible protective strategies and job safety training programs are required to promote occupational health and safety in the studied MSEs.

Fulfillment of GMP standard, halal standard, and applying HACCP for production process of beef floss (Case study: Ksatria enterprise)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

A'diat, Arkan Addien Al; Liquiddanu, Eko; Laksono, Pringgo Widyo; Sutopo, Wahyudi; Suletra, I. Wayan

2018-02-01

Along with the increasing number of the modern retail business in Indonesia, give an opportunity to small and medium enterprise (SME) to sell its products through the modern retailer. There are some obstacles faced by the SMEs, one of them is about product standard. Product standard that must be owned by SMEs are GMP standard and halal standard. This research was conducted to know the fulfillment by the beef floss enterprise in jagalan in fulfilling the GMP standard and halal. In addition, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system was applied to analyze the process. HACCP which used in this research was based on the seven principles in SNI (Indonesian National Standard) 01-4852-1998. The seven principles included hazard analysis, critical control point (CCP) determination, critical limit establishment, CCP monitor system establishment, corrective action establishment, verification, and also documentation establishment that must be applied in preparing HACCP plan. Based on this case study, it is concluded that there were 5 CCPs : the boiling process, roasting process, frying process, the beef floss draining process, and the packaging process.

Improvement of productivity in low volume production industry layout by using witness simulation software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaffrey, V.; Mohamed, N. M. Z. N.; Rose, A. N. M.

2017-10-01

In almost all manufacturing industry, increased productivity and better efficiency of the production line are the most important goals. Most factories especially small scale factory has less awareness of manufacturing system optimization and lack of knowledge about it and uses the traditional way of management. Problems that are commonly identified in the factory are a high idle time of labour and also small production. This study is done in a Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) low volume production company. Data collection and problems affecting productivity and efficiency are identified. In this study, Witness simulation software is being used to simulate the layout and the output is focusing on the improvement of layout in terms of productivity and efficiency. In this study, the layout is rearranged by reducing the travel time from a workstation to another workstation. Then, the improved layout is modelled and the machine and labour statistic of both, original and improved layout is taken. Productivity and efficiency are calculated for both layout and then being compared.

Managing the Evolution of an Enterprise Architecture using a MAS-Product-Line Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pena, Joaquin; Hinchey, Michael G.; Resinas, manuel; Sterritt, Roy; Rash, James L.

2006-01-01

We view an evolutionary system ns being n software product line. The core architecture is the unchanging part of the system, and each version of the system may be viewed as a product from the product line. Each "product" may be described as the core architecture with sonre agent-based additions. The result is a multiagent system software product line. We describe an approach to such n Software Product Line-based approach using the MaCMAS Agent-Oriented nzethoclology. The approach scales to enterprise nrchitectures as a multiagent system is an approprinre means of representing a changing enterprise nrchitectclre nnd the inferaction between components in it.

Practice on Upbringing Young Engineers Collaborated with Local Enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiraki, Yutaka; Uno, Naotsugu; Tanaka, Yuichi; Iyama, Hirofumi; Yamashita, Toru; Miyamoto, Noritaka

The ministry of Economics and Industry started the project collaborated with National Colleges of Technology titled “Upbringing Young Engineers in small and medium-sized enterprises” , in 2006. In our college, the authors planed the upbringing-program for the die-cast engineer in automobile industries collaborated with several enterprises in neighboring area and applied for the project. The program was adopted and worked out the concrete curriculum for the first year. The curriculum contains the training of the base of mechanical design with 3D-CAD/CAE/CAM systems and the practical training on manufacturing, by means of Problem Based Learning method. The program carried out in September and finished in December successfully. This paper reports the outline of the curriculum and the results in the program.

Application of food safety management systems (ISO 22000/HACCP) in the Turkish poultry industry: a comparison based on enterprise size.

PubMed

Kök, M Samil

2009-10-01

The objectives of this study were to determine the extent of food safety management systems (ISO 22000/HACCP) implementation in the Turkish poultry industry. A survey was conducted with 25 major poultry meat producers, which account for close to 90% of national production, and a comparison was made between the procedures of small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and large firms (LFs). The survey revealed that there is a high level of application of ISO 22000 (72%), which is seen to aid the export market. LFs were shown to adopt more stringent schemes and make better use of governmental support services than SMEs. LFs were also more aware of, and able to deal with, risks from a greater range of contaminants.

Issues for small businesses with waste management.

PubMed

Redmond, Janice; Walker, Elizabeth; Wang, Calvin

2008-07-01

Participation by small and medium enterprise (SME) in corporate social responsibility issues has been found to be lacking. This is a critical issue, as individually SMEs may have little impact on the environment but their collective footprint is significant. The management style and ethical stance of the owner-manager affects business decision making and therefore has a direct impact on the environmental actions of the business. Although adoption of environmental practices to create competitive advantage has been advocated, many businesses see implementation as a cost which cannot be transferred to their customers. After a brief review of pertinent literature this paper reports on an exploratory investigation into the issue. Results show that whereas owner-managers of small enterprises express concern regarding the environment, this does not then translate into better waste management practices.

Small Scale Industries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rural Development Detwork Bulletin, 1977

1977-01-01

Innovative programs for the promotion of small-scale enterprise are being conducted by a variety of organizations, including universities, government agencies, international research institutes, and voluntary assistance agencies. Their activities encompass basic extension services, management of cooperatives, community action programs, and…

A Mathematical Model of the Color Preference Scale Construction in Quality Management at the Machine-Building Enterprise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Averchenkov, V. I.; Kondratenko, S. V.; Potapov, L. A.; Spasennikov, V. V.

2017-01-01

In this article, the author consider the basic features of color preferences. The famous scientists’ works confirm their identity and independence of subjective factors. The article examines the method of constructing the respondent’s color preference individual scale on the basis of L Thurstone’s pair election method. The practical example of applying this technique for constructing the respondent’s color preference individual scale is given. The result of this method application is the color preference individual scale with the weight value of each color. The authors also developed and presented the algorithm of applying this method within the program complex to determine the respondents’ attitude to the issues under investigation based on their color preferences. Also, the article considers the possibility of using the software at the industrial enterprises to improve the quality of the consumer quality products.

Tailoring Enterprise Systems Engineering Policy for Project Scale and Complexity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cox, Renee I.; Thomas, L. Dale

2014-01-01

Space systems are characterized by varying degrees of scale and complexity. Accordingly, cost-effective implementation of systems engineering also varies depending on scale and complexity. Recognizing that systems engineering and integration happen everywhere and at all levels of a given system and that the life cycle is an integrated process necessary to mature a design, the National Aeronautic and Space Administration's (NASA's) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed a suite of customized implementation approaches based on project scale and complexity. While it may be argued that a top-level system engineering process is common to and indeed desirable across an enterprise for all space systems, implementation of that top-level process and the associated products developed as a result differ from system to system. The implementation approaches used for developing a scientific instrument necessarily differ from those used for a space station. .

Learning Cultures in Small to Medium-Size Enterprises and Their Role in Supporting the Learning Region

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzpatrick, Maeve; O'Connell, Janice; Murphy, Eamonn

2010-01-01

The role of work-based learning is a pivotal part of developing the learning region. With rates of employment at their highest for many years across Europe, the need for up-skilling the workforce in many areas will be essential to retain competitiveness and employability. This paper will focus on quality management up-skilling in small to…

ISACC in Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

19th floor of a Hotel to overlook the entire event. Page 12 of 17 Figure 6: The SPF Operations Centre overlooking the Event Lessons...have a cheap system to help them solve their immediate operational needs. b. Medium enterprises, that need to have quick customization of the...Optimize” tools to help them advance their current operations to a higher service satisfaction level seen by the public. 32. Common across all

Graduate Employment and Training in SMEs in Northern Ireland: An Overview Using the 2000 Labour Force Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Richard; Reid, Renee S.

2005-01-01

Using the UK Labour Force Survey, this paper considers whether graduate employment is more important in the small and medium-size enterprise (SME) sector in Northern Ireland than in other regions of the UK. The authors disaggregate their analysis by gender, occupation and industry to provide a detailed breakdown. The issue of whether graduates are…

European Symposium on Reliability of Electron Devices, Failure Physics and Analysis (5th)

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-10-07

Characterisation and Modelling WEDNESDAY 5th OCTOBER Session C Hot Carriers Session D Oxide States Session E Power Devices Workshop 2 Power Devices Session F...Medium Enterprises .......... 17 W2 Power Devices Workshop "Reliability of Power Semiconductors for Traction Applications...New Mexico, USA Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA SESSION E Power Devices El Reliability Issues in New Technology

Investigating the Small and Medium Enterprise Landscape of Accra, Ghana: Prospects and Barriers to Economic Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-01

similar comments on a previous visit to Ghana-there is a familial aversion and almost a cultural “ shame ” to give up control of an entity that is seen to...firm that manufactures cosmetics made of shea butter (shea butter is a common fat extracted from the African Shea tree and is becoming very popular in

Role of Support Organizations for SMMEs in a Global Environment: A Study from the Western Cape, South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isaacs, Eslyn

2007-01-01

Many owners of small, medium-sized and micro enterprises (SMMEs) are not highly educated but are so motivated that they take uncalculated risks when starting their own businesses--often with disastrous consequences. It is therefore imperative that these owner-managers are provided with the right type of services to ensure that they do not become…

Training and Its Impact on the Performance of Employees at Jordanian Universities from the Perspective of Employees: The Case of Yarmouk University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Mzary, Maaly Mefleh Mohammed; Al-rifai, Abedallah D. A.; Al-Momany, Mohammed Omer Eid

2015-01-01

The objective of this paper is to examine the attitudes of administrative leaders and administrative employees concerning the training courses provided, as well as the impact of training on employee job performance at Yarmouk University in Jordan. The study is carried at a Malaysian small and medium enterprise (SME). Findings indicated that…

Enterprising personality profile in youth: components and assessment.

PubMed

Muñiz, José; Suárez-Álvarez, Javier; Pedrosa, Ignacio; Fonseca-Pedrero, Eduardo; García-Cueto, Eduardo

2014-01-01

In the study of enterprising personality, there are two main approaches, the utilization of general personality traits, such as Big Five, and the use of more specific traits. The aim of the present work is to develop and validate a new measurement instrument that will permit a rigorous assessment of the basic traits of enterprising personality in young people. A sample of 2,693 students (51% males) from different regions in northern Spain was used. Mean age was 16.52 years (SD = 1.38), with an age range of 16 to 23. Eight principal dimensions of enterprising personality were identified, and a new battery of tests was developed for their assessment. The reliability coefficients of the battery scales were over .80. Common variance among the eight specific personality dimensions and the Big Five factors was 24%, and with three emotional intelligence dimensions, it was 16%. The enterprising personality traits show a very low correlation with socio-economic status (r = .126), and a moderate correlation with estimations of entrepreneurial spirit by teachers (r = .385). Eight specific dimensions of enterprising personality in youth have been identified, and a new battery for their assessment, with adequate psychometric properties, was developed.

Preferred Pricing Technique Used in Tourism Small and Medium Enterprises in Badung, Bali, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armoni, N. L. E.; Nadra, N. M.; Suarta, I. K.; Widia, I. W.

2018-01-01

This research aims to examine various pricing techniques used in 3 types of tourism small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as to identify dominant techniques applied in support to sustainable business and tourism. The method used is qualitative method by means of interviewing pricing decision makers in tourism SMEs in Badung regency, in Bali. The results showed that there are 5 techniques used by Tourism SMEs, in Badung regency; among those, 2 pricing methods are dominantly used, these include: the accommodation and transportation businesses are more dominant in using competitor-based pricing techniques, whilst for restaurant business generally using cost-plus pricing techniques. Except for the motor/car rental, which has methodically assessed the financial sustainability of the business by devising ‘breakeven point’ pricing technique, the others still use a traditional way of common sense and gut feeling in assuring the sustainability of the business and the return of the investment. ‘Competitor-based pricing’ becomes the most preferred technic of tourism SMEs, however entrepreneurs should also apply long-term oriented pricing that ensure the profitability and sustainability of the business, as well as deliver value for customers. ‘Value-based pricing’ is practiced by one business respondent - an accommodation provider. This could be used as a reference by other tourism SMEs, as this shows customer orientation and uses quality as an advantage to compete and survive. To be able to operate in this domain tourism SMEs need to offer quality products, have customer service orientation and use them as a ‘competitive advantage’. The research results could become a reference for tourism SMEs in setting prices for sustainable enterprises. Academically, it will enrich the knowledge about tourism that related to product-costing particularly in tourism SMEs.

Occupational Safety and Health Measures in Micro-scale Enterprises (MSEs) in Shiraz, Iran

PubMed Central

Jahangiri, Mehdi; Rostamabadi, Akbar; Malekzadeh, Gholamreza; Sadi, Amin Fahandej; Hamzavi, Golnar; Rasooli, Javad; Momeni, Zahra; Ghaem, Haleh

2016-01-01

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the extent of implementation of occupational safety and health measures in micro-scale enterprises (MSEs) and to assess the prevalence of occupational injuries and accidents and its relationship with occupational safety and health measures provided in the MSEs. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 595 of MSEs. An index called the Safety and Health Requirement Index (SHRI) was created and used to calculate the percentage of provided occupational safety and health measures. The relationship between the SHRI and the occurrence of occupational accidents and injuries was investigated with the independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA. Results: The mean SHRI score was 60.43%, which was categorized into moderate level. Of the 30.9% of enterprises that had experienced accidents and injuries, the most common types of injuries were musculoskeletal disorders and cuts, and the least common types were pulmonary and hearing problems. Results of one-way ANOVA revealed a statistically significant relationship between the mean SHRI score and industrial branch, enterprise size, and type of accident and injury. The independent samples t-test showed that the occurrence of occupational accidents and injuries was not significantly influenced by provided health and safety measures in MSEs. Conclusion: Given the high percentage of enterprises with very poor to poor levels for the SHRI and the high prevalence of occupational accidents and injuries among the studied MSEs, feasible protective strategies and job safety training programs are required to promote occupational health and safety in the studied MSEs. PMID:27010083

The Relationship between Levels of Education of Entrepreneurs and Their Business Success: A Study of the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Ricardo M.; Brijlal, Pradeep

2011-01-01

The small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) sector has been widely recognized as an engine of economic growth in South Africa. The implementation of the National Small Business Strategy (NSBS) in 1995 established important objectives for the sector to address such problems as lack of access to markets and procurement, lack of access to finance…

Different Skills and Their Different Effects on Personal Development: An Investigation of European Social Fund Objective 4 Financed Training in SMEs in Britain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devins, David; Johnson, Steve; Sutherland, John

2004-01-01

This paper examines a data set that has its origins in European Social Fund Objective 4 financed training programmes in small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Britain to examine the extent to which three different personal development outcomes are attributable to different types of skills acquired during the training process. The three…

Universities, SMEs and Social Capital: Can You Get Too Much of a Good Thing? An Illustrative Analysis of One University's Knowledge Exchange Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Ian

2016-01-01

This article explores a university knowledge exchange programme for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owner-managers. Specifically, it considers why a programme designed to achieve growth in a group of SMEs through the creation of a network high in social capital may have become a constraint on the programme's effectiveness over a period of…

Sector Education and Training Authority for Secondary Argiculture (SETASA), Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMME) and Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) Final Report October 2004

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy for Educational Development, 2004

2004-01-01

This document reports on a programme of technical assistance for the Sector Education and Training Authority for Secondary Agriculture (SETASA) in 2003/2004. It presents background information which is both essential for understanding the rest of the report, including its attachments, and can be seen as reflecting some of the insights gained…

Development of multi-dimensional action checklist for promoting new approaches in participatory occupational safety and health in small and medium-sized enterprises.

PubMed

Nishikido, Noriko; Yuasa, Akiko; Motoki, Chiharu; Tanaka, Mika; Arai, Sumiko; Matsuda, Kazumi; Ikeda, Tomoko; Iijima, Miyoko; Hirata, Mamoru; Hojoh, Minoru; Tsutaki, Miho; Ito, Akiyoshi; Maeda, Kazutoshi; Miyoshi, Yukari; Mitsuhashi, Hiroyuki; Fukuda, Eiko; Kawakami, Yuko

2006-01-01

To meet diversified health needs in workplaces, especially in developed countries, occupational safety and health (OSH) activities should be extended. The objective of this study is to develop a new multi-dimensional action checklist that can support employers and workers in understanding a wide range of OSH activities and to promote participation in OSH in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The general structure of and specific items in the new action checklist were discussed in a focus group meeting with OSH specialists based upon the results of a literature review and our previous interviews with company employers and workers. To assure practicality and validity, several sessions were held to elicit the opinions of company members and, as a result, modifications were made. The new multi-dimensional action checklist was finally formulated consisting of 6 core areas, 9 technical areas, and 61 essential items. Each item was linked to a suitable section in the information guidebook that we developed concomitantly with the action checklist. Combined usage of the action checklist with the information guidebook would provide easily comprehended information and practical support. Intervention studies using this newly developed action checklist will clarify the effectiveness of the new approach to OSH in SMEs.

Evaluation of halal assurance system (HAS) implementation on bakery products processing in small and medium enterprises (case study in X Bakery Batu, East Java)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perdani, C. G.; Chasanah, N. U.; Sucipto

2018-03-01

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have an important role to catch opportunities in the global halal market. To achieve halal standards, bakery SMEs need to implement Halal Assurance System (HAS). The objective of this research was to evaluate HAS applied by SMEs in bakery product processing. Evaluation was conducted by audit method in accordance to Indonesian Halal Assurance System (a guideline regarding the Fulfillment of Criteria of Halal Assurance System in Processing Industry – namely HAS 23101). The result of the evaluation shows that 44% of HAS criteria have been met. Halal team is the key of HAS management, therefore the team needs to be institutionally established. Halal policy need to be documented and announced to the public. Regular training will improve understanding and awareness of the importance of HAS responsibilities among stakeholders. With regard to bread ingredients, 85% products hold halal certificate from MUI (Indonesian Ulema Council). Halal Control Point (HCP) of production process can be derived from contamination of haram (not permitted by Islamic Law) and najis (dirty according to Islamic Law) in term of material, equipment, and packaging process. It requires top management commitment and cooperation of a good halal team to implement a sustainable halal system.

Safety management practices in small and medium enterprises in India.

PubMed

Unnikrishnan, Seema; Iqbal, Rauf; Singh, Anju; Nimkar, Indrayani M

2015-03-01

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are often the main pillar of an economy. Minor accidents, ergonomics problems, old and outdated machinery, and lack of awareness have created a need for implementation of safety practices in SMEs. Implementation of healthy working conditions creates positive impacts on economic and social development. In this study, a questionnaire was developed and administered to 30 randomly chosen SMEs in and around Mumbai, Maharashtra, and other states in India to evaluate safety practices implemented in their facilities. The study also looked into the barriers and drivers for technology innovation and suggestions were also received from the respondent SMEs for best practices on safety issues. In some SMEs, risks associated with safety issues were increased whereas risks were decreased in others. Safety management practices are inadequate in most SMEs. Market competitiveness, better efficiency, less risk, and stringent laws were found to be most significant drivers; and financial constraints, lack of awareness, resistance to change, and lack of training for employees were found to be main barriers. Competition between SMEs was found to be major reason for implementation of safety practices in the SMEs. The major contribution of the study has been awareness building on safety issues in the SMEs that participated in the project.

Facilitators and barriers to occupational health and safety in small and medium-sized enterprises: a descriptive exploratory study in Ontario, Canada.

PubMed

Nowrouzi, Behdin; Gohar, Basem; Nowrouzi-Kia, Behnam; Garbaczewska, Martyna; Chapovalov, Olena; Myette-Côté, Étienne; Carter, Lorraine

2016-09-01

The purpose of this particular study was to test a newly created instrument in describing the facilitators and barriers to occupational health and safety in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ontario, Canada. A cross-sectional design was used to identify the occupational health and safety culture of SMEs in public and private sectors in Ontario. A total of 153 questionnaires were completed. The majority of respondents were female (84%) with a mean age of 49.8 years (SD 10.6). Seventy-four percent were supervisors. Seventy percent of respondents were from the private sector while 30% derived from the public sector including healthcare, community services, and non-profit organizations. Further, conducting regular external safety inspections of the workplace was found to be statistically associated with a safe work environment 2.88 95% CI [1.57, 5.27]. Strategies and training opportunities that focus on how to adapt occupational health and safety legislation to the nature and diversity of SMEs are recommended. Furthermore, employers may use such information to improve safety in their SMEs, while researchers can hopefully use such evidence to develop interventions that are applicable to meeting the occupational health and safety needs of SMEs.

Regulatory/Scientific Supports for Micro-, Small-, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) With Medicinal Products Provided by the PMDA and EMA.

