Evaluation of the Emergency Management Conditions Program in HSE-MS: A Case Study on a Car Dashboard Manufacturing Company (Rasti Kar Alborz)

PurposeEnvironmental and emergency leaders are important individuals who play a vital role in managing ecological resources. Based on the resilience thinking of Walker and Salt, this study highlights aims to how resilience for adaptive management can be built by incorporating vision formation of environmental and emergency management leaders.Design/methodology/approachThe study addresses two research questions: What constitutes environmental and emergency leadership systems? How are the concepts of vulnerability, resilience, and adaptation relevant to the environmental and emergency management processes? The study employs two case studies and discusses how resilience leadership can be incorporated into environmental management and emergency management systems in organizations.FindingsThis study includes a review that consists of activities in resilience‐building, and the process of vision formation. It explains how resilience thinking influences vision. Investigations of the application of the resilience approach by examining two environmental and emergency leadership organizations in Arizona demonstrate how situations can improve with resilience thinking and leadership in emergency and environmental management systems.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the knowledge body of resilience and leadership by calling importance and incorporation of resilience thinking into the management systems of environment and emergency management.

This study was carried out aimed to measure the Relationship between demographic characteristics and the effectiveness of e-banking training courses for employees of Maskan Bank Branches in Tehran province. The research method in terms of objective is considered as an applied research and information collection method is descriptive-survey. The statistical population of this research includes all employees of Maskan Bank Branches in Tehran Province who have participated in e-banking courses and have a population of about 1100 people. The statistical population of this study includes all employees of Maskan Bank Branches in Tehran Province who have participated in e-banking training courses and have a population of about 1100 people. 285 people were selected using Morgan table and by simple random sampling method. The tool measurement used was questionnaire based on the Kirkpatrick model in four levels of reaction, learning, behavior and results, which its reliability was calculated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, 0.89 and it was confirmed. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods (one-way t-test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient) were used in order to analyze the obtained data. According to the results of t-test, e-banking training courses were effective for employees of Maskan Bank Branches in Tehran province. Also, the analysis of demographic findings based on the results of the one-way between-subjects ANOVA showed that employees' attitudes at different positions, work experience or education level were not significantly different towards the factors affecting the effectiveness of e-banking training courses and none of them should be omitted from e-banking courses.

هدفت الدراسة الحالية إلى التعرف على واقع إدارة الصراع التنظيمي في مدارس التعليم العام بمنطقة مكة المكرمة، وقد اتبعت الباحثة المنهج الوصفي المسحي، وتم استخدام الاستبانة أداةً للدراسة؛ وتم توزيعها على عينة من معلمين وإداريين بمدارس التعليم العام في منطقة مكة المكرمة وبلغ عددهم (400) موظف وموظفة، وخلصت النتائج إلى: وجود مستوى مرتفع من تطبيق استراتيجية التجنب كأحد أبعاد إدارة الصراع التنظيمي في مدارس منطقة مكة المكرمة من وجهة نظر أفراد عينة الدراسة حيث بلغت قيمة المتوسط العام 3.404 بانحراف معياري 0.960 ، وكذلك وجود مستوى متوسط من تطبيق استراتيجية التنازل كأحد أبعاد إدارة الصراع التنظيمي في مدارس منطقة مكة المكرمة من وجهة نظر أفراد عينة الدراسة، حيث بلغت قيمة المتوسط العام 3.355 بانحراف معياري 0.984، ووجود مستوى متوسط من إدارة الصراع التنظيمي في مدارس منطقة مكة المكرمة من وجهة نظر أفراد عينة الدراسة حيث بلغت قيمة المتوسط العام 3.357 بانحراف معياري 0.976، وأوصت الباحثة بعدد من التوصيات من أهمها: ضرورة العمل على توفير البرامج والدورات التدريبية للعاملين في مدارس منطقة مكة المكرمة لتعريفهم بالأساليب الإدارية الحديثة في إدارة الصراع التنظيمي.