PubMed

Kondo, Hideyuki; Shibatsuji, Masayoshi; Yasuda, Naoyuki

2018-01-01

Micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been considered as key players who can bring innovative medicinal products and/or technologies into the field. However, they may need much regulatory/scientific supports to provide their products, technologies, or services to the market in a timely way. Both the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), regulatory authorities for medicinal products in Japan and the EU, respectively, have prepared supportive measures for SMEs from the early phase of product/technology development to the postmarketing phase. With respect to supports for SMEs, both agencies have provided similar SME-specific supportive activities, including routine administrative assistance, consultations about product development strategy from an early phase, as well as specific regulatory/scientific issues and fee incentives. In addition, there is a system to register SME status in the EU, which can be a tool for regulators to know how much potential SME-driven activities have and with whom they should communicate to provide necessary supports. Furthermore, as new technologies and novel products from SMEs are not limited to the region where they are developed, close communication about these topics between the PMDA and the EMA will contribute to advancing patients' access to necessary medicinal products.

Safety Management Practices in Small and Medium Enterprises in India

PubMed Central

Unnikrishnan, Seema; Iqbal, Rauf; Singh, Anju; Nimkar, Indrayani M.

2014-01-01

Background Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are often the main pillar of an economy. Minor accidents, ergonomics problems, old and outdated machinery, and lack of awareness have created a need for implementation of safety practices in SMEs. Implementation of healthy working conditions creates positive impacts on economic and social development. Methods In this study, a questionnaire was developed and administered to 30 randomly chosen SMEs in and around Mumbai, Maharashtra, and other states in India to evaluate safety practices implemented in their facilities. The study also looked into the barriers and drivers for technology innovation and suggestions were also received from the respondent SMEs for best practices on safety issues. Results In some SMEs, risks associated with safety issues were increased whereas risks were decreased in others. Safety management practices are inadequate in most SMEs. Market competitiveness, better efficiency, less risk, and stringent laws were found to be most significant drivers; and financial constraints, lack of awareness, resistance to change, and lack of training for employees were found to be main barriers. Conclusion Competition between SMEs was found to be major reason for implementation of safety practices in the SMEs. The major contribution of the study has been awareness building on safety issues in the SMEs that participated in the project. PMID:25830070

Stoffenmanager exposure model: company-specific exposure assessments using a Bayesian methodology.

PubMed

van de Ven, Peter; Fransman, Wouter; Schinkel, Jody; Rubingh, Carina; Warren, Nicholas; Tielemans, Erik

2010-04-01

The web-based tool "Stoffenmanager" was initially developed to assist small- and medium-sized enterprises in the Netherlands to make qualitative risk assessments and to provide advice on control at the workplace. The tool uses a mechanistic model to arrive at a "Stoffenmanager score" for exposure. In a recent study it was shown that variability in exposure measurements given a certain Stoffenmanager score is still substantial. This article discusses an extension to the tool that uses a Bayesian methodology for quantitative workplace/scenario-specific exposure assessment. This methodology allows for real exposure data observed in the company of interest to be combined with the prior estimate (based on the Stoffenmanager model). The output of the tool is a company-specific assessment of exposure levels for a scenario for which data is available. The Bayesian approach provides a transparent way of synthesizing different types of information and is especially preferred in situations where available data is sparse, as is often the case in small- and medium sized-enterprises. Real-world examples as well as simulation studies were used to assess how different parameters such as sample size, difference between prior and data, uncertainty in prior, and variance in the data affect the eventual posterior distribution of a Bayesian exposure assessment.

Factors that influence planning for physical activity among workers in small- and medium-sized enterprises.

PubMed

Kawahara, Sawako; Tadaka, Etsuko; Okochi, Ayako

2018-06-01

Physical activity (PA) is necessary for improving the health of workers in small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, behavioral changes conducive to PA are often difficult to achieve despite intentions. Because intention to perform PA does not always translate to action, proper planning may be critical for achieving PA. In this study, we aimed to identify factors related to planning for PA among workers in SMEs because this is one population that has been identified as being at higher risk for lifestyle-related diseases in Japan. Participants completed a series of validated questionnaires. Of 353 valid responses, 226 individuals (149 men; aged 47.5 ± 8.7 years) stated their intention to perform PA. Multiple regression analysis indicated that a higher PA planning score was significantly associated with higher self-efficacy for PA ( p  < 0.001), higher risk perception regarding inactivity ( p  = 0.012), and greater knowledge of information about PA community services ( p  = 0.019). Therefore, we recommend that self-efficacy, risk perception, and information regarding PA community services are enhanced in the daily working lives of workers at their workplaces. In this manner, they can promote their planning of health behavioral changes in a supportive environment, drawing upon available services, supports, and other resources.

Enhancing technological innovation in small firms: Role of collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, D.; Khamba, J. S.; Nanda, T.

2014-07-01

Contribution of Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) is highly remarkable in the overall industrial economy of the country. In recent years, the MSME sector has consistently registered higher growth rate compared to the overall industrial sector. With its agility and dynamism, the sector has shown admirable innovativeness and adaptability to survive the recent economic downturn and recession. However, MSMEs growth rate is still at low level. Therefore, it becomes essential for organizations to adopt new technologies or upgrade existing setup to meet continuously changing global market and fulfill customer needs. This paper explores the relationships between different collaboration networks and technological innovation of small firms through an extensive review of literature. The study finds that collaboration with larger enterprises, R&D institutions, universities and government agencies play a significant role in enhancing technological innovation in small firms.

Thermal cycling test results of CSP and RF assemblies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghaffarian, R.; Nelson, G.; Cooper, M.; Lam, D.; Strudler, S.; Umdekar, A.; Selk, K.; Bjorndahl, B.; Duprey, R.

2000-01-01

A JPL-led chip scale package (CSP) Consortium of enterprises, composed of representing agencies and private companies, recently joined together to pool in-kind resources for developing the quality and reliability of chip scale packages (CSPs) for a variety of projects.

Modeling Fire Occurrence at the City Scale: A Comparison between Geographically Weighted Regression and Global Linear Regression.

PubMed

Song, Chao; Kwan, Mei-Po; Zhu, Jiping

2017-04-08

An increasing number of fires are occurring with the rapid development of cities, resulting in increased risk for human beings and the environment. This study compares geographically weighted regression-based models, including geographically weighted regression (GWR) and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR), which integrates spatial and temporal effects and global linear regression models (LM) for modeling fire risk at the city scale. The results show that the road density and the spatial distribution of enterprises have the strongest influences on fire risk, which implies that we should focus on areas where roads and enterprises are densely clustered. In addition, locations with a large number of enterprises have fewer fire ignition records, probably because of strict management and prevention measures. A changing number of significant variables across space indicate that heterogeneity mainly exists in the northern and eastern rural and suburban areas of Hefei city, where human-related facilities or road construction are only clustered in the city sub-centers. GTWR can capture small changes in the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the variables while GWR and LM cannot. An approach that integrates space and time enables us to better understand the dynamic changes in fire risk. Thus governments can use the results to manage fire safety at the city scale.

Modeling Fire Occurrence at the City Scale: A Comparison between Geographically Weighted Regression and Global Linear Regression

PubMed Central

Song, Chao; Kwan, Mei-Po; Zhu, Jiping

2017-01-01

An increasing number of fires are occurring with the rapid development of cities, resulting in increased risk for human beings and the environment. This study compares geographically weighted regression-based models, including geographically weighted regression (GWR) and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR), which integrates spatial and temporal effects and global linear regression models (LM) for modeling fire risk at the city scale. The results show that the road density and the spatial distribution of enterprises have the strongest influences on fire risk, which implies that we should focus on areas where roads and enterprises are densely clustered. In addition, locations with a large number of enterprises have fewer fire ignition records, probably because of strict management and prevention measures. A changing number of significant variables across space indicate that heterogeneity mainly exists in the northern and eastern rural and suburban areas of Hefei city, where human-related facilities or road construction are only clustered in the city sub-centers. GTWR can capture small changes in the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the variables while GWR and LM cannot. An approach that integrates space and time enables us to better understand the dynamic changes in fire risk. Thus governments can use the results to manage fire safety at the city scale. PMID:28397745

Geologic and tectonic characteristics of rockbursts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Adushkin, V.V.; Charlamov, V.A.; Kondratyev, S.V.

1995-06-01

The modern mining enterprises have attained such scales of engineering activity that their direct influence to a rock massif and in series of cases to the region seismic regime doesn`t provoke any doubts. Excavation and removal of large volumes of rock mass, industrial explosions and other technological factors during long time can lead to the accumulation of man-made changes in rock massifs capable to cause catastrophic consequences. The stress state changes in considerable domains of massif create dangerous concentration of stresses at large geological heterogeneities - faults localized in the mining works zone. External influence can lead in that casemore » to such phenomena as tectonic rockbursts and man-made earthquakes. The rockbursts problem in world mining practice exists for more than two hundred years. So that its actuality not only doesn`t decrease but steadily mounts up as due to the mining works depth increase, enlargement of the useful minerals excavations volumes as due to the possibility of safe use of the rock massif potential energy for facilitating the mastering of the bowels of the Earth and for making that more cheap. The purpose of present work is to study the engineering activity influence to processes occurring in the upper part of Earth crust and in particular in a rock massif. The rock massif is treated in those studies as a geophysical medium - such approach takes into account the presence of block structure of medium and the continuous exchange of energy between parts of that structure. The idea ``geophysical medium`` is applied in geophysics sufficiently wide and stresses the difference of actual Earth crust and rock massifs from the continuous media models discussed in mechanics.« less

Prospective safety performance evaluation on construction sites.

PubMed

Wu, Xianguo; Liu, Qian; Zhang, Limao; Skibniewski, Miroslaw J; Wang, Yanhong

2015-05-01

This paper presents a systematic Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) based approach for Prospective Safety Performance Evaluation (PSPE) on construction sites, with causal relationships and interactions between enablers and the goals of PSPE taken into account. According to a sample of 450 valid questionnaire surveys from 30 Chinese construction enterprises, a SEM model with 26 items included for PSPE in the context of Chinese construction industry is established and then verified through the goodness-of-fit test. Three typical types of construction enterprises, namely the state-owned enterprise, private enterprise and Sino-foreign joint venture, are selected as samples to measure the level of safety performance given the enterprise scale, ownership and business strategy are different. Results provide a full understanding of safety performance practice in the construction industry, and indicate that the level of overall safety performance situation on working sites is rated at least a level of III (Fair) or above. This phenomenon can be explained that the construction industry has gradually matured with the norms, and construction enterprises should improve the level of safety performance as not to be eliminated from the government-led construction industry. The differences existing in the safety performance practice regarding different construction enterprise categories are compared and analyzed according to evaluation results. This research provides insights into cause-effect relationships among safety performance factors and goals, which, in turn, can facilitate the improvement of high safety performance in the construction industry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nursing informatics, outcomes, and quality improvement.

PubMed

Charters, Kathleen G

2003-08-01

Nursing informatics actively supports nursing by providing standard language systems, databases, decision support, readily accessible research results, and technology assessments. Through normalized datasets spanning an entire enterprise or other large demographic, nursing informatics tools support improvement of healthcare by answering questions about patient outcomes and quality improvement on an enterprise scale, and by providing documentation for business process definition, business process engineering, and strategic planning. Nursing informatics tools provide a way for advanced practice nurses to examine their practice and the effect of their actions on patient outcomes. Analysis of patient outcomes may lead to initiatives for quality improvement. Supported by nursing informatics tools, successful advance practice nurses leverage their quality improvement initiatives against the enterprise strategic plan to gain leadership support and resources.

Environmental and social risk evaluation of overseas investment under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

PubMed

Zhang, Ruilian; Andam, Francis; Shi, Guoqing

2017-06-01

Along with the further implementation of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative and the promotion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the construction of the CPEC will likely face challenges owing to differences between China and Pakistan in politics, economics, culture, religion, language, customs, environmental management systems, environmental protection laws, social management systems, and social management regulations. To address potential environmental and social risks associated with Chinese enterprises as they invest in the CPEC region, this paper examines previous studies addressing topics such as the environmental and social safeguards of international institutions and Pakistan's domestic environmental and social management requirements. We then systematically identify the environmental and social risk factors involved in CPEC construction, which cover risks regarding water, air, soil, noise, biodiversity, politics, economics, culture, technology, and individuals. By establishing and calculating these risks and using a multi-fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model, we found that noise and individual risks belong to a medium risk category, while others belong to a higher risk category. In view of these risks, the Chinese government must create a friendly and peaceful environment for Chinese enterprises to invest in the CPEC region, and Chinese enterprises must adopt a development strategy of strength and capacity building and establish enterprises capable of addressing environmental and social issues during the investment process. All stakeholders must understand that if no determined and diligent steps are taken, CPEC construction might be doomed for failure from the start.

Defense Science Board Task Force on Military Satellite Communication and Tactical Networking. Executive Summary

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

Communications SMC Space and Missile Systems Center SEV Space Enterprise Vision SHF Super High Frequency SINCGARS Single Channel Ground-Air Radio...Appendix D:Acronyms A2/AD Anti-Access/Area Denial ADNS Automated Digital Network System AEHF Advanced Extremely High Frequency AFSPC Air Force Space ...medium-rate modes of defense extremely high frequency (EHF) SATCOM. This reality should be considered a crisis to be dealt with immediately. In

An Evaluation of the Network Efficiency Required in Order to Support Multicast and Synchronous Distributed Learning Network Traffic

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-09-01

This restriction limits the deployment to small and medium sized enterprises. The Internet cannot universally use DVMRP for this reason. In addition...20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE September 2003 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE... University , 1996 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE from

Meeting Capability Goals through Effective Modelling and Experimentation of C4ISTAR Options

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

UNCLASSIFIED 9 Key Facts 12 industry partners drawn from the major defence providers ~80 associate members made up of small and medium sized...in the emergence of a number of effective monopolies. The UK Defence marketplace has become too small and the major equipment ‘replacement’ cycles too...ProcessThreat & Need Figure 3. Environment for Capability Trading The environment is aligned with the MOD’s strategy for Enterprise Architecture *10

JPRS Report, China.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-10-30

To date, there is still no case of a large million yuan, and its stocks accounted for about 70 or medium state-run Shanghai enterprise going bankrupt...on hand was higher than that in the case of can it promote a healthy development of the securities treasury and other bonds, market. We hold that...hotels, and halls. In most cases , their financial situation to the public, to put them under these projects were the direct cause of inflation in

Using of CBA Method for Evaluation of the Investments in the Link with Social Responsible Business

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mrvová, Ľubica; Vaňová, Jaromíra

2012-12-01

The paper presents knowledge from the area of economic efficiency assessment of the environmental investments, in the link with environmental management with context of social responsible business and their mutual connection, on the base of CBA method. CBA method creates basis for the software CBA1.1, which was created for the needs of business practise for the small and medium enterprises in the Slovak Republic.

Using RFID to Enhance Security in Off-Site Data Storage

PubMed Central

Lopez-Carmona, Miguel A.; Marsa-Maestre, Ivan; de la Hoz, Enrique; Velasco, Juan R.

2010-01-01

Off-site data storage is one of the most widely used strategies in enterprises of all sizes to improve business continuity. In medium-to-large size enterprises, the off-site data storage processes are usually outsourced to specialized providers. However, outsourcing the storage of critical business information assets raises serious security considerations, some of which are usually either disregarded or incorrectly addressed by service providers. This article reviews these security considerations and presents a radio frequency identification (RFID)-based, off-site, data storage management system specifically designed to address security issues. The system relies on a set of security mechanisms or controls that are arranged in security layers or tiers to balance security requirements with usability and costs. The system has been successfully implemented, deployed and put into production. In addition, an experimental comparison with classical bar-code-based systems is provided, demonstrating the system’s benefits in terms of efficiency and failure prevention. PMID:22163638

Electronic business model for small- and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SME): a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuen, Karina; Chung, Walter W.

2001-10-01

This paper identifies three essential factors (information infrastructure, executive information system and a new manufacturing paradigm) that are used to support the development of a new business model for competitiveness. They facilitate changes in organization structure in support of business transformation. A SME can source a good manufacturing practice using a model of academic-university collaboration to gain competitive advantage in the e-business world. The collaboration facilitates the change agents to use information systems development as a vehicle to increase the capability of executives in using information and knowledge management to gain higher responsiveness and customer satisfaction. The case company is used to illustrate the application of a web-based executive information system to interface internal communications with external operation. It explains where a good manufacturing practice may be re-applied by other SMEs to acquire skills as a learning organization grows in an extended enterprise setting.

Using RFID to enhance security in off-site data storage.

PubMed

Lopez-Carmona, Miguel A; Marsa-Maestre, Ivan; de la Hoz, Enrique; Velasco, Juan R

2010-01-01

Off-site data storage is one of the most widely used strategies in enterprises of all sizes to improve business continuity. In medium-to-large size enterprises, the off-site data storage processes are usually outsourced to specialized providers. However, outsourcing the storage of critical business information assets raises serious security considerations, some of which are usually either disregarded or incorrectly addressed by service providers. This article reviews these security considerations and presents a radio frequency identification (RFID)-based, off-site, data storage management system specifically designed to address security issues. The system relies on a set of security mechanisms or controls that are arranged in security layers or tiers to balance security requirements with usability and costs. The system has been successfully implemented, deployed and put into production. In addition, an experimental comparison with classical bar-code-based systems is provided, demonstrating the system's benefits in terms of efficiency and failure prevention.

Framework for adaptive interoperability of manufacturing enterprises (FAIME): a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sims, John E.; Chu, Bei Tseng B.; Long, Junshen; Matthews, Mike; Barnes, Johnny G.; Jones, Chris H.; Anderson, Rayne A.; Lambert, Russ; Drake, Doug C.; Hamilton, Mark A.; Connard, Mark

1997-01-01

In todays global economy, manufacturing industries require to connect disparate applications seamlessly. They require not only to exchange data and transactions, but present a single business process image to their employees in the office, headquarters, and on the plant floor. Also, it is imperative that small and medium size manufacturing companies deploy manufacturing execution systems applications in conjunction with modern enterprise resource programs for cycle time reduction and better quality. This paper presents the experiences and reflections on a project that created a tool set to assist the above be accomplished not only in a shorter cycle time, with a better predictable quality, and with an object oriented framework, but also a tool set that allows the manufacturer to still use legacy applications. This framework has the capability of plug-and- play so that future migrations and re-engineering of processes are more productive.

From PACS to Web-based ePR system with image distribution for enterprise-level filmless healthcare delivery.

PubMed

Huang, H K

2011-07-01

The concept of PACS (picture archiving and communication system) was initiated in 1982 during the SPIE medical imaging conference in New Port Beach, CA. Since then PACS has been matured to become an everyday clinical tool for image archiving, communication, display, and review. This paper follows the continuous development of PACS technology including Web-based PACS, PACS and ePR (electronic patient record), enterprise PACS to ePR with image distribution (ID). The concept of large-scale Web-based enterprise PACS and ePR with image distribution is presented along with its implementation, clinical deployment, and operation. The Hong Kong Hospital Authority's (HKHA) integration of its home-grown clinical management system (CMS) with PACS and ePR with image distribution is used as a case study. The current concept and design criteria of the HKHA enterprise integration of the CMS, PACS, and ePR-ID for filmless healthcare delivery are discussed, followed by its work-in-progress and current status.

Black-White Differences on the Vocational Preference Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doughtie, Eugene B.; And Others

1976-01-01

The Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) was administered to black and white undergraduates. The overall VPI profiles of the two groups were significantly different. The black students scored higher on the Social, Conventional, Enterprising, Self-Control, Status, and Infrequency scales. The white students scored higher on the Masculinity scale.…

Automating Network Node Behavior Characterization by Mining Communication Patterns

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carroll, Thomas E.; Chikkagoudar, Satish; Arthur-Durett, Kristine M.

Enterprise networks of scale are complex, dynamic computing environments that respond to evolv- ing business objectives and requirements. Characteriz- ing system behaviors in these environments is essential for network management and cyber security operations. Characterization of system’s communication is typical and is supported using network flow information (NetFlow). Related work has characterized behavior using theoretical graph metrics; results are often difficult to interpret by enterprise staff. We propose a different approach, where flow information is mapped to sets of tags that contextualize the data in terms of network principals and enterprise concepts. Frequent patterns are then extracted and are expressedmore » as behaviors. Behaviors can be com- pared, identifying systems expressing similar behaviors. We evaluate the approach using flow information collected by a third party.« less

A new architecture for enterprise information systems.

PubMed

Covvey, H D; Stumpf, J J

1999-01-01

Irresistible economic and technical forces are forcing healthcare institutions to develop regionalized services such as consolidated or virtual laboratories. Technical realities, such as the lack of an enabling enterprise-level information technology (IT) integration infrastructure, the existence of legacy systems, and non-existent or embryonic enterprise-level IT services organizations, are delaying or frustrating the achievement of the desired configuration of shared services. On attempting to address this matter, we discover that the state-of-the-art in integration technology is not wholly adequate, and itself becomes a barrier to the full realization of shared healthcare services. In this paper we report new work from the field of Co-operative Information Systems that proposes a new architecture of systems that are intrinsically cooperation-enabled, and we extend this architecture to both the regional and national scales.

Impact of marketing, information system, modularity, and low-cost solution on the implementation of CIM in SMEs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marri, Hussain B.; McGaughey, Ronald; Gunasekaran, Angappa

2000-10-01

Globalization can have a dramatic impact on manufacturing sector due to the fact that the majority of establishments in this industry are small to medium manufacturing companies. The role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the national economy has been emphasized all over the world, considering their contribution to the total manufacturing output and employment opportunities. The lack of marketing forces to regulate the operation of SMEs has been a fundamental cause of low efficiency for a long time. Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) is emerging as one of the most promising opportunities for shrinking the time delays in information transfer and reducing manufacturing costs. CIM is the architecture for integrating the engineering, marketing and manufacturing functions through information system technologies. SMEs in general have not made full use of new technologies although their investments in CIM technology tended to be wider in scale and scope. Most of the SMEs only focus on the short-term benefit, but overlook a long- term and fundamental development on applications of new technologies. With the help of suitable information systems, modularity and low cost solutions, SMEs can compete in the global market. Considering the importance of marketing, information system, modularity and low cost solutions in the implementation of CIM in SMEs, a model has been developed and studied with the help of an empirical study conducted with British SMEs to facilitate the adoption of CIM. Finally, a summary of findings and recommendations are presented.

Carbon-constrained health care enterprise.

PubMed

Gell, Michael

2010-02-01

The health economy is a significant part of a national economy accounting typically for about 8% of GDP spent. As national economies respond to the dual challenges of severe economic turbulence on the global scale and climate change mitigation, the health economy is coming under increasing pressure to respond. Indications for sharp reductions in budgets and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, are widespread. In this paper an analysis is undertaken of the diverse forces acting on a typical health care enterprise. The forces, both economic and carbon related, are investigated in terms of their effects through the enterprise and across its boundaries on the supply, demand and waste sides. The overall aim is to show how the enterprise and whole supply chains may flip synchronously into a low-carbon evolutionary pathway. By illustrating how different elements of the health care enterprise may respond to these developments, diverse opportunities for cost reduction, carbon reduction and product (goods and services) development are identified. These opportunities involve a variety of waste reduction and energy and materials conservation measures as well as new ways of collaborating with other enterprises going through similar transformations. The overall objective is to show that the carbon-constrained health care enterprise and the low-carbon health economy in which it sits may broaden its role in the coming decades to include a degree of responsibility for the health of the environment. This broader role is likely to supplement and entangle with the traditional role of the health economy, currently focused narrowly on human health, and lead to extensive organisational transformation, and infrastructure and product developments.

Tourism SMEs and Organizational Learning in a Competitive Environment: A Longitudinal Research on Organizational Learning in Travel and Tourism Agencies Located in the City of Ahvaz, Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khoshkhoo, Mohammad Hossein Imani; Nadalipour, Zahra

2016-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to study the impact of increasing number of competitors on the organisational learning (OL) in tourism small and medium-sized enterprises. The focus of this study is the tourism and travel agencies (TTAs) of the City of Ahvaz where the OL was studied within TTAs insofar as increasing the number of competitors is concerned.…

High-rise housing construction as a way of solving the problem of providing people with comfortable habitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misailovov, Andrey

2018-03-01

The article analyzes the role of high-rise construction in solving the problem of providing people with comfortable habitation. High-rise construction is considered as a part of urban environment of big cities, a way of effective land use and development of entrepreneurship, including small and medium-sized enterprises. The economic efficiency of high-rise construction, an increase in budgetary financing and the number of introduced innovations are discussed.

The Aegis BMD Global Enterprise: A High End Maritime Partnership

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-13

have been dealing with ballistic-missile defense through the alliance’s Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence (ALTBMD) program and, since...Defense Agency (MDA) budgets.18 The twenty-fifth test— designated Flight Test Mission (FTM) 15—occurred on 15 April 2011, when the MDA conducted the...original design , which focused on short- and medium-range threats. The LV-2 had flown in two previous BMD live-fire tests but had not been hit—until FTM

Who Do You Know? Developing and Analyzing Entrepreneur Networks: An Analysis of the Entrepreneurial Environment of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-01

Kampala research paper. Background The facilitation of entrepreneurship and the establishment of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the...845.938.0804 References Greve, A., Salaff, J., 2003. Social networks and entrepreneurship . Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 28 (1), 1–22. Lin, Nan...Capital measures. Witt, P., 2004. Entrepreneurs’ networks and the success of start-ups. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development 16 (5), 391–412.

Development and process evaluation of the participatory and action-oriented empowerment model facilitated by occupational health nurses for workplace health promotion in small and medium-sized enterprises.

PubMed

Nishikido, Noriko; Matsuda, Kazumi; Fukuda, Eiko; Motoki, Chiharu; Tsutaki, Miho; Kawakami, Yuko; Yuasa, Akiko; Iijima, Miyoko; Tanaka, Mika; Hirata, Mamoru; Hojoh, Minoru; Ikeda, Tomoko; Maeda, Kazutoshi; Miyoshi, Yukari; Arai, Sumiko; Mitsuhashi, Hiroyuki

2007-01-01

The objective of this study is to develop an available empowerment model for workplace health promotion (WHP) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to evaluate its applicability and feasibility. Semi-structured interviews with employers and workers in SMEs were conducted to assess their actual requirements for support. The structure of our new empowerment model was discussed and established through several rounds of focus group meetings with occupational safety and health researchers and practitioners on the basis of results of our interviews. We developed a new participatory and action-oriented empowerment model based on needs for support of employers and workers in SMEs. This new model consists of three originally developed tools: an action checklist, an information guidebook, and a book of good practices. As the facilitators, occupational health nurses (OHNs) from health insurance associations were trained to empower employers and workers using these tools. Approximately 80 SMEs (with less than 300 employees) were invited to participate in the model project. With these tools and continued empowerment by OHNs, employers and workers were able to smoothly work on WHP. This newly developed participatory and action-oriented empowerment model that was facilitated by trained OHNs appears to be both applicable and feasible for WHP in SMEs in Japan.

Using water and sanitation as an entry point to fight poverty and respond to HIV/AIDS: The case of Isulabasha Small Medium Enterprise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manase, G.; Nkuna, Z.; Ngorima, E.

South Africa is faced by a number of challenges that include low water and sanitation coverage in rural and peri-urban areas, high unemployment and increasing inequality between the rich and the poor as indicated by a Gini coefficient of 0.77; the second highest inequality in the world after Brazil. The situation is compounded by high HIV prevalence with South Africa having the largest HIV infection in the world. This case study demonstrates how water and sanitation is used as an entry point to address these major challenges and to empower communities. The project has two main components: the Small Medium Enterprise (SME) that trades in water and sanitation facilities and a community garden that ensures food security and nutrition for people living with HIV/AIDS. Income generated through these activities is ploughed back into the community through construction of sanitation facilities, maintenance of water pipes and paying school fees for orphans. In addition to creating employment, the project has also empowered the community to mobilise and address other challenges such as gender, child abuse and crime. The case study identifies weaknesses with projects designed solely to provide domestic drinking water and sanitation and calls for an integrated approach that uses water and sanitation as an entry point to unlock opportunities and empower the targeted communities.

Socio-economic impacts of avian influenza outbreaks on small-scale producers in Indonesia.

PubMed

Basuno, E; Yusdja, Y; Ilham, N

2010-04-01

Since its first introduction in 2003 until January 2009 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was reported in 31 of 33 provinces of Indonesia. In addition, 115 fatal human cases have been reported in the same period and about 11 million chickens had died or been culled. In 2005 alone, about 60% of farms stopped their operations. The objective of this paper is to describe the socio-economic impact of HPAI on small producers in Indonesia. Simultaneous surveys were conducted in three provinces representing low, medium and high incidence areas, with total respondents of 720 farms. Socio-economic information before, during and after the HPAI outbreak were collected. Results indicated that poultry-raising decreased due to HPAI by 25-80% for broiler, 7-93% for layer and 48% for ducks. Overall, the number of farms stopping operations was 30% and in the high incidence area nearly 70%. The proportion of income from poultry for daily household expenditure decreased from 75-91% before to 38-82% after the HPAI outbreak. We observed more loan requests and less saving in the HPAI-infected farms. Direct impact of HPAI was also seen by decrease in expenditures for education and daily consumption in particular in the high incidence farms. The high proportion of income in pre-HPAI infection indicated the poultry enterprise as the main source of income. HPAI caused significant losses in all study areas through high mortality, lower production and lower demand for poultry products. However, levels of social relationship, social networking, social trust, social organization and decision making remained unchanged. To re-establish the poultry enterprise, the best target are low incidence areas that are less densely populated with humans and poultry.

The development of small-scale mechanization means positioning algorithm using radio frequency identification technology in industrial plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Astafiev, A.; Orlov, A.; Privezencev, D.

2018-01-01

The article is devoted to the development of technology and software for the construction of positioning and control systems for small mechanization in industrial plants based on radio frequency identification methods, which will be the basis for creating highly efficient intelligent systems for controlling the product movement in industrial enterprises. The main standards that are applied in the field of product movement control automation and radio frequency identification are considered. The article reviews modern publications and automation systems for the control of product movement developed by domestic and foreign manufacturers. It describes the developed algorithm for positioning of small-scale mechanization means in an industrial enterprise. Experimental studies in laboratory and production conditions have been conducted and described in the article.

The Evaluation Exchange. Volume XV Number 1. Spring 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coffman, Julia, Ed.; Harris, Erin, Ed.

2010-01-01

This issue of The Evaluation Exchange explores the promising practices and challenges associated with taking an enterprise to scale, along with the role that evaluation can and should play in that process. Surprisingly few examples exist of nonprofit efforts that have scaled up and achieved lasting success. A program or approach may be strong…

Army Maneuver Center of Excellence

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-18

agreements throughout DoD DARPA, JIEDDO, DHS, FAA, DoE, NSA , NASA, SMDC, etc. Strategic Partnerships Benefit the Army Materiel Enterprise External... Neuroscience Network Sciences Hierarchical Computing Extreme Energy Science Autonomous Systems Technology Emerging Sciences Meso-scale (grain...scales • Improvements in Soldier-system overall performance → operational neuroscience and advanced simulation and training technologies

Aligning ERP systems with companies' real needs: an `Operational Model Based' method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamoghli, Sarra; Goepp, Virginie; Botta-Genoulaz, Valérie

2017-02-01

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems offer standard functionalities that have to be configured and customised by a specific company depending on its own requirements. A consistent alignment is therefore an essential success factor of ERP projects. To manage this alignment, an 'Operational Model Based' method is proposed. It is based on the design and the matching of models, and conforms to the modelling views and constructs of the ISO 19439 and 19440 enterprise-modelling standards. It is characterised by: (1) a predefined design and matching order of the models; (2) the formalisation, in terms of modelling constructs, of alignment and misalignment situations; and (3) their association with a set of decisions in order to mitigate the misalignment risk. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the alignment management during ERP projects is given. Unlike existing methods, this one includes decisions related to the organisational changes an ERP system can induce, as well as criteria on which the best decision can be based. In this way, it provides effective support and guidance to companies implementing ERP systems, as the alignment process is detailed and structured. The method is applied on the ERP project of a Small and Medium Enterprise, showing that it can be used even in contexts where the ERP project expertise level is low.

Carbon-Containing Waste of Coal Enterprises in Magnetic Sorbents Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kvashevaya, Ekaterina; Ushakova, Elena; Ushakov, Andrey

2017-11-01

The article shows the issues state of coal-mining enterprises carbonaceous wastes utilization, including by obtaining oil-sorbent. The characteristics of the feedstock are presented; experiment methods of obtaining a binder based on the livestock enterprises waste, of forming binder with filler (sawdust, coal waste); of pyrogenetic processing to obtain a sorbent are described. Possible options for the introduction of magnetite (a magnetic component) in the composition of the oil sorbent are considered: on the surface, in the volume of the granule and the magnetite core. In the course of the work it was found that the optimum content of coal dust in the sorbent granules is 75% by weight, and the most effective way of obtaining the magnetic sorbent is to apply the carbon material directly to the "core" of magnetite. However, in this case, the problem of finding an effective binder for magnetite arises. The option of applying magnetite on the surface of a carbon sorbent is not effective. Thus, at present, we use a mixture of coal waste, which binds to the uniform distribution of magnetite in the volume. The developed magnetic sorbents can be used in various weather conditions, including strong winds and icing of water bodies, as well as for small and medium currents.

Research on the relationships of the domestic mutual investment of China based on the cross-shareholding networks of the listed companies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yuan-yuan; Zhuang, Xin-tian; Li, Ling-xuan

2011-02-01

Enterprises are the core power and the carriers to promote the country's economy developing sustainably and rapidly; the listed enterprises are the outstanding companies which can represent the economic level at the places where the enterprises are located, so we establish the cross-shareholding networks of the listed companies between 2002 and 2009, and then analyze the mutual investment at company-level, province-level and region-level. We have researched the overall trend of economic development and the overall tendency of capital flow of China in the recent 8 years based on the cross-shareholding networks, the influence of a global economic crisis on the stock markets and the overall economics of China in 2008 and the recovery of the economy after the economic crisis. Moreover, we analyze the variations of the cross-shareholding networks and the influence of the state-owned large and medium enterprises listing frequently on Chinese stock markets. We divide the provinces of China into 3 main categories according to their industrial situations. Though the analysis, we find that the wealth gap between the different areas is not significantly reduced even though the government has carried out strategies such as the Development of the West Regions and the Rejuvenation of Old Industrial Bases in Northeastern China. We analyze the cumulative distribution function of the degree of the vertices and use large amounts of data to do empirical analysis. The methods used include the hierarchical cluster analysis, regression analysis, etc.

Enterprise Cloud Architecture for Chinese Ministry of Railway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Xumei; Liu, Hefeng

Enterprise like PRC Ministry of Railways (MOR), is facing various challenges ranging from highly distributed computing environment and low legacy system utilization, Cloud Computing is increasingly regarded as one workable solution to address this. This article describes full scale cloud solution with Intel Tashi as virtual machine infrastructure layer, Hadoop HDFS as computing platform, and self developed SaaS interface, gluing virtual machine and HDFS with Xen hypervisor. As a result, on demand computing task application and deployment have been tackled per MOR real working scenarios at the end of article.

Pallet Management System: A Study of the Implementation of UID/RFID Technology for Tracking Shipping Materials Within the Department of Defense Distribution Network

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

numbers—into inventory, sales, purchasing, marketing , and similar database systems distributed throughout an enterprise.(Sweeney, 2005) It can be seen as...the following: • Data sharing , both inside and outside of an enterprise. • Efficient management of massive data produced by an RFID system...matrix can be read omni-directionally and can be scaled down so that it can be affixed to small items. The DoD brokered an agreement with EAN/ UCC , the

[Study on standards for safe and health-protective zone in firework plant].

PubMed

Wu, Y; Wang, Q; Shi, J; Shao, Q

1999-03-30

A retrospective investigation on technology and situation in the production of fireworks, the cause and hazard consequences of accidents in blossom firework enterprises was carried out. The risk factors and their origins, the potential effects on surrounding environments and residents, the manufacture processes producing special potential energy in these enterprises were summarized and assessed. In addition, the consequences of explosive fire accidents were assessed retrospectively by the principle of explosion mechanics and Hopkinson Scaling Law. The safe and health-protective zone of the blossom firework plant was suggested.

NASA Enterprise Visual Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lopez-Tellado, Maria; DiSanto, Brenda; Humeniuk, Robert; Bard, Richard, Jr.; Little, Mia; Edwards, Robert; Ma, Tien-Chi; Hollifield, Kenneith; White, Chuck

2007-01-01

NASA Enterprise Visual Analysis (NEVA) is a computer program undergoing development as a successor to Launch Services Analysis Tool (LSAT), formerly known as Payload Carrier Analysis Tool (PCAT). NEVA facilitates analyses of proposed configurations of payloads and packing fixtures (e.g. pallets) in a space shuttle payload bay for transport to the International Space Station. NEVA reduces the need to use physical models, mockups, and full-scale ground support equipment in performing such analyses. Using NEVA, one can take account of such diverse considerations as those of weight distribution, geometry, collision avoidance, power requirements, thermal loads, and mechanical loads.

Integration of structural health monitoring and asset management.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-08-01

This project investigated the feasibility and potential benefits of the integration of infrastructure monitoring systems into enterprise-scale transportation management systems. An infrastructure monitoring system designed for bridges was implemented...

Planning factors for developing an enterprise-wide picture archiving and communication system maintenance program.

PubMed

Staley, S; Romlein, J; Chacko, A K; Wider, R

2000-05-01

Picture archiving and communication system (PACS) maintenance on an individual site basis has historically been a complex and costly challenge. With the advent of enterprise-wide PACS projects such as the Virtual Radiology Environment (VRE) project, the challenge of a maintenance program with even more complexities has presented itself. The approach of the project management team for the VRE project is not one of reactive maintenance, but one of highly proactive planning and negotiations, in hopes of capitalizing on the economies of scale of an enterprise-wide PACS maintenance program. A proactive maintenance program is one aspect of life-cycle management. As with any capital acquisition, life-cycle management may be used to manage the specific project aspects related to PACS. The purpose of an enterprise-wide warranty and maintenance life-cycle management approach is to maintain PACS at its maximum operational efficiency and utilization levels through a flexible, shared, yet symbiotic relationship between local, regional, and vendor resources. These goals include providing maximum operational performance levels on a local, regional, and enterprise basis, while maintaining acceptable costs and resource utilization levels. This goal must be achieved without negatively impacting point of care activities, regardless of changes to the clinical business environment.

Current information technology needs of small to medium sized apparel manufacturers and contractors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wimple, C., LLNL

1998-04-01

This report documents recent efforts of the American Textile Partnership (AMTEX{sup TM}) Demand Activated Manufacturing Architecture (DAMA) Project to identify opportunities for cost effective enhanced information technology use by small to medium sized apparel manufacturers and contractors. Background on the AMTEX/DAMA project and objectives for the specific DAMA Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) effort are discussed in this section. The approach used to gather information about current opportunities or needs is outlined in Section 2 Approach, and relevant findings are identified and a brief analysis of the information gathered is presented in Section 3 Findings. Recommendations based on the analysis,more » are offered in Section 4 Recommendations, and plans are suggested for DAMA follow-on in Section 5 Future Plans. Trip reports for each of the companies visited are contained in Appendix E - Company Trip Reports. These individual reports contain the data upon which the analysis presented in Section 3 Findings is based.« less

A step forward in laccase exploitation: Recombinant production and evaluation of techno-economic feasibility of the process.

PubMed

Pezzella, Cinzia; Giacobelli, Valerio Guido; Lettera, Vincenzo; Olivieri, Giuseppe; Cicatiello, Paola; Sannia, Giovanni; Piscitelli, Alessandra

2017-10-10

Protein heterologous production offers viable opportunities to tailor laccase properties to specific industrial needs. The high redox potential laccase POXA1b from Pleurotus ostreatus was chosen as case study of marketable enzyme, due to its desirable properties in terms of activity/stability profile, and already assessed applicability. POXA1b was heterologously produced in Pichia pastoris by investigating the effect of inducible and constitutive expression systems on both the yield and the cost of its production. System performances were first assessed in shaken-flasks and then scaled-up in bioreactor. The production level obtained in the inducible system is 42U/mL, while the activity value achieved with the constitutive one is 60U/mL, the highest obtained in constitutive systems so far. The economic feasibility of recombinant laccase production was simulated, describing the case of an Italian small-medium enterprise. Two scenarios were evaluated: Scenario (I) production based on methanol inducible system; Scenario (II) production based on the constitutive system, fed with glycerol. At all the scales the glycerol-based fermentation is more economic than the methanol-based one. The price forecast for rPOXA1b production is 0.34€kU -1 for glycerol-based process, and is very competitive with the current price of commercial laccase. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Technical standards for micro sensors in surgery and minimally invasive therapy.

PubMed

Neuder; Dehm

2004-04-01

The development of medical applications is fuelled in the context of steadily growing needs and the requirement of lowering overall costs. Micro systems will have an extremely important impact on medical technology in the future. The great challenges for the wider use of micro structures in health applications are biocompatibility and mass production. Especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need help to overcome these problems by free access to knowledge, the availability of standards and contacts to partners.