Background: Health, Safety, and Environment management is a significant indicator of occupational health of employees in industries. Objectives: This study aims to find out the relationship between Health, Safety, and Environment management and accident prevention in projects, with special reference to health and safety training and health behaviour. It investigates how safety and health training, Occupational Safety and Health Management practices, prevention costs, and safety awareness relate to accident costs, while also studying the mediating effects of safety performance and awareness. Methods: Categorising it as quantitative research, the study employed a survey method to elicit responses from 318 participants drawn from public and private organisations in project environments. Results: Based on the analysis, safety and health training, OSHM practices, and prevention costs were found to reduce accident costs, with safety awareness and performance being important proactive mediators. Concerning the structural model, the results showed acceptable levels of predictive relevance and direct and indirect effects. Conclusion: Therefore, the paper adds to the current literature by clarifying the relationship between safety behaviours and interventions and how they translate into cost savings in a project setting, serving as a valuable resource for managers looking to strengthen health and safety measures, enhance safety outcomes, and minimise the cost of accidents in project delivery.

Background and Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between creativity and entrepreneurial skills in health system managers of the educational hospitals. Material and Methods This research is descriptive-analytical and applied in terms of purpose. The study population includes the managers of teaching hospitals in Ahvaz, south west Iran. The data was collected by census method from 110 senior and middle managers by validated questionnaire. Data were analyzed using absolute and relative frequency, mean, standard deviation, independent samples t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise linear regression in SPSS software version 22. Results The mean score of creativity for managers was 44.74 7.91. 64.6% of the managers were highly creative and 35.4% of them were considered relatively creative. The average score of entrepreneurial skills of managers was 3 0.67 and was estimated to be appropriate. The correlation between creativity and entrepreneurial skills was 0.645, which showed a positive and strong relationship between these two variables (P <0.001). Simple linear regression showed that managerial skills among entrepreneurial skills determine 44.4% of creativity (P <0.001). Conclusion It is suggested to strengthen the level of managerial skills among managers by training courses Extended Abstract Background and Objectives Since creativity is assumed to be the mainstay of the spirit of entrepreneurship, thereforeit is necessary due measures be taken to establish the degree of creativity of health managers if one is to have any reasonable hope of developing enterepreueship in healthcare organizations. One way to do so might be to assess health managers’ creativity and determine if there is a correlation between their creativity and entrepreurship. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the correlation between creativity and entrepreneurship skills among managers of educational hospitals in Ahvaz. Material and Methods This research was descriptive-analytical and applied in terms of purpose. The present research population consisted of managers of educational hospitals in Ahvaz city and data were collected by census method from 110 senior (management, metrons, educational assistants of hospitals) and mid-level (Supervisors, Head Nurses, Service Officers, Heads of Finance and Administration, Laboratory and Radiology Officers) managers through a questionnaire. In this study, two questionnaires were used: the Creativity Questionnaire, developed by Dorabjee et al., and the Smith Entrepreneurship Skills Questionnaire. The former consists of 12 five-point Likert scale items indicating the extent of the organization's support for creativity while the latter consists of 16 questions summarized in four components with each component having four questions. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed in accordance with professors’ and experts’ opinions. The reliability of the questionnaires was estimated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, which was 0.83 and 0.88 for for creativity questionnaire and entrepreneurial skills questionnaire, respectively. Data were analyzed using absolute and relative frequency, mean, standard deviation, independent samples t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise linear regression in SPSS software version 22. Results The mean score of creativity for managers was 44.74±7.91. 64.6% of managers were found to be very creative and 35.4% were relatively creative. The mean score of managers' entrepreneurship skills was 3±0.67 which was considered at an appropriate level. Pearson correlation coefficient was estimated -0.27 (P=0.017) between age and creativity and-0.31 (P=0.04) between work experience and creativity indicating a small size and negative correlation between the former variables and a moderate and negative correlation between the latter ones. Likewise, Pearson correlation coefficient between age and entrepreneurial skills was calculated -0.28 (P=0.01) pointing to a small size and negative correlation between these two variables. As for the correlation coefficient between work experience and entrepreneurial skills was -0.32 (P=0.005) showing that these two variables have a moderate negative correlation. However, creativity and entrepreneurial skills were found to be positively and strongly correlated (r= 0.645, P<0.001). Simple linear regression showed that managerial skills among entrepreneurial skills come to determine 44.4% of creativity (P<0.001). Conclusion Managers of Ahvaz teaching hospitals were found to possess the required level of creativity and entrepreneurial skills as measured by the research tools in the present study with the creativity component showing a strong correlation with entrepreneurial skills. Management skills might be the most important indicators of creativity among hospital managers, it is suggested the barriers to creativity in the organization be removed, a financial system be formulated to encourage entrepreneurs, support creativity and innovation in the organization by formulating the necessary policies and guidelines, as well as holding classes and training courses to strengthen management skills among managers. Also, given the negative correlation between age/work experience on the one hand, and creativy/entrepreneurial skills on the other, it seems reasonable that due measures had best be taken to pave the way for the younger generation taking on managerial responsibilities. Practical implications of research The findings of the present study seem to point toa strong and significant relationship between creativity and entrepreneurial skills. Therefore, appropriate training programs should be designed and implemented to increase the creativity of hospital managers. Also, due to the high level of creativity and entrepreneurial skills of the managers of educational hospitals in Ahvaz, the trustees should take action to provide the best possible conditions for benefiting from this capacity. Ethical considerations Observance of ethical instructions: This study is based on the protocols of the ethics committee in the research of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences with the code of ethics number IR.AJUMS.REC.1399.269 and also the study was conducted with the consent of the statistical population of the study. Conflict of interest The authors state that there is no conflict of interest in the present study. Aknowledgment This research has been done with the financial support of the Student Research Committee of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences with the number 99S27. The authors are grateful to all the directors who participated in this study.