A new architecture for enterprise information systems.

PubMed Central

Covvey, H. D.; Stumpf, J. J.

1999-01-01

Irresistible economic and technical forces are forcing healthcare institutions to develop regionalized services such as consolidated or virtual laboratories. Technical realities, such as the lack of an enabling enterprise-level information technology (IT) integration infrastructure, the existence of legacy systems, and non-existent or embryonic enterprise-level IT services organizations, are delaying or frustrating the achievement of the desired configuration of shared services. On attempting to address this matter, we discover that the state-of-the-art in integration technology is not wholly adequate, and itself becomes a barrier to the full realization of shared healthcare services. In this paper we report new work from the field of Co-operative Information Systems that proposes a new architecture of systems that are intrinsically cooperation-enabled, and we extend this architecture to both the regional and national scales. PMID:10566455

Effect of thermal cycling ramp rate on CSP assembly reliability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghaffarian, R.

2001-01-01

A JPL-led chip scale package consortium of enterprises recently joined together to pool in-kind resources for developing the quality and reliability of chip scale packages for a variety of projects. The experience of the consortium in building more than 150 test vehicle assemblies, single and double sided multilayer PWBs, and the environmental test results has now been published as a chip scale package guidelines document.

The bacteriological quality of different brands of bottled water available to consumers in Ile-Ife, south-western Nigeria.

PubMed

Igbeneghu, Oluwatoyin A; Lamikanra, Adebayo

2014-11-28

The upsurge in the demand for bottled water has prompted the interest of many manufacturers in the production of bottled water and very many water bottling companies are therefore involved in its production. These range from large scale multinational companies to medium scale business enterprises, institutional and government business investment companies as well as small scale entrepreneurs. There is however little information on the comparative quality of bottled water brands produced by different classes of water bottling companies in Nigeria. This study was undertaken to determine the bacteriological quality of brands of bottled water available to consumers in Ile-Ife. Forty-three samples of bottled water comprising of three batches each of thirteen bottled water brands and two batches of two brands were purchased and analyzed for total bacterial count, presence of coliform and the presence of other bacterial indicators of drinking water quality. Only 67.4% of the water samples representing the products of 10 companies or 66.7% of the brands had heterotrophic counts within the acceptable limits. Coliforms present in 100 ml of water were detected in 26.7% of the bottled water brands. Other indicator organisms detected included Staphylococci isolated from 27.9% of the samples (33.3% of the brands) and specifically Staphylococcus aureus found in four brands constituting 14% of the samples. Pseudomonas strains were consistently detected in consecutive batches of three brands of the water samples. Bottled water samples produced by the large scale multinational producers were of acceptable bacteriological quality unlike those produced by most small companies. There is need for a greater control of water bottling processes carried out by commercial bottled water producers in Nigeria.

A Virtual Hosting Environment for Distributed Online Gaming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brossard, David; Prieto Martinez, Juan Luis

With enterprise boundaries becoming fuzzier, it’s become clear that businesses need to share resources, expose services, and interact in many different ways. In order to achieve such a distribution in a dynamic, flexible, and secure way, we have designed and implemented a virtual hosting environment (VHE) which aims at integrating business services across enterprise boundaries and virtualising the ICT environment within which these services operate in order to exploit economies of scale for the businesses as well as achieve shorter concept-to-market time scales. To illustrate the relevance of the VHE, we have applied it to the online gaming world. Online gaming is an early adopter of distributed computing and more than 30% of gaming developer companies, being aware of the shift, are focusing on developing high performance platforms for the new online trend.

[Willingness to implement mental health measures among small-scale enterprise employers in Ohta ward, Tokyo, Japan].

PubMed

Ikeda, Tomoko; Nakata, Akinori; Kobori, Shun-ichi; Hojo, Minoru; Sugishita, Chieko

2002-09-01

Due to the increase in mental health problems among Japanese workers in recent years, effective approaches to address these problems are of growing concern. Although such an effort is now under way in largescale enterprises (LSEs), small-scale enterprises (SSEs) are lagging behind LSEs for a number of reasons. In the present study, to know the reason, the presidents of 263 SSEs (fewer than 50 employees) in the Ohta ward of Tokyo were surveyed with a self-administered questionnaire from October 1999 to March 2000 (response rate, 51.0%). The main business types were manufacturing (71.2%), transportation & storage (6.1%), and construction (5.3%). The results revealed that employers attribute the mental health problems of employees to "Job content/Aptitude for job (78.6%)", "Communication among employees (71.0%)", "Physical problems/Illness (50.4%)", "Family problems (33.6%)". These results are very similar to those obtained in the same enterprises employees survey in 1996, suggesting that employers perceive the factors responsible for employees' mental health problems with substantial accuracy. Sixty-nine point five percent of the employers answered that they need mental health measures for employees. And 62.7% of employers agreed to take mental health measures in their enterprises. Taken together, it is considered that employers are willing to improve their employees' mental health problems. Nevertheless, 95% of employers are doing nothing to improve the situation. The major reasons cited were 1) Cannot obtain a consultant or counselor (44.8%), 2) Lack of time (43.1%), 3) Manpower shortage (41.4%), 4) Difficulty in ensuring employees' privacy (36.2%), and 5) Lack of financial resources (30.2%). The results of the present study suggest that perception of the mental health problems among employers and employees of SSEs in the Ohta area were close to each other. Effective strategies are needed to improve mental health problems in SSEs.

Assessing Psychosocial Impairment in Children and Adolescents: A Review of the Barkley Functional Impairment Scale (BFIS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGill, Ryan J.

2014-01-01

Appraising psychosocial impairment is an essential enterprise of diagnostic decision-making in the field of school psychology. Despite its importance, few practitioners utilize systematic procedures when engaging in this process, despite the fact that a number of impairment measures and scales have been developed specifically for this purpose. The…

Prevalence of permanent hearing threshold shift among workers of Indian iron and steel small and medium enterprises: a study.

PubMed

Singh, Lakhwinder Pal; Bhardwaj, Arvind; Kumar, Deepak Kishore

2012-01-01

Occupational noise exposure and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) have been recognized as a problem among workers in Indian industries. The major industries in India are based on manufacturing. There are appreciable numbers of casting and forging units spread across the country. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of permanent hearing threshold shift among the workers engaged in Indian iron and steel small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and compared with control group subjects. As a part of hearing protection intervention, audiometric tests were conducted at low (250-1000 Hz), medium (1500-3000 Hz), and high (4000-8000 Hz) frequencies. The occurrence of hearing loss was determined based on hearing threshold levels with a low fence of 25 dB. Comparisons were made for hearing threshold at different frequencies between the exposed and control groups using Student's t test. ANOVA was used for the comparison of hearing threshold dB at different frequencies among occupation and year of experience. A P value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. All data were presented as mean value (SD). Over 90% of workers engaged in various processes of casting and forging industry showed hearing loss in the noise-sensitive medium and higher frequencies. Occupation was significantly associated with NIHL, and hearing loss was particularly high among the workers of forging section. The analyses revealed a higher prevalence of significant hearing loss among the forging workers compared to the workers associated with other activities. The study shows alarming signals of NIHL, especially in forging workers. The occupational exposure to noise could be minimized by efficient control measures through engineering controls, administrative controls, and the use of personal protective devices. Applications of engineering and/or administrative controls are frequently not feasible in the developing countries for technical and financial reasons. A complete hearing conservation programme, including training, audiometry, job rotation, and the use of hearing protection devices, is the most feasible method for the protection of industrial workers from prevailing noise in workplace environments in the developing countries.

Sewer-mining: A water reuse option supporting circular economy, public service provision and entrepreneurship.

PubMed

Makropoulos, C; Rozos, E; Tsoukalas, I; Plevri, A; Karakatsanis, G; Karagiannidis, L; Makri, E; Lioumis, C; Noutsopoulos, C; Mamais, D; Rippis, C; Lytras, E

2018-06-15

Water scarcity, either due to increased urbanisation or climatic variability, has motivated societies to reduce pressure on water resources mainly by reducing water demand. However, this practice alone is not sufficient to guarantee the quality of life that high quality water services underpin, especially within a context of increased urbanisation. As such, the idea of water reuse has been gaining momentum for some time and has recently found a more general context within the idea of the Circular Economy. This paper is set within the context of an ongoing discussion between centralized and decentralized water reuse techniques and the investigation of trade-offs between efficiency and economic viability of reuse at different scales. Specifically, we argue for an intermediate scale of a water reuse option termed 'sewer-mining', which could be considered a reuse scheme at the neighbourhood scale. We suggest that sewer mining (a) provides a feasible alternative reuse option when the geography of the wastewater treatment plant is problematic, (b) relies on mature treatment technologies and (c) presents an opportunity for Small Medium Enterprises (SME) to be involved in the water market, securing environmental, social and economic benefits. To support this argument, we report on a pilot sewer-mining application in Athens, Greece. The pilot, integrates two subsystems: a packaged treatment unit and an information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure. The paper reports on the pilot's overall performance and critically evaluates the potential of the sewer-mining idea to become a significant piece of the circular economy puzzle for water. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Initiatives for Sustainable Community Development in Sierra Leone.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamara, John M.; Kargbo, Stephen B.

1999-01-01

In Sierra Leone, two church-sponsored programs are focused on sustainable development. The Wesleyan Development Education and Awareness Programme trains people to initiate community projects. Women's Loan Scheme encourages development of small-scale enterprises. (SK)

Environmental strategy and performance in small firms: a resource-based perspective.

PubMed

Aragón-Correa, J Alberto; Hurtado-Torres, Nuria; Sharma, Sanjay; García-Morales, Víctor J

2008-01-01

In spite of the widespread recognition of the important roles that small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) play in most economies, limited research has focused on their impacts on the natural environment and the strategies such enterprises adopt to reduce these impacts. It is usually assumed that SMEs lack the resources to implement proactive environmental strategies that go beyond minimum regulatory compliance. In this study of 108 SMEs in the automotive repair sector in Southern Spain, we found that SMEs undertake a range of environmental strategies from reactive regulatory compliance to proactive pollution prevention and environmental leadership. These strategies are associated with three organizational capabilities: shared vision, stakeholder management, and strategic proactivity, hypothesized based on the unique strategic characteristics of SMEs--shorter lines of communication and closer interaction within the SMEs, the presence of a founder's vision, flexibility in managing external relationships, and an entrepreneurial orientation. We also found that firms with the most proactive practices exhibited a significantly positive financial performance.

Multi-agent framework for negotiation in a closed environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cretan, Adina; Coutinho, Carlos; Bratu, Ben; Jardim-Goncalves, Ricardo

2013-10-01

The goal of this paper is to offer support for small and medium enterprises which cannot or do not want to fulfill a big contract alone. Each organization has limited resources and in order to better accomplish a higher external demand, the managers are forced to outsource parts of their contracts even to concurrent organizations. In this concurrent environment each enterprise wants to preserve its decision autonomy and to disclose as little as possible from its business information. To describe this interaction, our approach is to define a framework for managing parallel and concurrent negotiations among independent organizations acting in the same industrial market. The complexity of our negotiation framework is done by the dynamic environment in which multi-attribute and multi-participant negotiations are racing over the same set of resources. Moreover, the proposed framework helps the organizations within the collaborative networked environment to augment their efficiency and ability to react to unforeseen situations, thus improving their market competitiveness.

MIGRESIVES: a research project on migration from adhesives in food-packaging materials in support of European legislation and standardization.

PubMed

Störmer, A; Franz, R

2009-12-01

Most food packages and food-contact materials are manufactured using adhesives. The European Union regulates all food-contact materials, as their constituents may not contaminate food and endanger consumers' health. In contrast to plastics which are regulated by positive lists of authorized ingredients, adhesives have not yet a specific regulation. The MIGRESIVES project aimed to elaborate a scientific global risk-assessment approach to meet current general European Union regulatory requirements and as a basis for future specific European Union legislation as well as to provide the industry, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, a tool to ensure that migration from adhesives is in compliance with the regulatory requirements. The idea was to demonstrate that consumers' exposure to chemicals released by adhesives is in many cases below levels of concern. Technical/scientific knowledge from industry and research institutes will be merged into a collective research endeavour gathering all stakeholders. The major milestones are (1) the classification of adhesives according to chemistry and uses, (2) the test strategies based on physico-chemical behaviour of adhesives, (3) modelling migration/exposure from adhesives, (4) providing guidelines to integrate the risk-assessment approach into the daily life of companies, (5) the feasibility of applying the toxicological approach from the European Union BIOSAFEPAPER project, and (6) extensive training/education to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large dissemination for general adoption of the concept in Europe.

Characterization of biocide-tolerant bacteria isolated from cheese and dairy small-medium enterprises.

PubMed

Fernández Márquez, Ma Luisa; Grande Burgos, Ma José; López Aguayo, Ma Carmen; Pérez Pulido, Rubén; Gálvez, Antonio; Lucas, Rosario

2017-04-01

A collection of 120 bacterial isolates from small medium enterprises involved in the production of cow milk and the manufacture of goat cheese were screened for sensitivity to biocides benzalkonium chloride (BC), cetrimide (CT), hexadecylpyridinium chloride (HDP), triclosan (TC), hexachlorophene (CF) and poly-(hexamethylen guanidinium) hydrochloride (PHMG). Nineteen isolates were selected according to biocide tolerance and identified by 16S rDNA sequencing as Lactococcus sp. (6) Enterococcus sp. (1), Lactobacillus sp. (4), Bacillus sp. (1) Escherichia sp. (5), Enterobacter sp. (1) and Helicobacter sp. (1). These were further characterised regarding antimicrobial resistance phenotype and genotype. Several isolates were multiply (3 or more) tolerant to biocides or resistant to antibiotics, but only two Escherichia sp. isolates and Enterobacter sp. were multiply resistant to biocides and antibiotics. Statistical analysis of biocide tolerance and antibiotic resistance revealed significant positive correlations between different biocides and between biocides and antibiotics. The biocide tolerance genes most frequently found were qacEΔ1 and qacA/B. The sulfonamide resistance gene sul1 was found in two Escherichia sp. isolates and in Enterobacter sp., all of which also carried qacEΔ1. Beta-lactam (bla CTX-M , bla PSE ) and tetracycline resistance genes [tet(A), tet(C) and tet(D)] were detected. Efflux pump genes acrB and mdfA were found in most Gram-negative isolates. Results from the study suggest that exposure to biocides can indirectly select for antibiotic resistance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Smoke-free policies and non-smokers' reactions to SHS exposure in small and medium enterprises.

PubMed

Sivri, Calliopi; Lazuras, Lambros; Rodafinos, Angelos; Eiser, John Richard

2013-12-01

Non-smoker employees can significantly improve the existing smoke-free policies in the workplace by asserting their right for smoke-free air and confronting smoker colleagues. The aim of the study was to assess the psychological and social drivers of non-smokers' readiness to assert their right for smoke-free air in the workplace. Twenty-six small-and-medium enterprises (SME) with diverse background were randomly selected, and 284 employees agreed to participate in the study. Our study focused on the responses of 85 non-smokers (M age = 34 years, SD = 7.98, 84.2% worked in indoor offices). A cross-sectional design was used and participants completed a structured anonymous questionnaire assessing background and demographic characteristics, and psychosocial predictors of assertiveness intentions. Although more than half of non-smokers reported they were often/almost always bothered by exposure to SHS, roughly one third of them reported having asked their colleagues not to smoke at work. Regression analysis showed that the effects of distal predictors (i.e. annoyance due to SHS exposure) were mediated by past behaviour, attitudes (protection motivation beliefs), social norms, and self-efficacy. Health beliefs related to SHS exposure, and concerns about workplace health and job performance, social norms and self-efficacy can increase the assertiveness of non-smokers in workplace settings. Related campaigns should focus on communicating normative messages and self-efficacy training to empower non-smoker employees to act assertively towards protecting their smoke-free rights.

[The distribution of cardiovascular risk factors in employees from small- and medium-sized enterprises in Germany].

PubMed

Kaifie, Andrea; Kraus, Thomas

2018-02-01

The German Prevention Act, the main parts of which came into force on 25 July 2015, encourages health promotion and prevention programs for people in their living environment. Through this act, preventive measures could reach employees at work that hardly seek medical services. This is of importance since employees with a low occupational position often show risk factors that increase morbidity and mortality. In this study, clinical data from n = 2280 employees from small and medium sized enterprises (SME) were analyzed for economic sector, sex, socioeconomic position (SEP), economic sector cardiovascular risk factors, musculoskeletal and psychological diseases. The socioeconomic position was categorized using the European Socioeconomic Classification into an intermediate/high and a low SEP category. Male employees showed a significantly higher occurrence of risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes or hypertension in comparison to female employees. In the manufacturing industry, male employees with a low SEP showed a higher prevalence of diabetes (2.3 vs. 5.9%), smoking (27.4 vs. 46.5%), and physical inactivity (sports: 55.0 vs. 37.1%) in comparison to employees with an intermediate/high SEP. Male employees with a low SEP from health and social services reported psychiatric disorders more frequently in comparison to those with an intermediate/high SEP (0.7 vs. 5.9%). Male employees with a low SEP should be given special consideration in the implementation of preventive measures at work within the framework of the Prevention Act.

Results from an exploratory study to identify the factors that contribute to success for UK medical device small- and medium-sized enterprises.

PubMed

Hourd, P C; Williams, D J

2008-07-01

This paper reports the results from an exploratory study that sets out to identify and compare the strategic approaches and patterns of business practice employed by 14 UK small- and medium-sized enterprises to achieve success in the medical device sector of the health-care industry. An interview-based survey was used to construct individual case studies of the medical device technology (MDT) companies. A cross-case analysis was performed to search for patterns and themes that cut across these individual cases. Exploratory results revealed the heterogeneity of MDT companies and the distinctive features of the MDT innovation process that emphasize the importance of a strategic approach for achieving milestones in the product development and exploitation process and for creating value for the company and its stakeholders. Recognizing the heterogeneity of MDT companies, these exploratory findings call for further investigation to understand better the influence of components of the MDT innovation process on the commercialization life cycle and value trajectory. This is required to assist start-up or spin-out MDT companies in the UK and worldwide to navigate the critical transitions that determine access to financial and consumer markets and enhance the potential to build a successful business. This will be important not only for bioscience-based companies but also for engineering-based companies aiming to convert their activities into medical devices and the health- and social-care market.

Designing Business System Model using System Modeling Approach to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) of Furniture in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sukendar, Irwan; Fatmawati, Wiwiek; Much Ibnu Subroto, Imam; Arigama, Rizki

2017-04-01

This paper studies the design of business system model with System Modeling Approach on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of furniture. Methods used consists of five phases: phase of identification of business processes actual on SMEs of Furniture, phase of identification of deficiencies and improvement of business processes, phase of design algorithm and flowchart business processes, phase of analysis of the elements of the system, and phase of the design of data flow diagram (DFD), The results of the analysis of the elements of the system are: Products and quantities ordered product consumers and DP paid by consumers identified as elements of system inputs 1,2 and 3. The result of the calculation, payment slips and mail order (SO) are identified as elements of system output 1, 2 and 3. Acceptance of orders, stocks checking of raw materials at the warehouse, calculating raw material requirements, adequacy of raw materials, the price of the contract, and the due date, as well as the submission of the results of calculations to consumers were identified as elements of system components 1, 2, 3, and 4. Admin taking orders, Admin check stocks of raw materials at the warehouse, Admin making calculation, and Admin convey the results of calculations to consumers were identified as an element of interaction system 1, 2, 3, and 4. Consumers were identified as element of environmental systems. Moreover, the boundary between SMEs and consumers were identified as elements of the system boundary.

Integration fuzzy analytic network process (ANP) and SWOT business strategy for the development of small and medium enterprises (SME)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khotimah, Bain Khusnul; Irhamni, Firli; Kustiyahningsih, Yenny

2017-08-01

Business competition is one risk factor for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) to set up good management in handling the risk of loss. This proposed research will look for criteria that influence the occurrence of damages based on data from by Cooperative and SME on Batik Madura. Method approach which used Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP) as the weight of interest in decision support systems. Factor analysis of the level losses will influence the performance in the business sector. SWOT analysis combined with FANP method to determine the most appropriate development strategy to be applied industry. From the results of SWOT analysis and FANP, it was found the strategy of the best development to apply business strategy. The raw materials and human resources are available to increase the production capacity of the test results of SWOT analysis SME on Batik Madura. The result measurement of SME are always favourable the position, because the value is well resulted production and the amount is stable revenue which caused SME are in the first quadrant, so the power can exist take advantage of business opportunities. While the trial results of SWOT analysis on SME on Batik Madura in January and March are quadrant of second quadrant because of the number of defective products is quite produced, causing SME are under threat. But although SME suffer threats, SME still have strength on the amount of production and timely delivery.

Enterprise systems in financial sector - an application in precious metal trading forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiaozhu; Fang, Yiwei

2013-11-01

The use of enterprise systems has become increasingly popular in the financial service industry. This paper discusses the applications of enterprise systems in the financial sectors and presents an application in gold price forecasting. We carefully examine the impacts of a few most widely assumed factors that have significant impact on the long-term gold price using statistical regression techniques. The analysis on our proposed linear regression mode indicates that the United States ultra scale of M2 money supply has been the most important catalyst for the rising price of gold, and the CRB index upward trend has also been the weighty factor for pushing up the gold price. In addition, the gold price has a low negative correlation with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and low positive correlations with the US dollar index and the gold ETFs holdings.

The observed life cycle of a baroclinic instability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Randel, W. J.; Stanford, J. L.

1985-01-01

Medium-scale waves (zonal wavenumbers 4-7) frequently dominate Southern Hemisphere summer circulation patterns. Randel and Stanford have studied the dynamics of these features, demonstrating that the medium-scale waves result from baroclinic excitation and exhibit well-defined life cycles. This study details the evolution of the medium-scale waves during a particular life cycle. The specific case chosen exhibits a high degree of zonal symmetry, prompting study based upon zonally averaged diagnostics. An analysis of the medium-scale wave energetics reveals a well-defined life cycle of baroclinic growth, maturity, and barotropic decay. Eliassen-Palm flux diagrams detail the daily wave structure and its interaction with the zonally-averaged flow.

Discrete-event system simulation on small and medium enterprises productivity improvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulistio, J.; Hidayah, N. A.

2017-12-01

Small and medium industries in Indonesia is currently developing. The problem faced by SMEs is the difficulty of meeting growing demand coming into the company. Therefore, SME need an analysis and evaluation on its production process in order to meet all orders. The purpose of this research is to increase the productivity of SMEs production floor by applying discrete-event system simulation. This method preferred because it can solve complex problems die to the dynamic and stochastic nature of the system. To increase the credibility of the simulation, model validated by cooperating the average of two trials, two trials of variance and chi square test. Afterwards, Benferroni method applied to development several alternatives. The article concludes that, the productivity of SMEs production floor increased up to 50% by adding the capacity of dyeing and drying machines.

Exploring the role of small-scale livestock keepers for national biosecurity-The pig case.

PubMed

Correia-Gomes, Carla; Henry, Madeleine K; Auty, Harriet K; Gunn, George J

2017-09-15

Small-scale keepers are less likely to engage with production organisations and may therefore be less aware of legislation, rules and biosecurity practices which are implemented in the livestock sector. Their role in the transmission of endemic and exotic diseases is not well studied, but is believed to be important. The authors use small-scale pig keepers in Scotland as an example of how important small-scale livestock keepers might be for national biosecurity. In Scotland more than two thirds of pig producers report that they keep less than 10 pigs, meaning that biosecurity practices and pig health status on a substantial number of holdings are largely unknown; it is considered important to fill this knowledge gap. A questionnaire was designed and implemented in order to gather some of this information. The questionnaire comprised a total of 37 questions divided into seven sections (location of the enterprise, interest in pigs, details about the pig enterprise, marketing of pigs, transport of pigs, pig husbandry, and pig health/biosecurity). Over 610 questionnaires were sent through the post and the questionnaire was also available online. The questionnaire was implemented from June to October 2013 and 135 questionnaires were returned by target respondents. The responses for each question are discussed in detail in this paper. Overall, our results suggest that the level of disease identified by small-scale pig keepers is low but the majority of the small-scale pig keepers are mixed farms, with associated increased risk for disease transmission between species. Almost all respondents implemented at least one biosecurity measure, although the measures taken were not comprehensive in the majority of cases. Overall as interaction between small-scale keepers and commercial producers exists in Scotland the former can pose a risk for commercial production. This investigation fills gaps in knowledge which will allow industry stakeholders and policy makers to adapt their current disease programmes and contingency plans to the reality of small-scale pig-keeping enterprises' health and biosecurity status. We predict that some conclusions from this work will be relevant to countries with similar pig production systems and importantly some of these findings will relate to small-scale producers in other livestock sectors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Configurations and implementation of payroll system using open source erp: a case study of Koperasi PT Sri

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terminanto, A.; Swantoro, H. A.; Hidayanto, A. N.

2017-12-01

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is an integrated information system to manage business processes of companies of various business scales. Because of the high cost of ERP investment, ERP implementation is usually done in large-scale enterprises, Due to the complexity of implementation problems, the success rate of ERP implementation is still low. Open Source System ERP becomes an alternative choice of ERP application to SME companies in terms of cost and customization. This study aims to identify characteristics and configure the implementation of OSS ERP Payroll module in KKPS (Employee Cooperative PT SRI) using OSS ERP Odoo and using ASAP method. This study is classified into case study research and action research. Implementation of OSS ERP Payroll module is done because the HR section of KKPS has not been integrated with other parts. The results of this study are the characteristics and configuration of OSS ERP payroll module in KKPS.

[Ethical opinion survey on the periodical health examination among workers: privacy protection and informed consent on the information of the heath examination among workers in small and medium-sized enterprises].

PubMed

Takahashi, Norito; Fujino, Akihiro

2006-03-01

We investigated the ethical opinions concerning the information on legal regular health examinations with a questionnaire for 757 workers in enterprises that contracted a part-time occupational physician as there were no full-time occupational health professionals. Thirty to 50% of the workers answered that the information on their health examination was known to their superiors and their colleagues. Also, 20 to 40% of the workers answered that the information was made known to other people without obtaining their agreement. This tendency among the group of sick workers was stronger than in the group of healthy workers. On the other hand, the workers who suspected that the information on their health examination might be made available to other people exceeded the majority. In these enterprises, there seemed to be ethical problems from the point of the protection of privacy. It was also shown that the consideration of ethics concerning the protection of the privacy of the information on worker's health examinations was not high. However, it was suggested that the ethical opinion concerning worker's informed consent was high, as there were 85% or more workers who answered that agreement of the workers themselves was necessary for disclosing the information on their medical examination.

Design and Implementation of a Cloud Computing Adoption Decision Tool: Generating a Cloud Road.

PubMed

Bildosola, Iñaki; Río-Belver, Rosa; Cilleruelo, Ernesto; Garechana, Gaizka

2015-01-01

Migrating to cloud computing is one of the current enterprise challenges. This technology provides a new paradigm based on "on-demand payment" for information and communication technologies. In this sense, the small and medium enterprise is supposed to be the most interested, since initial investments are avoided and the technology allows gradual implementation. However, even if the characteristics and capacities have been widely discussed, entry into the cloud is still lacking in terms of practical, real frameworks. This paper aims at filling this gap, presenting a real tool already implemented and tested, which can be used as a cloud computing adoption decision tool. This tool uses diagnosis based on specific questions to gather the required information and subsequently provide the user with valuable information to deploy the business within the cloud, specifically in the form of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions. This information allows the decision makers to generate their particular Cloud Road. A pilot study has been carried out with enterprises at a local level with a two-fold objective: to ascertain the degree of knowledge on cloud computing and to identify the most interesting business areas and their related tools for this technology. As expected, the results show high interest and low knowledge on this subject and the tool presented aims to readdress this mismatch, insofar as possible.

Design and Implementation of a Cloud Computing Adoption Decision Tool: Generating a Cloud Road

PubMed Central

Bildosola, Iñaki; Río-Belver, Rosa; Cilleruelo, Ernesto; Garechana, Gaizka

2015-01-01

Migrating to cloud computing is one of the current enterprise challenges. This technology provides a new paradigm based on “on-demand payment” for information and communication technologies. In this sense, the small and medium enterprise is supposed to be the most interested, since initial investments are avoided and the technology allows gradual implementation. However, even if the characteristics and capacities have been widely discussed, entry into the cloud is still lacking in terms of practical, real frameworks. This paper aims at filling this gap, presenting a real tool already implemented and tested, which can be used as a cloud computing adoption decision tool. This tool uses diagnosis based on specific questions to gather the required information and subsequently provide the user with valuable information to deploy the business within the cloud, specifically in the form of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions. This information allows the decision makers to generate their particular Cloud Road. A pilot study has been carried out with enterprises at a local level with a two-fold objective: to ascertain the degree of knowledge on cloud computing and to identify the most interesting business areas and their related tools for this technology. As expected, the results show high interest and low knowledge on this subject and the tool presented aims to readdress this mismatch, insofar as possible. PMID:26230400

[Actual conditions of occupational health administration of small-scale enterprises in Japan: (II). Occupational health controls for hazardous and musculo-skeletally stressful working factors].

PubMed

Kumagai, S; Hirata, M; Tabuchi, T; Tainaka, H; Andoh, K; Oda, H

2000-09-01

In order to clarify the actual condition of occupational health management for hazardous and musculo-skeletally stressful work factors in small-scale enterprises (SSEs) in Japan, a questionnaire survey was conducted in an area near Osaka city. The hazardous work factors examined were dust, organic solvents, lead, specified chemical substances, anoxia, noise, hand-arm vibration, ionizing radiation, high and low temperatures, and high air pressure. The musculo-skeletally stressful work factors examined were VDT work, prolonged standing, unnatural postures, handling of heavy weights, and stress on neck, shoulders and arms. The number of SSEs that replied to the questionnaire was 765 (recovery rate: 69.3%). Enterprises with noise, dust, hand-arm vibration and organic solvents numbered 14.0%, 10.7%, 6.9% and 6.4%, respectively, and those with other hazardous factors numbered less than 3%. Special medical examinations and working environment measurements for hazardous factors were conducted in 0.0% to 26.7% and 0.0% to 13.3%, respectively, of the enterprises. Working environment controls were conducted in 0.0% to 40.2%. Enterprises with prolonged standing and VDT work, were 42.0% and 35.8%, whereas those with other stressful factors were approximately 30%. Special medical examinations for musculo-skeletally stressful factors were conducted in 3.0% to 5.1% of the enterprises, and work controls were conducted in 20.4% to 25.3%. Non execution of the special medical examinations and working environment measurements were mainly due to "lack of knowledge of the law (19.7% and 30.2%)" and "lack of time to perform (16.0% and 23.3%)". Non execution of the controls for the hazardous work factors was due to "lack of knowledge as to how to control (9.0%)", "high costs (7.4%)", "lack of time to perform (6.4%)" and "absence of a suitable adviser (5.9%)". Non execution of the controls for stressful work factors was due to "lack of knowledge as to how to control (15.6%)" and "lack of time to perform (10.2%)". Consequently, as a result of the survey, it was suggested that it is necessary to enlighten the employers of SEEs as to the importance of occupational health controls. It is also necessary to propose low-cost, feasible control methods.

[Actual conditions of occupational health activities in small-scale enterprises in Japan: system for occupational health, health management and demands by small-scale enterprises].

PubMed

Hirata, M; Kumagai, S; Tabuchi, T; Tainaka, H; Andoh, K; Oda, H

1999-11-01

In order to clarify the real conditions of occupational health services (OHS) in small-scale enterprises (SSEs) in Japan, we analyzed questionnaires recovered from 765 SSEs in the area of a city neighboring Osaka City (recovery rate, 69.3%). The SSEs included 358 SSEs with 1 to 4 workers (46.8% of total SSEs), 203 with 5 to 9 (26.5%), 163 with 10 to 29 (21.3%) and 41 with 30 to 49 (5.4%). The main types of businesses were manufacturing (374, 48.9% of total SSEs), wholesale/retail trade/restaurants (153, 20.0%), community, social and personal services (132, 17.3%) and construction (72, 9.4%). Health examinations were performed in 47.7% of SSEs. The reason for the lack of examinations were "shortage of time" (33.3% of SSEs lacking health examination) and "employees do not want to be examined" (28.1%). Some health promotion measures were conducted in 29.2% of SSEs. Health examination (59.0% of SSEs), health promotion (36.5%), measure of mental health (25.9%) and information service for employers and employees (25.5%) were demanded by SSEs as OHS. Financial subsidies and economical incentives were demanded by 46.4% and 28.8% of SSEs, respectively. Regional occupational health center in this area was poorly known among SSEs (8.2%), but health examination (48.4%), information service (37.5%), assessment of work method and advice to improve (19.8%) and environment measurement (12.4%) are demanded of the center by SSEs.

Innovation Partnership for a Roadmap on Vaccines in Europe (IPROVE): A vision for the vaccines of tomorrow.

PubMed

Medaglini, Donata; De Azero, Magdalena R; Leroy, Odile; Bietrix, Florence; Denoel, Philippe

2018-02-21

A clear vision for vaccines research and development (R&D) is needed if Europe is to continue to lead the discovery of next generation vaccines. Innovation Partnership for a Roadmap on Vaccines in Europe (IPROVE) is a collaboration between leading vaccine experts to develop a roadmap setting out how Europe can best invest in the science and technology essential for vaccines innovation. This FP7 project, started in December 2013, brought together more than 130 key public and private stakeholders from academia, public health institutes, regulators, industry and small and medium-sized enterprises to determine and prioritise the gaps and challenges to be addressed to bolster innovation in vaccines and vaccination in Europe. The IPROVE consultation process was structured around seven themes: vaccine R&D, manufacturing and quality control, infrastructure, therapeutic vaccines, needs of small and medium-sized enterprises, vaccines acceptance and training needs. More than 80 recommendations were made by the consultation groups, mainly focused on the need for a multidisciplinary research approach to stimulate innovation, accelerated translation of scientific knowledge into technological innovation, and fostering of real collaboration within the European vaccine ecosystem. The consultation also reinforced the fact that vaccines are only as good as their vaccine implementation programmes, and that more must be done to understand and address vaccination hesitancy of both the general public and healthcare professionals. Bringing together a wide range of stakeholders to work on the IPROVE roadmap has increased mutual understanding of their different perspectives, needs and priorities. IPROVE is a first attempt to develop such a comprehensive view of the vaccine sector. This prioritisation effort, aims to help policy-makers and funders identify those vaccine-related areas and technologies where key investment is needed for short and medium-long term success. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

An Analysis of the Use of Social Software and Its Impact on Organizational Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pascual-Miguel, Félix; Chaparro-Peláez, Julián; Hernández-García, Ángel

This article proposes a study on the implementation rate of the most relevant 2.0 tools and technologies in Spanish enterprises, and their impact on 12 important aspects of business processes. In order to characterize the grade of implementation and the perceived improvements on the processes two indexes, Implementation Index and Impact Rate, have been created and displayed in a matrix called "2.0 Success Matrix". Data has been analyzed from a survey taken to directors and executives of large companies and small and medium businesses.

Legal basis of the Advanced Therapies Regulation.

PubMed

Jekerle, V; Schröder, C; Pedone, E

2010-01-01

Advanced therapy medicinal products consist of gene therapy, somatic cell therapy and tissue engineered products. Due to their specific manufacturing process and mode of action these products require specially tailored legislation. With Regulation (EC) No. 1394/2007, these needs have been met. Definitions of gene therapy, somatic cell therapy and tissue engineered products were laid down. A new committee, the Committee for Advanced Therapies, was founded, special procedures such as the certification procedure for small- and medium-sized enterprises were established and the technical requirements for Marketing Authorisation Applications (quality, non-clinical and clinical) were revised.

Practical example of game theory application for production route selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olender, M.; Krenczyk, D.

2017-08-01

The opportunity which opens before manufacturers on the dynamic market, especially before those from the sector of the small and medium-sized enterprises, is associated with the use of the virtual organizations concept. The planning stage of such organizations could be based on supporting decision-making tasks using the tools and formalisms taken from the game theory. In the paper the model of the virtual manufacturing network, along with the practical example of decision-making situation as two person game and the decision strategies with an analysis of calculation results are presented.

Application of LOD technology to the economic residence GIS for industry and commerce administration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Yongjun; Feng, Xuezhi; Zhao, Shuhe; Yin, Haiwei; Li, Yulin; Cui, Hongxia; Zhang, Hui; Zhong, Quanbao

2007-06-01

The LOD technology has an impact upon the multi-scale representation of spatial database. This paper takes advantage of LOD technology to express the multi-scale geographical data, and establish the exchange of multi-scale electronic map, further attain the goal that the details of geographic features such as point, line and polygon can be displayed more and more clearly with the display scale being enlarged to be convenient for the personnel of all offices of industry and commerce administration to label the locations of the corporations or enterprises.

DoD Acquisitions Reform: Embracing and Implementing Agile

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

required in the traditional waterfall approach.   Specific models for enterprise level efforts include Scaled Agile Framework, Disciplined Agile...and Acquisition Concerns. Pittsburgh: Carnegie Mellon.  Leffingwell, D. (2007). Why The Waterfall Model Doesn’t Work. In D. Leffingwell, Scaling...serious issue might be the acquisitions process itself. For the last twenty plus years, the Air Force has used the waterfall approach for software

Company size, work-home interference, and well-being of self-employed entrepreneurs.

PubMed

Godin, Isabelle; Desmarez, Pierre; Mahieu, Céline

2017-01-01

The impact of working conditions on the health and well-being of workers of large enterprises has been widely described. This influence has not been studied as extensively in very small and medium-sized enterprises mainly due to methodological difficulties. Smaller organisations nevertheless constitute a reality that needs to be better understood. The aim of this article is to better understand the working conditions of entrepreneurs in small and medium-sized enterprises, to describe the impact of these conditions on their health and well-being, and to learn how their work affects their private lives.This is why a study was conducted in 2015-2016 on a selected sample of entrepreneurs in the Brussels-Capital Region ( n  = 140). The survey form included questions pertaining to the work environment, motivations underlying the choice of activities, robustness of the business, work-home interference, work-related stress, work satisfaction, self-reported health indicators, and socio-demographic status. The results were compared with those from another survey on workers in small shops conducted between 2012 and 2015 within the same Region ( n  = 104). The number of entrepreneurs who participated in the survey added up to 140, with an even distribution between men and women. Two results are highlighted. The first concerns the difficulties faced by entrepreneurs working with a small team (1 to 4 employees): they are more stressed, report having heavy workloads, describe their health more negatively, consume more sedatives, and claim to suffer from loneliness more often than those working with larger teams or alone. Comparatively, in the study on shopkeepers, business owners working alone found themselves in a worse situation regarding their health and well-being.The second finding involves the difficulties entrepreneurs face when it comes to combining work and family life, and for which gender inequalities were noted. This phenomenon remains insufficiently explored amongst small business owners. In spite of the difficulties encountered at work, commitment to their chosen profession remains strong amongst entrepreneurs. Our results enable us underscore the aspects of entrepreneurial activity that should be taken into account whilst setting up support mechanisms or promoting entrepreneurship, especially amongst and for women.

Concurrent enterprise: a conceptual framework for enterprise supply-chain network activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Addo-Tenkorang, Richard; Helo, Petri T.; Kantola, Jussi

2017-04-01

Supply-chain management (SCM) in manufacturing industries has evolved significantly over the years. Recently, a lot more relevant research has picked up on the development of integrated solutions. Thus, seeking a collaborative optimisation of geographical, just-in-time (JIT), quality (customer demand/satisfaction) and return-on-investment (profits), aspects of organisational management and planning through 'best practice' business-process management - concepts and application; employing system tools such as certain applications/aspects of enterprise resource planning (ERP) - SCM systems information technology (IT) enablers to enhance enterprise integrated product development/concurrent engineering principles. This article assumed three main organisation theory applications in positioning its assumptions. Thus, proposing a feasible industry-specific framework not currently included within the SCOR model's level four (4) implementation level, as well as other existing SCM integration reference models such as in the MIT process handbook's - Process Interchange Format (PIF), the TOVE project, etc. which could also be replicated in other SCs. However, the wider focus of this paper's contribution will be concentrated on a complimentary proposed framework to the SCC's SCOR reference model. Quantitative empirical closed-ended questionnaires in addition to the main data collected from a qualitative empirical real-life industrial-based pilot case study were used: To propose a conceptual concurrent enterprise framework for SCM network activities. This research adopts a design structure matrix simulation approach analysis to propose an optimal enterprise SCM-networked value-adding, customised master data-management platform/portal for efficient SCM network information exchange and an effective supply-chain (SC) network systems-design teams' structure. Furthermore, social network theory analysis will be employed in a triangulation approach with statistical correlation analysis to assess the scale/level of frequency, importance, level of collaborative-ness, mutual trust as well as roles and responsibility among the enterprise SCM network for systems product development (PD) design teams' technical communication network as well as extensive literature reviews.

Strategic Energy Planning (Area 1) Consultants Reports to Citizen Potawatomi Nation Federally Recognized Indian Tribe

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, Marvin; Bose, James; Beier, Richard

2004-12-01

The assets that Citizen Potawatomi Nation holds were evaluated to help define the strengths and weaknesses to be used in pursuing economic prosperity. With this baseline assessment, a Planning Team will create a vision for the tribe to integrate into long-term energy and business strategies. Identification of energy efficiency devices, systems and technologies was made, and an estimation of cost benefits of the more promising ideas is submitted for possible inclusion into the final energy plan. Multiple energy resources and sources were identified and their attributes were assessed to determine the appropriateness of each. Methods of saving energy were evaluatedmore » and reported on and potential revenue-generating sources that specifically fit the tribe were identified and reported. A primary goal is to create long-term energy strategies to explore development of tribal utility options and analyze renewable energy and energy efficiency options. Associated goals are to consider exploring energy efficiency and renewable economic development projects involving the following topics: (1) Home-scale projects may include construction of a home with energy efficiency or renewable energy features and retrofitting an existing home to add energy efficiency or renewable energy features. (2) Community-scale projects may include medium to large scale energy efficiency building construction, retrofit project, or installation of community renewable energy systems. (3) Small business development may include the creation of a tribal enterprise that would manufacture and distribute solar and wind powered equipment for ranches and farms or create a contracting business to include energy efficiency and renewable retrofits such as geothermal heat pumps. (4) Commercial-scale energy projects may include at a larger scale, the formation of a tribal utility formed to sell power to the commercial grid, or to transmit and distribute power throughout the tribal community, or hydrogen production, and propane and natural-gas distribution systems.« less

Issues of environmental compliance in developing countries.

PubMed

Singh, S; Rajamani, S

2003-01-01

Environmental laws define the scarcity of environmental resources as they affect the factor endowment of a country and therefore its position in the international division of labour. There is now also a general agreement that applying the "polluter pays" principle should solve environmental problems. As the burden of abatement increases, as measured by the ratio of abatement expenditure to sales, there is definitely an incentive for firms to either invest in cleaner technology or more efficient abatement technology. There is also evidence that taxes and charges, designed to internalise externalities, can actually affect trade. It is interesting to know if the developing countries face particular market access problems in the face of stringent environmental standards and regulations. While it is true that stringent measures impose market access restrictions and cause limitations on competitiveness, this is much more widely felt by the developing countries because of lack of infrastructure and monitoring facilities, limited technology choices, inadequate access to environment-friendly raw materials, lack of complete information, presence of small-scale exporters and emergence of environmental standards in sectors of export interest to developing countries. The small and medium enterprises often divert sales either to the domestic market or to external markets where environmental requirements are less stringent, in order to save on their costs. In developing countries, 80% of the tanning industry is comprised of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) processing raw to semi-finished leather, usually less than 2 tons per day. In Europe and other developed countries the SMEs in the leather sector have vanished due to strict environmental legislation and this will likely occur in developing countries also. The environmental legislation has not always been practical, either because the laws are too ambitious or unrealistic in certain parameters, or because they have lacked effective instrumentation and institutional support. Some environmental regulations have not succeeded as they do not match the technical requirements and economic reality of the country or region, or because they do not take the institutional capabilities of the society that has to implement them into consideration. For the survival and sustenance of the SMEs in the leather industry, it may be a viable alternative to carry out the tanning process in a decentralized fashion such that the raw to semi-finished process is carried out in the large scale sector while the semi-finished to finished process could either be reserved or open to competition as per the countries' requirements. But the issue of concern is whether it is fair that the raw to semi-finished tanning process, containing 70% of the pollution discharge should be undertaken by developing countries alone, especially if it is at the cost of their survival! However, the game analysed in the paper reveals that tanning units in developing countries would prefer to comply with the regulations and stay in the industry, the alternatives being to collude or to compete!

[Chemical hazards when working with solvent glues].

PubMed

Domański, Wojciech; Makles, Zbigniew

2012-01-01

Solvent glues are used in a wide variety of industries, e.g., textile, footwear and rubber. The problem of workers' exposure to solvent vapors is rarely tackled within the area of occupational safety and health in small and medium-sized enterprises. In order to assess exposure to solvents, organic solvents emitted by glues were identified in the samples of workplace air. The concentration of acetone, benzene, cyclohexane, ethylbenzene, n-hexane, methylcyclohexane, butyl acetate and toluene were determined. The obtained results evidenced the presence of cyclohexane, ethylbenzene, ethylcyclohexane, heptane, n-hexane, o-xylene, methylcyclohexane, methylcyclopentane, butyl acetate and toluene in workplace air. The concentration of those compounds in workplace air was low, usually below 0.15 of MAC. At some workstations the presence of benzene was also observed. Occupational risk was assessed at workstations where gluing took place. It showed that the risk at those workstations was medium or low.

Automated payload and instruments for astrobiology research developed and studied by German medium-sized space industry in cooperation with European academia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulte, Wolfgang; Hofer, Stefan; Hofmann, Peter; Thiele, Hans; von Heise-Rotenburg, Ralf; Toporski, Jan; Rettberg, Petra

2007-06-01

For more than a decade Kayser-Threde, a medium-sized enterprise of the German space industry, has been involved in astrobiology research in partnership with a variety of scientific institutes from all over Europe. Previous projects include exobiology research platforms in low Earth orbit on retrievable carriers and onboard the Space Station. More recently, exobiology payloads for in situ experimentation on Mars have been studied by Kayser-Threde under ESA contracts, specifically the ExoMars Pasteur Payload. These studies included work on a sample preparation and distribution systems for Martian rock/regolith samples, instrument concepts such as Raman spectroscopy and a Life Marker Chip, advanced microscope systems as well as robotic tools for astrobiology missions. The status of the funded technical studies and major results are presented. The reported industrial work was funded by ESA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

[Study on optimal model of hypothetical work injury insurance scheme].

PubMed

Ye, Chi-yu; Dong, Heng-jin; Wu, Yuan; Duan, Sheng-nan; Liu, Xiao-fang; You, Hua; Hu, Hui-mei; Wang, Lin-hao; Zhang, Xing; Wang, Jing

2013-12-01

To explore an optimal model of hypothetical work injury insurance scheme, which is in line with the wishes of workers, based on the problems in the implementation of work injury insurance in China and to provide useful information for relevant policy makers. Multistage cluster sampling was used to select subjects: first, 9 small, medium, and large enterprises were selected from three cities (counties) in Zhejiang Province, China according to the economic development, transportation, and cooperation; then, 31 workshops were randomly selected from the 9 enterprises. Face-to-face interviews were conducted by trained interviewers using a pre-designed questionnaire among all workers in the 31 workshops. After optimization of hypothetical work injury insurance scheme, the willingness to participate in the scheme increased from 73.87%to 80.96%; the average willingness to pay for the scheme increased from 2.21% (51.77 yuan) to 2.38% of monthly wage (54.93 Yuan); the median willingness to pay for the scheme increased from 1% to 1.2% of monthly wage, but decreased from 35 yuan to 30 yuan. The optimal model of hypothetical work injury insurance scheme covers all national and provincial statutory occupational diseases and work accidents, as well as consultations about occupational diseases. The scheme is supposed to be implemented worldwide by the National Social Security Department, without regional differences. The premium is borne by the state, enterprises, and individuals, and an independent insurance fund is kept in the lifetime personal account for each of insured individuals. The premium is not refunded in any event. Compensation for occupational diseases or work accidents is unrelated to the enterprises of the insured workers but related to the length of insurance. The insurance becomes effective one year after enrollment, while it is put into effect immediately after the occupational disease or accident occurs. The optimal model of hypothetical work injury insurance scheme actually realizes cross-regional mobility of workers, minimizes regional differences, and embodies the fairness. The proposed model will, to some extent, protect the rights and interests of enterprises, as well as the healthy rights and interests of workers when they are unemployed.

Psychological distress, related work attendance, and productivity loss in small-to-medium enterprise owner/managers.

PubMed

Cocker, Fiona; Martin, Angela; Scott, Jenn; Venn, Alison; Sanderson, Kristy

2013-10-15

Owner/managers of small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) are an under-researched population in terms of psychological distress and the associated health and economic consequences. Using baseline data from the evaluation of the Business in Mind program, a mental health promotion intervention amongst SME owner/managers, this study investigated: (i) prevalence of high/very high psychological distress, past-month sickness absenteeism and presenteeism days in SME owner/managers; (ii) associated, self-reported lost productivity; and (iii) associations between work, non-work and business-specific factors and work attendance behaviours. In our sample of 217 SME owner/managers 36.8% reported high/very high psychological distress. Of this group 38.7% reported past-month absenteeism, 82.5% reported past-month presenteeism, and those reporting presenteeism were 50% less productive as than usual. Negative binomial regression was used to demonstrate the independent effects of socio-demographic, work-related wellbeing and health-related factors, as well as various individual and business characteristics on continuous measures of absenteeism and presenteeism days. Health-related factors (self-rated health and treatment) were the strongest correlates of higher presenteeism days (p < 0.05). Work-related wellbeing factors (job tension and job satisfaction) were the strongest correlates of higher absenteeism days (p < 0.05). Higher educational attainment, treatment and neuroticism were also correlated with more absenteeism days. SME-specific information about the occurrence of psychological distress, work attendance behaviour, and the variables that influence these decisions, are needed for the development of guidelines for managing psychological distress within this sector.

Psychological Distress, Related Work Attendance, and Productivity Loss in Small-to-Medium Enterprise Owner/Managers

PubMed Central

Cocker, Fiona; Martin, Angela; Scott, Jenn; Venn, Alison; Sanderson, Kristy

2013-01-01

Owner/managers of small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) are an under-researched population in terms of psychological distress and the associated health and economic consequences. Using baseline data from the evaluation of the Business in Mind program, a mental health promotion intervention amongst SME owner/managers, this study investigated: (i) prevalence of high/very high psychological distress, past-month sickness absenteeism and presenteeism days in SME owner/managers; (ii) associated, self-reported lost productivity; and (iii) associations between work, non-work and business-specific factors and work attendance behaviours. In our sample of 217 SME owner/managers 36.8% reported high/very high psychological distress. Of this group 38.7% reported past-month absenteeism, 82.5% reported past-month presenteeism, and those reporting presenteeism were 50% less productive as than usual. Negative binomial regression was used to demonstrate the independent effects of socio-demographic, work-related wellbeing and health-related factors, as well as various individual and business characteristics on continuous measures of absenteeism and presenteeism days. Health-related factors (self-rated health and treatment) were the strongest correlates of higher presenteeism days (p < 0.05). Work-related wellbeing factors (job tension and job satisfaction) were the strongest correlates of higher absenteeism days (p < 0.05). Higher educational attainment, treatment and neuroticism were also correlated with more absenteeism days. SME-specific information about the occurrence of psychological distress, work attendance behaviour, and the variables that influence these decisions, are needed for the development of guidelines for managing psychological distress within this sector. PMID:24132134

The role of HIV/AIDS committees in effective workplace governance of HIV/AIDS in South African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

PubMed

Vaas, Jocelyn R

2008-04-01

The primary purpose of this study was to assess the role, status and scope of workplace HIV/AIDS committees as a means of effective workplace governance of the HIV/AIDS impact, and their role in extending social protective HIV/AIDS-related rights to employees. In-depth qualitative case studies were conducted in five South African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that were actively implementing HIV/AIDS policies and programmes. Companies commonly implemented HIV/AIDS policies and programmes through a workplace committee dedicated to HIV/AIDS or a generic committee dealing with issues other than HIV/ AIDS. Management, through the human resources department and the occupational health practitioner often drove initial policy formulation, and had virtually sole control of the HIV/AIDS budget. Employee members of committees were mostly volunteers, and were often production or blue collar employees, while there was a notable lack of participation by white-collar employees, line management and trade unions. While the powers of workplace committees were largely consultative, employee committee members often managed in an indirect manner to secure and extend social protective rights on HIV/AIDS to employees, and monitor their effective implementation in practice. In the interim, workplace committees represented one of the best means to facilitate more effective workplace HIV/AIDS governance. However, the increased demands on collective bargaining as a result of an anticipated rises in AIDS-related morbidity and mortality might prove to be beyond the scope of such voluntary committees in the longer term.

Regulatory structures for gene therapy medicinal products in the European Union.

PubMed

Klug, Bettina; Celis, Patrick; Carr, Melanie; Reinhardt, Jens

2012-01-01

Taking into account the complexity and technical specificity of advanced therapy medicinal products: (gene and cell therapy medicinal products and tissue engineered products), a dedicated European regulatory framework was needed. Regulation (EC) No. 1394/2007, the "ATMP Regulation" provides tailored regulatory principles for the evaluation and authorization of these innovative medicines. The majority of gene or cell therapy product development is carried out by academia, hospitals, and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Thus, acknowledging the particular needs of these types of sponsors, the legislation also provides incentives for product development tailored to them. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and, in particular, its Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) provide a variety of opportunities for early interaction with developers of ATMPs to enable them to have early regulatory and scientific input. An important tool to promote innovation and the development of new medicinal products by micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises is the EMA's SME initiative launched in December 2005 to offer financial and administrative assistance to smaller companies. The European legislation also foresees the involvement of stakeholders, such as patient organizations, in the development of new medicines. Considering that gene therapy medicinal products are developed in many cases for treatment of rare diseases often of monogenic origin, the involvement of patient organizations, which focus on rare diseases and genetic and congenital disorders, is fruitful. Two such organizations are represented in the CAT. Research networks play another important role in the development of gene therapy medicinal products. The European Commission is funding such networks through the EU Sixth Framework Program. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Persistence in soil of Miscanthus biochar in laboratory and field conditions

PubMed Central

Budai, Alice; O’Toole, Adam; Ma, Xingzhu; Rumpel, Cornelia; Abiven, Samuel

2017-01-01

Evaluating biochars for their persistence in soil under field conditions is an important step towards their implementation for carbon sequestration. Current evaluations might be biased because the vast majority of studies are short-term laboratory incubations of biochars produced in laboratory-scale pyrolyzers. Here our objective was to investigate the stability of a biochar produced with a medium-scale pyrolyzer, first through laboratory characterization and stability tests and then through field experiment. We also aimed at relating properties of this medium-scale biochar to that of a laboratory-made biochar with the same feedstock. Biochars were made of Miscanthus biomass for isotopic C-tracing purposes and produced at temperatures between 600 and 700°C. The aromaticity and degree of condensation of aromatic rings of the medium-scale biochar was high, as was its resistance to chemical oxidation. In a 90-day laboratory incubation, cumulative mineralization was 0.1% for the medium-scale biochar vs. 45% for the Miscanthus feedstock, pointing to the absence of labile C pool in the biochar. These stability results were very close to those obtained for biochar produced at laboratory-scale, suggesting that upscaling from laboratory to medium-scale pyrolyzers had little effect on biochar stability. In the field, the medium-scale biochar applied at up to 25 t C ha-1 decomposed at an estimated 0.8% per year. In conclusion, our biochar scored high on stability indices in the laboratory and displayed a mean residence time > 100 years in the field, which is the threshold for permanent removal in C sequestration projects. PMID:28873471

Enterprise SRS: leveraging ongoing operations to advance nuclear fuel cycles research and development programs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Murray, A.M.; Marra, J.E.; Wilmarth, W.R.

2013-07-01

The Savannah River Site (SRS) is re-purposing its vast array of assets (including H Canyon - a nuclear chemical separation plant) to solve issues regarding advanced nuclear fuel cycle technologies, nuclear materials processing, packaging, storage and disposition. The vehicle for this transformation is Enterprise SRS which presents a new, radical view of SRS as a united endeavor for 'all things nuclear' as opposed to a group of distinct and separate entities with individual missions and organizations. Key among the Enterprise SRS strategic initiatives is the integration of research into SRS facilities but also in other facilities in conjunction with on-goingmore » missions to provide researchers from other national laboratories, academic institutions, and commercial entities the opportunity to demonstrate their technologies in a relevant environment and scale prior to deployment. To manage that integration of research demonstrations into site facilities, a center for applied nuclear materials processing and engineering research has been established in SRS.« less

Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) implementation, integration & benefits in an integrated health system.

PubMed

Mansoori, Bahar; Erhard, Karen K; Sunshine, Jeffrey L

2012-02-01

The availability of the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) has revolutionized the practice of radiology in the past two decades and has shown to eventually increase productivity in radiology and medicine. PACS implementation and integration may bring along numerous unexpected issues, particularly in a large-scale enterprise. To achieve a successful PACS implementation, identifying the critical success and failure factors is essential. This article provides an overview of the process of implementing and integrating PACS in a comprehensive health system comprising an academic core hospital and numerous community hospitals. Important issues are addressed, touching all stages from planning to operation and training. The impact of an enterprise-wide radiology information system and PACS at the academic medical center (four specialty hospitals), in six additional community hospitals, and in all associated outpatient clinics as well as the implications on the productivity and efficiency of the entire enterprise are presented. Copyright © 2012 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Research on trading patterns of large users' direct power purchase considering consumption of clean energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guojun, He; Lin, Guo; Zhicheng, Yu; Xiaojun, Zhu; Lei, Wang; Zhiqiang, Zhao

2017-03-01

In order to reduce the stochastic volatility of supply and demand, and maintain the electric power system's stability after large scale stochastic renewable energy sources connected to grid, the development and consumption should be promoted by marketing means. Bilateral contract transaction model of large users' direct power purchase conforms to the actual situation of our country. Trading pattern of large users' direct power purchase is analyzed in this paper, characteristics of each power generation are summed up, and centralized matching mode is mainly introduced. Through the establishment of power generation enterprises' priority evaluation index system and the analysis of power generation enterprises' priority based on fuzzy clustering, the sorting method of power generation enterprises' priority in trading patterns of large users' direct power purchase is put forward. Suggestions for trading mechanism of large users' direct power purchase are offered by this method, which is good for expand the promotion of large users' direct power purchase further.

Overview of LIDS Docking and Berthing System Seals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daniels, Christopher C.; Dunlap, Patrick H., Jr.; deGroh, Henry C., III; Steinetz, Bruce M.; Oswald, Jay J.; Smith, Ian

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation describes the Low Impact Docking System (LIDS) docking and berthing system seals. The contents include: 1) Description of the Application: Low Impact Docking System (LIDS); 2) LIDS Seal Locations: Vehicle Undocked (Hatch Closed); 3) LIDS Seal Locations: Mechanical Pass Thru; 4) LIDS Seal Locations: Electrical and Pyro Connectors; 5) LIDS Seal Locations: Vehicle Docked (Hatches Open); 6) LIDS Seal Locations: Main Interface Seal; 7) Main Interface Seal Challenges and Specifications; 8) Approach; 9) Seal Concepts Under Development/Evaluation; 10) Elastomer Material Evaluations; 11) Evaluation of Relevant Seal Properties; 12) Medium-Scale (12") Gask-O-Seal Compression Tests; 13) Medium-Scale Compression Results; 14) Adhesion Forces of Elliptical Top Gask-o-seals; 15) Medium-Scale Seals; 16) Medium-Scale Leakage Results: Effect of Configuration; 17) Full Scale LIDS Seal Test Rig Development; 18) Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE 6A and 6B); and 19) Schedule.

The intellectual core of enterprise information systems: a co-citation analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiau, Wen-Lung

2016-10-01

Enterprise information systems (EISs) have evolved in the past 20 years, attracting the attention of international practitioners and scholars. Although literature reviews and analyses have been conducted to examine the multiple dimensions of EISs, no co-citation analysis has been conducted to examine the knowledge structures involved in EIS studies; thus, the current study fills this research gap. This study investigated the intellectual structures of EISs. All data source documents (1083 articles and 24,090 citations) were obtained from the Institute for Scientific Information Web of Knowledge database. A co-citation analysis was used to analyse EIS data. By using factor analysis, we identified eight critical factors: (a) factors affecting the implementation and success of information systems (ISs); (b) the successful implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP); (c) IS evaluation and success, (d) system science studies; (e) factors influencing ERP success; (f) case research and theoretical models; (g) user acceptance of information technology; and (h) IS frameworks. Multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis were used to visually map the resultant EIS knowledge. It is difficult to implement an EIS in an enterprise and each organisation exhibits specific considerations. The current findings indicate that managers must focus on ameliorating inferior project performance levels, enabling a transition from 'vicious' to 'virtuous' projects. Successful EIS implementation yields substantial organisational advantages.

An ontology-based semantic configuration approach to constructing Data as a Service for enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Hongming; Xie, Cheng; Jiang, Lihong; Fang, Lu; Huang, Chenxi

2016-03-01

To align business strategies with IT systems, enterprises should rapidly implement new applications based on existing information with complex associations to adapt to the continually changing external business environment. Thus, Data as a Service (DaaS) has become an enabling technology for enterprise through information integration and the configuration of existing distributed enterprise systems and heterogonous data sources. However, business modelling, system configuration and model alignment face challenges at the design and execution stages. To provide a comprehensive solution to facilitate data-centric application design in a highly complex and large-scale situation, a configurable ontology-based service integrated platform (COSIP) is proposed to support business modelling, system configuration and execution management. First, a meta-resource model is constructed and used to describe and encapsulate information resources by way of multi-view business modelling. Then, based on ontologies, three semantic configuration patterns, namely composite resource configuration, business scene configuration and runtime environment configuration, are designed to systematically connect business goals with executable applications. Finally, a software architecture based on model-view-controller (MVC) is provided and used to assemble components for software implementation. The result of the case study demonstrates that the proposed approach provides a flexible method of implementing data-centric applications.

Prevalence of pneumoconiosis in Hubei, China from 2008 to 2013.

PubMed

Xia, Ying; Liu, Jiafa; Shi, Tingming; Xiang, Hao; Bi, Yongyi

2014-08-25

We have investigated newly reported pneumoconiosis cases in the province of Hubei, China from 2008 to 2013, to identify the major problems and challenges, and explore possible solutions for its prevention and control. We analyzed the data on new cases of pneumoconiosis from annual reports, including case distributions, patient ages, exposure duration, disease stages, and enterprise types. A total of 3665 new pneumoconiosis cases were reported between 2008 and 2013 in Hubei Province. Coal workers' pneumoconiosis and silicosis, which accounted for 97.19% of the total, were the most common types. The duration of exposure of 33.32% cases was less than 10 years. Most of the new pneumoconiosis cases worked in industries that produced coal, nonferrous metal, or building materials. About 42.46% of pneumoconiosis cases were from small and medium-sized enterprises. The proportion of cases with combined pneumoconiosis and tuberculosis was 6.6%, and the incidence of tuberculosis was highest in workers with silicosis. The current situation of pneumoconiosis in China is serious. Lack of attention to occupational health, inefficient surveillance, and weak occupational health services may have contributed to the increased new pneumoconiosis cases.

Level of Adoption of Quality Management Systems Into the Mexican Pork Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maldonado-Siman, Em; Ruíz-Flores, Agustín; Núñez-Domínguez, Rafael; González-Alcorta, Mariano; Hernández-Rodríguez, Bertha Alicia

This research studies the characteristics of the Mexican pork sector; adoption status of quality management systems, and product destinations. Ninety six percent of fifty enterprises have fully answered a questionnaire. Ninety percent are small and medium-sized, the rest are large-sized firms. Nineteen percent of them have totally adopted HACCP, sixty three percent are implementing or planning to do it, the rest have no plans to adopt it. Thirteen percent of the enterprises had ISO 9000. Thirty four percent of their sales go to supermarkets, 57% to other retail chains and 9% to exportation. Product destinations are mainly Central America, United States of America, Asia and Mexico. To improve efficiency and the quality of process it is necessary to implement HACCP. Besides, customers and legal requirements are the external factors, which result in this adoption. In the process of implementing, there are some problems, such as staff motivation and training. The results suggest that HACCP system operating is important for the Mexican pork industry. It also has relevant implications in domestic trade. It is necessary to encourage adoption of quality management systems in the sector.

[How to promote health competence at work].

PubMed

Eickholt, Clarissa; Hamacher, W; Lenartz, N

2015-09-01

Health competence is a key concept in occupational health and safety and workplace health promotion for maintaining and enhancing health resources. The effects of governmental or occupational measures to protect or improve health fall short of what is required with regard to the challenges of a changing workplace, e.g., due to the delimitation of work. To secure employability it is becoming more and more important to encourage the personal responsibility of employees. To offer new conclusions on how employers and employees can promote health competence, a survey is required of the research within the fields of health competence and competence development, and of the status quo in enterprises. In this context, a Delphi Study provides an important contribution, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises. The development of an extensive understanding of health competence is essential in a work-related context. Beyond knowledge-based health literacy, an action-oriented concept of competence implies the ability and willingness to act in a reasonable and creative manner in complex situations. The development of health competence requires learning embedded in working processes, which challenges competent behaviour. Enabling informal learning is a promising innovative approach and therefore coordinated operational activities are necessary. Ultimately, this is a matter of suitable organisational measures being implemented to meet the health competence needs of an enterprise. Even though the each individual employee bears his or her own health competence, the development potential lies largely within the prevailing working conditions.

Self-Monitoring Processes and Holland Vocational Preferences among College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Michael T.; And Others

1989-01-01

Used Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and a self-monitoring scale to examine 237 undergraduates' association between self-monitoring and occupational preferences. Regression analyses revealed correlations between gender, self-monitoring propensity, and preferred occupational types (i.e., social, enterprising, or artistic). (TE)

Profitability and sustainability of small - medium scale palm biodiesel plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solikhah, Maharani Dewi; Kismanto, Agus; Raksodewanto, Agus; Peryoga, Yoga

2017-06-01

The mandatory of biodiesel application at 20% blending (B20) has been started since January 2016. It creates huge market for biodiesel industry. To build large-scale biodiesel plant (> 100,000 tons/year) is most favorable for biodiesel producers since it can give lower production cost. This cost becomes a challenge for small - medium scale biodiesel plants. However, current biodiesel plants in Indonesia are located mainly in Java and Sumatra, which then distribute biodiesel around Indonesia so that there is an additional cost for transportation from area to area. This factor becomes an opportunity for the small - medium scale biodiesel plants to compete with the large one. This paper discusses the profitability of small - medium scale biodiesel plants conducted on a capacity of 50 tons/day using CPO and its derivatives. The study was conducted by performing economic analysis between scenarios of biodiesel plant that using raw material of stearin, PFAD, and multi feedstock. Comparison on the feasibility of scenarios was also conducted on the effect of transportation cost and selling price. The economic assessment shows that profitability is highly affected by raw material price so that it is important to secure the source of raw materials and consider a multi-feedstock type for small - medium scale biodiesel plants to become a sustainable plant. It was concluded that the small - medium scale biodiesel plants will be profitable and sustainable if they are connected to palm oil mill, have a captive market, and are located minimally 200 km from other biodiesel plants. The use of multi feedstock could increase IRR from 18.68 % to 56.52 %.

Green Packaging Management of Logistics Enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Guirong; Zhao, Zongjian

From the connotation of green logistics management, we discuss the principles of green packaging, and from the two levels of government and enterprises, we put forward a specific management strategy. The management of green packaging can be directly and indirectly promoted by laws, regulations, taxation, institutional and other measures. The government can also promote new investment to the development of green packaging materials, and establish specialized institutions to identify new packaging materials, standardization of packaging must also be accomplished through the power of the government. Business units of large scale through the packaging and container-based to reduce the use of packaging materials, develop and use green packaging materials and easy recycling packaging materials for proper packaging.

Analysis of financing efficiency of big data industry in Guizhou province based on DEA models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chenggang; Pan, Kang; Luo, Cong

2018-03-01

Taking 20 listed enterprises of big data industry in Guizhou province as samples, this paper uses DEA method to evaluate the financing efficiency of big data industry in Guizhou province. The results show that the pure technical efficiency of big data enterprise in Guizhou province is high, whose mean value reaches to 0.925. The mean value of scale efficiency reaches to 0.749. The average value of comprehensive efficiency reaches 0.693. The comprehensive financing efficiency is low. According to the results of the study, this paper puts forward some policy and recommendations to improve the financing efficiency of the big data industry in Guizhou.

The Canadian Natural Health Products (NHP) Regulations: Industry Compliance Motivations

PubMed Central

Laeeque, Hina; Kachan, Natasha; Cohen, Jillian Clare; D'Cruz, Joseph

2007-01-01

This qualitative study explores corporations' motivations to comply with new natural health products (NHP) Regulations in Canada. Interviews were conducted with representatives from 20 Canadian NHP companies. Findings show that the rationale for compliance differs for large compared to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Large firms are motivated to comply with the regulations because of the deterrent fear of negative media coverage, social motivations, ability to comply and maintaining a competitive market advantage. In contrast, SMEs are motivated to comply due to the deterrent fear of legal prosecution and a sense of duty. PMID:17549245

A South African Perspective on Entrepreneurship and Business Creation, and its Links to Research Exploitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comins, N. R.

Transition from the Industrial to the Information Age is creating a paradigm shift for business, education, and research and development. The entrenched culture of corporate R&D groups in developed countries is increasingly complemented by innovative and nimble small and medium high-tech enterprises, dramatically changing many economies. Entrepreneurial trends amongst research students, able to exploit modern information technology for networking, collaboration and business, are increasing. South Africa has emerged into this global economy without these trends being well established. This paper will describe and contrast developments and detail initiatives such as The Innovation Hub.

Improving collaboration between large and small-medium enterprises in automobile production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sung, Soyoung; Kim, Yanghoon; Chang, Hangbae

2018-01-01

Inter-organisational collaboration is important for achieving qualitative and quantitative performance improvement in the global competitive environment. In particular, the extent of collaboration between the mother company and its suppliers is important for the profitability and sustainability of a company in the automobile industry, which is carried out using a customisation and order production system. As a result of the empirical analysis in this study, the collaborative information sharing cycle is shortened and the collaborative information sharing scope is widened. Therefore, the level of collaboration is improved by constructing an IT collaboration system.

Advances with holographic DESA emulsions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dünkel, Lothar; Eichler, Jürgen; Schneeweiss, Claudia; Ackermann, Gerhard

2006-02-01

DESA emulsions represent layer systems based on ultra-fine grained silver halide (AgX) technology. The new layers have an excellent performance for holographic application. The technology has been presented repeatedly in recent years, including the emulsion characterization and topics of chemical and spectral sensitization. The paper gives a survey of actual results referring to panchromatic sensitization and other improvements like the application of silver halide sensitized gelatine (SHSG) procedure. These results are embedded into intensive collaborations with small and medium enterprises (SME's) to commercialize DESA layers. Predominant goals are innovative products with holographic components and layers providing as well as cost effectiveness and high quality.

The Canadian Natural Health Products (NHP) regulations: industry compliance motivations.

PubMed

Laeeque, Hina; Boon, Heather; Kachan, Natasha; Cohen, Jillian Clare; D'Cruz, Joseph

2007-06-01

This qualitative study explores corporations' motivations to comply with new natural health products (NHP) Regulations in Canada. Interviews were conducted with representatives from 20 Canadian NHP companies. Findings show that the rationale for compliance differs for large compared to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Large firms are motivated to comply with the regulations because of the deterrent fear of negative media coverage, social motivations, ability to comply and maintaining a competitive market advantage. In contrast, SMEs are motivated to comply due to the deterrent fear of legal prosecution and a sense of duty.

Compendium of Anomaly Detection and Reaction Tools and Projects

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-05-17

identify changes to the risk levels of business network functions based on proposed modifications. Expert can model networks as well (see special...can easily scale to support any size network from departmental systems to enterprise-wide environments. ACX is scaled with the use of a Policy Model ...Defender is a host-based intrusion detector designed for use on home or small business systems. It scans all inbound and outbound Internet traffic for

"Tactic": Traffic Aware Cloud for Tiered Infrastructure Consolidation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sangpetch, Akkarit

2013-01-01

Large-scale enterprise applications are deployed as distributed applications. These applications consist of many inter-connected components with heterogeneous roles and complex dependencies. Each component typically consumes 5-15% of the server capacity. Deploying each component as a separate virtual machine (VM) allows us to consolidate the…

Conservation Photography as Environmental Education: Focus on the Pedagogues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farnsworth, Bruce Evan

2011-01-01

This research examines the genre of conservation photography as a legitimate and highly relevant pedagogical enterprise well poised amid the proliferation of digital media and environmental crises. This small-scale qualitative study closely follows the work of four professional photojournalists. This research asserts that the professional…

Designing and Evaluating Participatory Cyber-Infrastructure Systems for Multi-Scale Citizen Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Gregory J.

2010-01-01

Widespread and continuous spatial and temporal environmental data is essential for effective environmental monitoring, sustainable natural resource management, and ecologically responsible decisions. Our environmental monitoring, data management and reporting enterprise is not matched to current problems, concerns, and decision-making needs.…

A Temporal Locality-Aware Page-Mapped Flash Translation Layer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Youngjae; Gupta, Aayush; Urgaonkar, Bhuvan

2013-01-01

The poor performance of random writes has been a cause of major concern which needs to be addressed to better utilize the potential of flash in enterprise-scale environments. We examine one of the important causes of this poor performance: the design of the flash translation layer (FTL) which performs the virtual-to-physical address translations and hides the erase-before-write characteristics of flash. We propose a complete paradigm shift in the design of the core FTL engine from the existing techniques with our Demand-Based Flash Translation Layer (DFTL) which selectively caches page- level address mappings. Our experimental evaluation using FlashSim with realistic enterprise-scalemore » workloads endorses the utility of DFTL in enterprise-scale storage systems by demonstrating: 1) improved performance, 2) reduced garbage collection overhead and 3) better overload behavior compared with hybrid FTL schemes which are the most popular implementation methods. For example, a predominantly random-write dominant I/O trace from an OLTP application running at a large financial institution shows a 78% improvement in average response time (due to a 3-fold reduction in operations of the garbage collector), compared with the hybrid FTL scheme. Even for the well-known read-dominant TPC-H benchmark, for which DFTL introduces additional overheads, we improve system response time by 56%. Moreover, interestingly, when write-back cache on DFTL-based SSD is enabled, DFTL even outperforms the page-based FTL scheme, improving their response time by 72% in Financial trace.« less

Occurrence of Eimeria Species Parasites on Small-Scale Commercial Chicken Farms in Africa and Indication of Economic Profitability

PubMed Central

Fornace, Kimberly M.; Clark, Emily L.; Macdonald, Sarah E.; Namangala, Boniface; Karimuribo, Esron; Awuni, Joseph A.; Thieme, Olaf; Blake, Damer P.; Rushton, Jonathan

2013-01-01

Small-scale commercial poultry production is emerging as an important form of livestock production in Africa, providing sources of income and animal protein to many poor households, yet the occurrence and impact of coccidiosis on this relatively new production system remains unknown. The primary objective of this study was to examine Eimeria parasite occurrence on small-scale commercial poultry farms in Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia. Additionally, farm economic viability was measured by calculating the farm gross margin and enterprise budget. Using these economic measures as global assessments of farm productivity, encompassing the diversity present in regional husbandry systems with a measure of fundamental local relevance, we investigated the detection of specific Eimeria species as indicators of farm profitability. Faecal samples and data on production parameters were collected from small-scale (less than 2,000 birds per batch) intensive broiler and layer farms in peri-urban Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia. All seven Eimeria species recognised to infect the chicken were detected in each country. Furthermore, two of the three genetic variants (operational taxonomic units) identified previously in Australia have been described outside of Australia for the first time. Detection of the most pathogenic Eimeria species associated with decreased farm profitability and may be considered as an indicator of likely farm performance. While a causal link remains to be demonstrated, the presence of highly pathogenic enteric parasites may pose a threat to profitable, sustainable small-scale poultry enterprises in Africa. PMID:24391923

Occurrence of Eimeria species parasites on small-scale commercial chicken farms in Africa and indication of economic profitability.

PubMed

Fornace, Kimberly M; Clark, Emily L; Macdonald, Sarah E; Namangala, Boniface; Karimuribo, Esron; Awuni, Joseph A; Thieme, Olaf; Blake, Damer P; Rushton, Jonathan

2013-01-01

Small-scale commercial poultry production is emerging as an important form of livestock production in Africa, providing sources of income and animal protein to many poor households, yet the occurrence and impact of coccidiosis on this relatively new production system remains unknown. The primary objective of this study was to examine Eimeria parasite occurrence on small-scale commercial poultry farms in Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia. Additionally, farm economic viability was measured by calculating the farm gross margin and enterprise budget. Using these economic measures as global assessments of farm productivity, encompassing the diversity present in regional husbandry systems with a measure of fundamental local relevance, we investigated the detection of specific Eimeria species as indicators of farm profitability. Faecal samples and data on production parameters were collected from small-scale (less than 2,000 birds per batch) intensive broiler and layer farms in peri-urban Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia. All seven Eimeria species recognised to infect the chicken were detected in each country. Furthermore, two of the three genetic variants (operational taxonomic units) identified previously in Australia have been described outside of Australia for the first time. Detection of the most pathogenic Eimeria species associated with decreased farm profitability and may be considered as an indicator of likely farm performance. While a causal link remains to be demonstrated, the presence of highly pathogenic enteric parasites may pose a threat to profitable, sustainable small-scale poultry enterprises in Africa.

Privatizing Grassroots Development: Lessons Learned from Artisanal Fishermen in Northern Colombia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allred, Timothy F.

1998-01-01

Documents the transformation of a subsidized international development project into a for-profit "environmental enterprise," an ecological business run by and for small-scale fishermen on Colombia's Caribbean coast. Demonstrates the need for development projects to become businesses and the critical role of social investments (literacy…

Differences in the Vocational Interests of Research and Development Managers versus Technical Specialists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Raymond E.; Roselle, Pamela F.

1985-01-01

Compared the occupational interests of research and development managers (N=110) and technical specialists (N=55). Analysis on the general occupational themes and basic interest scales of the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory indicated the social, enterprising, and conventional areas predicted managerial group membership, whereas the artistic…

The "New" Competition: Serving the Learning Society in an Electronic Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

El-Khawas, Elaine

1999-01-01

Examines the changing environment for serving adult learners, with special attention to new modes of delivering instruction: distance education; use of information technology; emphasis on convenience; focus on special markets; and emergence of large-scale, profit-driven enterprises. Argues that, to develop an effective response, universities must…

Generalized Self-Efficacy, Holland Theme Self-Efficacy, and Academic Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindley, Lori D.; Borgen, Fred H.

2002-01-01

Analysis of Self-Efficacy Scale, Skills Confidence Inventory; ACT Assessment, and grade point average (GPA) results for 189 women and 91 men revealed strong relationships between generalized self-efficacy and confidence in Investigative and Enterprising occupations for both and Conventional occupations for men. ACT scores were related to…

The Relations of Vocational Interests and Mathematical Literacy: On the Predictive Power of Interest Profiles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warwas, Jasmin; Nagy, Gabriel; Watermann, Rainer; Hasselhorn, Marcus

2009-01-01

This study examines the relationships of vocational interests and mathematical literacy both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Extending previous research, the results of Holland's RIASEC (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional) scale scores are compared with results from a reductionist approach using…

Development of a versatile high-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization device for small-scale processing of cell culture medium formulations.

PubMed

Floris, Patrick; Curtin, Sean; Kaisermayer, Christian; Lindeberg, Anna; Bones, Jonathan

2018-07-01

The compatibility of CHO cell culture medium formulations with all stages of the bioprocess must be evaluated through small-scale studies prior to scale-up for commercial manufacturing operations. Here, we describe the development of a bespoke small-scale device for assessing the compatibility of culture media with a widely implemented upstream viral clearance strategy, high-temperature short-time (HTST) treatment. The thermal stability of undefined medium formulations supplemented with soy hydrolysates was evaluated upon variations in critical HTST processing parameters, namely, holding times and temperatures. Prolonged holding times of 43 s at temperatures of 110 °C did not adversely impact medium quality while significant degradation was observed upon treatment at elevated temperatures (200 °C) for shorter time periods (11 s). The performance of the device was benchmarked against a commercially available mini-pilot HTST system upon treatment of identical formulations on both platforms. Processed medium samples were analyzed by untargeted LC-MS/MS for compositional profiling followed by chemometric evaluation, which confirmed the observed degradation effects caused by elevated holding temperatures but revealed comparable performance of our developed device with the commercial mini-pilot setup. The developed device can assist medium optimization activities by reducing volume requirements relative to commercially available mini-pilot instrumentation and by facilitating fast throughput evaluation of heat-induced effects on multiple medium lots.

Provision and perception of occupational health in small and medium-sized enterprises in Sheffield, UK.

PubMed

Bradshaw, L M; Curran, A D; Eskin, F; Fishwick, D

2001-02-01

A random sample of managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) was selected from a database of businesses in Sheffield, UK. They were invited to take part in a study to evaluate the provision and perception of occupational health in SMEs in Sheffield. The study used an interviewer-led questionnaire, which collected quantitative and qualitative data; each interview took approximately 40 min to complete. Several approaches to recruitment were adopted during the study. Twenty-eight managers were interviewed over the 6 month study period. All of the SMEs employed <250 people; 43.2% did not have or had never reviewed a written health and safety policy. Only 18% had a written occupational health policy; 14.4% employed the services of a part-time occupational health physician; 7.2% employed a health and safety advisor; and 10.8% employed a part-time occupational health nurse. Twenty-five per cent had a nominated person responsible for occupational health and 67% thought that a doctor or nurse would be the best person to provide an occupational health service. Twenty-eight per cent of the companies carried out some form of pre-employment screening and 14.2% carried out health promotion. Fifteen (53.5%) collected some form of health related absence data. Eight companies (28.6%) organized a formal induction programme for all new employees. Further work should be undertaken in an attempt to improve access to local industry and particularly to SMEs. This study has clearly shown that access is possible, but different strategies of approach were required before a workable strategy could be found. Undoubtedly, this access can be improved by better understanding of the interaction between researchers, occupational health providers and local managers of SMEs.

Current status and future prospects of research and development operations in traditional and complementary and alternative medicine manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises: a 2014 company-based survey.

PubMed

Ahn, Miyoung; Park, Eun-Ji; Woo, Jong-Min

2017-12-01

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have played key roles in the economic growth and technical innovation of traditional and complementary and alternative medicine (T&CM). Research and development (R&D) are critical activities for industrial progress. This study aimed to characterize the current status of SME R&D activities and to explore manufacturers' perceptions of R&D expansion. Records of the distribution of T&CM SMEs and R&D resources detailed in the 2014 Statistics of Korea T&CM Industries survey, a previously conducted survey on the industrial status of the T&CM field, were reviewed. Data on the perceptions of R&D activities were investigated through a company-based survey covering 285 T&CM-manufacturing SMEs. Greater than 99% of the 13,636 T&CM manufacturers at the time of the study were SMEs employing less than 50 workers. Natural cosmetics manufacturing SMEs (NC SMEs) had the highest R&D expenditures. NC SMEs rely heavily on internal R&D operations, which may contribute to their strong need for R&D collaboration with public research institutions and expanded T&CM-promoted R&D programs. "Digestive system disorders" are the main target diseases for current herbal and dietary supplement manufacturing SMEs and herbal medicine manufacturing SMEs. These SMEs tend to view their own product-related business as a priority for future R&D investment. This study represents the first attempt to assess SME perceptions of R&D activities. The findings herein can inform the design of sustainable programs that support R&D by reducing the gaps between the perspectives of T&CM product makers and policymakers.

eVerdEE: a web-based screening life-cycle assessment tool for European small and medium-sized enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naldesi, Luciano; Buttol, Patrizia; Masoni, Paolo; Misceo, Monica; Sára, Balázs

2004-12-01

"eLCA" is a European Commission financed project aimed at realising "On line green tools and services for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)". Knowledge and use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) by SMEs are strategic to introduce the Integrated Product Policy (IPP) in Europe, but methodology simplification is needed. LCA requires a large amount of validated general and sector specific data. Since their availability and cost can be insuperable barriers for SMEs, pre-elaborated data/meta-data, use of standards and low cost solutions are required. Within the framework of the eLCA project an LCA software - eVerdEE - based on a simplified methodology and specialised for SMEs has been developed. eVerdEE is a web-based tool with some innovative features. Its main feature is the adaptation of ISO 14040 requirements to offer easy-to-handle functions with solid scientific bases. Complex methodological problems, such as the system boundaries definition, the data quality estimation and documentation, the choice of impact categories, are simplified according to the SMEs" needs. Predefined "Goal and Scope definition" and "Inventory" forms, a user-friendly and well structured procedure are time and cost-effective. The tool is supported by a database containing pre-elaborated environmental indicators of substances and processes for different impact categories. The impact assessment is calculated automatically by using the user"s input and the database values. The results have different levels of interpretation in order to identify the life cycle critical points and the improvement options. The use of a target plot allows the direct comparison of different design alternatives.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Min Ha; Ott, Ryan

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ames Laboratory and Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) in April of 2011 to establish a close cooperative relationship of research on Rare Metals. The Ames Laboratory through its operating contractor, Iowa State University, and the KITECH, as one of the goals of a joint Memorandum of Understanding, made agreement on a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) for a personnel exchange in April of 2012. Ames Laboratory and KITECH would be jointly performing collaboration work in this cooperation as the Parties. The individual backgrounds and capabilities of the Parties are ideallymore » suited to the successful execution of this work. The Ames Laboratory has a history spanning more than 60 years of pioneering work in rare-earth (RE) research. With its team of internationally recognized rare-earth experts, the Ames Laboratory is uniquely positioned to provide the knowledge, expertise and training necessary to help ensure a global leadership position for the United States in rare-earth research, development and applications. The KITECH was founded to promote technological capability of small and medium-sized enterprises in Korea and has a mission of supporting research on materials science and engineering in Korea. In 2009, Korea Institute for Rare Metals (KIRAM) at KITECH was established. KIRAM makes selection and funding decisions for technology projects for strategic rare metals, and provides oversight of R&D programs. The KIRAM is focusing on the commercialization and recycling of particular rare metals. In addition KIRAM will be coordinating government, local universities, and small to medium enterprises to facilitate R&D support for core technologies. KIRAM will be carrying them through to commercialization, and establishing new industry.« less

[Problems of implementing integration management at company level in small and medium-sized enterprises].

PubMed

Hetzel, C; Flach, T; Weber, A; Schian, H-M

2006-05-01

At company level responsibility increases for the employment of workers with health-related problems or disabilities, but realisation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) is lacking. Therefore a model is developed based on theory and a survey. Minimum requirements for "betriebliches Eingliederungsmanagement" (integration management at company level) according to section 84 (2) SGB IX Book 9 of the German Social Code, the main products of the international movement "disability management", a description of roles for realisation and the main sources of employers' support are described. Although external supporting of SMEs is unquestioned, it is expensive and retards own initiative and own activity counting solely on this. Only by developing a minimum of SME's awareness, acceptance and competence, this will open up to (currently suboptimal) external support. Goal is identifying SME managers' attitudes, activities, proposals and expectations referring integration management at company level to derive concepts of SME's support. 13 interviews are analysed by qualitative content analysis identifying the following barriers: information deficit, absence of priority, limited possibilities for transitional work, cost, partially limited workers' self-responsibility, illness as a "tabes" subject. Possibilities overcoming these barriers are delineated. On that basis a model is presented: pragmatically for realisation, a company contact person with minimum competence, uniform external support, institutional partners' integration and quality assurance according to disability management. Interlocking SME world and social insurance world means first to support SME's awareness, acceptance and competence, second to create for SME a central contact in the "rehabilitation jungle" and third to develop SME-suitable premiums according to section 84 (3) SGB IX, Book 9 of the German social code.

Psychopathy and interests: Implications of psychopathic personality traits for vocational and avocational preferences.

PubMed

Nagel, Madeline G; Watts, Ashley L; Murphy, Brett A; Lilienfeld, Scott O

2018-06-21

General personality traits and interests, both vocational and avocational, have long been considered intertwined constructs. Nevertheless, the linkages between personality disorder features, such as psychopathy, and interests are poorly understood. This study bridges this gap by examining how psychopathic traits relate to vocational and avocational interests, and to what extent these associations are distinctive to psychopathy as opposed to a broader pattern of general and abnormal personality traits. In a sample of 426 community participants, Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised Fearless Dominance features of psychopathy were associated with interest in a broad swath of vocational and avocational interests, whereas Self-Centered Impulsivity features were associated with realistic, artistic, enterprising, and conventional interests; most zero-order associations were in the small to medium range. Coldheartedness and the factors derived from the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale were largely unrelated to interests, although there were several notable exceptions. Narcissistic traits, as well as HEXACO (Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness) Honesty-Humility, Extraversion, and Openness to Experience, were also related broadly to interests. The patterns of interests associated with personality disorder traits may ultimately bear practical implications for interventions as individuals seek out positions or hobbies that suit their traits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Study on lean thinking among MSMEs in the Machine tool sector in India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priyaadarshini, R. G.; Sathish Kumar, V. R.; Aishwarya Rajlakshmi, S.

2018-02-01

In the era of stiff competition and customer expectations, manufacturing organizations across the world are struggling hard to minimize their costs and maximise their performance. Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs), who are dependent on large corporate for business and support have a tall task of keeping pace quality in processes and output. They are in the constant vigil to adopt new systems and practices so that they can minimise their cost and maximize the productivity. This study has been conducted in the machine tool sector of Coimbatore, India; which houses more than 9000 companies and offers employment to over one lakh employees. They have a tremendous pressure to use scientific processes to increase their product quality and productivity. While Lean manufacturing has been the thrust to improve the competitiveness among MSMEs in India, this study has attempted to understand their attitude towards lean management and understand the extent to which companies practice lean tools and practices. It has been found that most of the organizations in the study possess a culture of lean thinking and possess the support of top management and employees also towards the initiative. It is also seen that the organizations that incorporated lean in their daily operations have been able to scale up their productivity.

Role of medium heterogeneity and viscosity contrast in miscible flow regimes and mixing zone growth: A computational pore-scale approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afshari, Saied; Hejazi, S. Hossein; Kantzas, Apostolos

2018-05-01

Miscible displacement of fluids in porous media is often characterized by the scaling of the mixing zone length with displacement time. Depending on the viscosity contrast of fluids, the scaling law varies between the square root relationship, a sign for dispersive transport regime during stable displacement, and the linear relationship, which represents the viscous fingering regime during an unstable displacement. The presence of heterogeneities in a porous medium significantly affects the scaling behavior of the mixing length as it interacts with the viscosity contrast to control the mixing of fluids in the pore space. In this study, the dynamics of the flow and transport during both unit and adverse viscosity ratio miscible displacements are investigated in heterogeneous packings of circular grains using pore-scale numerical simulations. The pore-scale heterogeneity level is characterized by the variations of the grain diameter and velocity field. The growth of mixing length is employed to identify the nature of the miscible transport regime at different viscosity ratios and heterogeneity levels. It is shown that as the viscosity ratio increases to higher adverse values, the scaling law of mixing length gradually shifts from dispersive to fingering nature up to a certain viscosity ratio and remains almost the same afterwards. In heterogeneous media, the mixing length scaling law is observed to be generally governed by the variations of the velocity field rather than the grain size. Furthermore, the normalization of mixing length temporal plots with respect to the governing parameters of viscosity ratio, heterogeneity, medium length, and medium aspect ratio is performed. The results indicate that mixing length scales exponentially with log-viscosity ratio and grain size standard deviation while the impact of aspect ratio is insignificant. For stable flows, mixing length scales with the square root of medium length, whereas it changes linearly with length during unstable flows. This scaling procedure allows us to describe the temporal variation of mixing length using a generalized curve for various combinations of the flow conditions and porous medium properties.

Hybrid methods for cybersecurity analysis :

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davis, Warren Leon,; Dunlavy, Daniel M.

2014-01-01

Early 2010 saw a signi cant change in adversarial techniques aimed at network intrusion: a shift from malware delivered via email attachments toward the use of hidden, embedded hyperlinks to initiate sequences of downloads and interactions with web sites and network servers containing malicious software. Enterprise security groups were well poised and experienced in defending the former attacks, but the new types of attacks were larger in number, more challenging to detect, dynamic in nature, and required the development of new technologies and analytic capabilities. The Hybrid LDRD project was aimed at delivering new capabilities in large-scale data modeling andmore » analysis to enterprise security operators and analysts and understanding the challenges of detection and prevention of emerging cybersecurity threats. Leveraging previous LDRD research e orts and capabilities in large-scale relational data analysis, large-scale discrete data analysis and visualization, and streaming data analysis, new modeling and analysis capabilities were quickly brought to bear on the problems in email phishing and spear phishing attacks in the Sandia enterprise security operational groups at the onset of the Hybrid project. As part of this project, a software development and deployment framework was created within the security analyst work ow tool sets to facilitate the delivery and testing of new capabilities as they became available, and machine learning algorithms were developed to address the challenge of dynamic threats. Furthermore, researchers from the Hybrid project were embedded in the security analyst groups for almost a full year, engaged in daily operational activities and routines, creating an atmosphere of trust and collaboration between the researchers and security personnel. The Hybrid project has altered the way that research ideas can be incorporated into the production environments of Sandias enterprise security groups, reducing time to deployment from months and years to hours and days for the application of new modeling and analysis capabilities to emerging threats. The development and deployment framework has been generalized into the Hybrid Framework and incor- porated into several LDRD, WFO, and DOE/CSL projects and proposals. And most importantly, the Hybrid project has provided Sandia security analysts with new, scalable, extensible analytic capabilities that have resulted in alerts not detectable using their previous work ow tool sets.« less

Working Health Services Scotland: a 4-year evaluation

PubMed Central

Hanson, M; Bakhshi, A; Kennedy, M; Macdonald, E B

2018-01-01

Abstract Background Working Health Service Scotland (WHSS) supports the self-employed and employees of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Scotland with a health condition affecting their ability to work, who are either absent or at risk of becoming absent due to it. Aims To evaluate the impact on health and work outcomes of WHSS clients over a 4-year period. Methods Data were collected at enrolment, entry, discharge and follow-up at 3 and 6 months after discharge. Clients completed up to three validated health questionnaires at entry and discharge—EuroQol five dimensions (EQ-5D) and visual analogue scale (VAS); Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Results A total of 13463 referrals occurred in the 4-year period; 11748 (87%) were eligible and completed entry assessment and 60% of the latter completed discharge paperwork. The majority of referrals were due to musculoskeletal conditions (84%) while 12% were referred with mental health conditions. Almost a fifth (18%) of cases were absent at entry and back at work at discharge. Work days lost while in WHSS was associated with age, length of absence prior to entering WHSS, primary health condition and time in programme. All health measures showed significant improvements from entry to discharge. Improvement in general health was sustained at 3- and 6-month follow-up. Conclusions The WHSS evaluation findings indicate that participation was associated with positive changes to health and return-to-work. The extent of the positive change in health measures and work ability can be highly important economically for employees and employers. PMID:29390161

Earth Science Education Plan: Inspire the Next Generation of Earth Explorers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The Education Enterprise Strategy, the expanding knowledge of how people learn, and the community-wide interest in revolutionizing Earth and space science education have guided us in developing this plan for Earth science education. This document builds on the success of the first plan for Earth science education published in 1996; it aligns with the new framework set forth in the NASA Education Enterprise Strategy; it recognizes the new educational opportunities resulting from research programs and flight missions; and it builds on the accomplishments th'at the Earth Science Enterprise has made over the last decade in studying Earth as a system. This document embodies comprehensive, practicable plans for inspiring our children; providing educators with the tools they need to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); and improving our citizens' scientific literacy. This plan describes an approach to systematically sharing knowledge; developing the most effective mechanisms to achieve tangible, lasting results; and working collaboratively to catalyze action at a scale great enough to ensure impact nationally and internationally. This document will evolve and be periodically reviewed in partnership with the Earth science education community.

Northeast Waste Management Enterprise (NEWME) 1996 annual/final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goland, A.; Kaplan, E.; Palmedo, P. Wortman, J.

1997-10-01

The Northeast Waste Management Enterprise was created in response to Dr. Clyde Frank`s vision of a new partnership between research, industrial, and financial sectors, with the goal of speeding development and use (particularly at U.S. Department of Energy [DOE] facilities) of environmental remediation technologies. It was anticipated that this partnership would also strengthen the international competitiveness of the U.S. environmental industry. Brookhaven National Laboratory`s (BNL) response to Dr. Frank was a proposal to create the Northeast Waste Management Alliance, later renamed the Northeast Waste Management Enterprise (NEWME). Recognizing the need to supplement its own technical expertise with acumen in business,more » financial management, and venture capital development, BNL joined forces with the Long Island Research Institute (LIRI). Since its inception at the end of FY 1993, NEWME has achieved several significant accomplishments in pursuing its original business and strategic plans. However, its successes have been constrained by a fundamental mismatch between the time scales required for technology commercialization, and the immediate need for available environmental technologies of those involved with ongoing environmental remediations at DOE facilities.« less

JACOB: an enterprise framework for computational chemistry.

PubMed

Waller, Mark P; Dresselhaus, Thomas; Yang, Jack

2013-06-15

Here, we present just a collection of beans (JACOB): an integrated batch-based framework designed for the rapid development of computational chemistry applications. The framework expedites developer productivity by handling the generic infrastructure tier, and can be easily extended by user-specific scientific code. Paradigms from enterprise software engineering were rigorously applied to create a scalable, testable, secure, and robust framework. A centralized web application is used to configure and control the operation of the framework. The application-programming interface provides a set of generic tools for processing large-scale noninteractive jobs (e.g., systematic studies), or for coordinating systems integration (e.g., complex workflows). The code for the JACOB framework is open sourced and is available at: www.wallerlab.org/jacob. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Constructing early warning information release system in towns enterprise clean production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuwen, Huixin; He, Xueqiu; Qian, Xinming; Yuan, Mengqi

2017-08-01

China’s industry boom has not only brought unprecedented prosperity, but also caused the gradual depletion of various resources and the worsening of the natural environment. Experts admit that China is facing serious environmental problem, but they believe that they can seek a new path to overcome it through joint efforts. Early warning information release and clean production are the important concepts in addressing the imminent crisis. Early warning information release system can monitor and forecast the risk that affects the clean production. The author drawn the experiences and lessons from developed countries, combined with China’s reality, put forward countermeasures and suggestions about constructing early warning information release system in process of Chinese town-scaled enterprises clean production.

[Drawing up a Guideline for Handling Information and Communication Technology, Flexibility and Availability in Small and Medium Enterprises].

PubMed

Weilnhammer, Veronika; Heinze, Stefanie; Heiden, Barbara; Palm, Esther; Herbig, Britta; Lüke, Gabriele; Nowak, Dennis; Glaser, Jürgen; Herr, Caroline Eva Wella

2017-06-06

Background Within the last decades the world of work has changed enormously. Due to new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), working at any time from any place has become possible. Flexibility, availability and the dissolution of boundaries between work and private life are the possible results of this development. The spread of this development and possible consequences on the affected employee's health and wellbeing have been examined so far especially in big companies. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) are rarely subjects of scientific studies in this context. Objective of this paper The aim of this work was to develop a guideline based on experiences and results of a study regarding flexibility in the business world (FlexA), as well as a systematic literature research. The target populations of this guideline are SMEs, focusing on integrating a health promoting way in dealing with ICT, flexibility and availability within the corporate culture. Methods In order to delineate the current state in of research in ICT-related work interventions, a systematic review in data bases e. g. PsycINFO, EconLit and Medline was carried out. The search strategy used the key words "work", "intervention", "ICT", "mental strain", "flexibility" and "availability". In addition, grey literature and findings from the FlexA study were used to formulate the current guideline. Results Based on the exclusion criteria, all studies from the systematic literature search were excluded after title and abstract screening. Within grey literature research, 4 relevant publications could be identified. The measures, developed during the corporate workshops of the FlexA study, e. g. the implementation of collective regulations in the company, were included in the guideline. Conclusion Due to the ongoing development of ICT and flexibility in daily business life, it is getting more and more important to follow this progress. Executives and corporate management are responsible to actively shape this trend in a health-promoting way in their enterprises. The current guideline was made to support the corporate management in this task and it is an important instrument for a health-promoting use of ICT in daily business life taking in to consideration flexibility and availability. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Healthy workplace indicators in Thailand: phase 2 (a pilot study).

PubMed

Sithisarankul, Pornchai; Punpeng, Twisuk; Boonchoo, Sujitra; Baikrai, Udomlak

2003-06-01

This study was a result of the second phase of a two-phase research project. In the previous phase, the draft of healthy workplace indicators was developed by means of literature review and soliciting of expert opinion. There were 46 indicators divided into 6 different groups. This phase of the project was a quantitative cross-sectional descriptive study which aimed at exploring the opinion of employers and occupational health officers (OHOs) of the enterprises towards the pilot set of healthy workplace indicators. The field data collection was conducted by means of a postal survey. Questionnaires were sent to 180 workplaces in Samutprakarn province. The response rates of employers and OHOs were 66.7 per cent (n = 120) and 68.3 per cent (n = 123), respectively. It was found that the majority of the enterprises had a workplace health promotion policy (59.3%), had health promotion activities (60.2%), did not have designated personnel responsible for health promotion (69.1%), had a health promotion budget (53.7%), were large scale enterprises (61.0%), and did not have a mother enterprise in foreign country (81.3%). In general, the mean scores of the opinions of employers and OHOs toward indicators in the appropriateness aspect were high. For the achievability aspect, there were 9 indicators which less than half of the employers thought they could achieve, and 10 indicators that less than half of the OHOs thought they could achieve. The opinion of employers and OHOs differed significantly in 4 indicators in the appropriateness aspect and 1 indicator in the achievability aspect. In conclusion, both the employers and OHOs considered most of these indicators appropriate for the enterprises and most indicators were achievable and useful as a guideline and evaluation tool for workplace health promotion.