Implementing separate Environmental Management System (EMS) and Safety and Health Management System (SHMS) can be costly for organisations and hence the advent of integrated management systems. The effective implementation of integrated safety, health and environmental (SHE) management would require companies to have the appropriate organisational capability. Within the academic literature, it is unclear which organisational attributes are important for ascertaining integrated SHE management capability of construction companies. This study sought to address this through a comprehensive review of literature relating to SHE management in construction and SHE management systems and models. The study revealed that organisational attributes that could determine integrated SHE management capability include: senior management commitment to SHE; SHE risks management; SHE objectives and programs; staff competencies; resources for SHE implementation; SHE roles and responsibilities; SHE communications; SHE documentation and control measures; SHE emergency plans; SHE monitoring and performance measurement; and SHE auditing and management review to capture lessons learned. These attributes could enable construction companies and other key industry stakeholders to understand construction companies’ capability to implement an integrated SHE management system.

Extended Abstract Background and Objectives: Maadi's are the distinguishing characteristic of Isfahan city in comparison with other cities of Iran. Their calm and inviting side provide the highest performance of residential spaces, and they are where humans and nature get along together. Maadi's can be combined with architectural elements, and they can affect the urban feature and landscape of urban neighborhoods. The facade of residential buildings adjacent to the Maadi's greatly enjoys the sense of belonging to the existing space. It is one of the most influential factors in creating a connection between residential spaces and existing nature.The vital factor in this research is the response to the dual relationship between man and nature. Also, we focused on the impact of this relationship on the landscape and shell of residential buildings. It is critical to meet the needs and expectations of residents and provides a more favorable environment for users. Methods: This research has the characteristics of quantitative and qualitative studies, which in terms of data collection, the field research and implementation path are a type of consecutive exploratory combined research with pragmatism paradigm. In the first stage, data collection of the qualitative study was done by the field method using interview tools. In this stage of qualitative data collection, a set of activities was performed, such as documentary study, observation, photographs, and interviews with experts. Finally, the thematic analysis method was used to classify the patterns of meaning from the data set. In the second stage, the quantitative study, the survey based on the researcher-made questionnaires and depending on the answer, was used to apply the appropriate tools. The questionnaires were evaluated on a five-point Likert scale and randomly distributed among neighboring residents of Maadi's. The data obtained from the questionnaires were analyzed by SPSS and AMOS software. Descriptive and inferential statistics were analyzed in SPSS software. The Cronbach's alpha was used to evaluate the reliability of the questionnaires, and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was applied to evaluate the normality of data distribution.To measure and analyze the effectiveness path of the Maadi's component and the sense of belonging to the facade component, a set of variables related to each of them was entered into AMOS software. For confirmatory factor analysis of the mentioned component variables, structural equation modeling was used in AMOS software. Finally, both qualitative and quantitative analysis was interpreted at once. Findings: The path coefficients of the central hypothesis, regression coefficients, and the number of partial indicators related to the hypothesis showed an effective relationship between the components, but they did not have the same value. The items of the Maadi's component were all identified with a strong and positive effect. The study of the components of the sense of belonging showed that emotional belonging, with substantial and positive effect in all items, as well as functional and conceptual belonging of each, with substantial and positive effects in one item, indicated a significant relationship between the components of Maadi's and the sense of belonging with the components of the facade. Conclusion: The results have shown that the sense of belonging and Maadi's existence significantly affect facades. From the resident's perspective, the sense of belonging has the most significant effect on the facade, form, and size, then the facade components and the materials. So that in the component of form and size, elements such as the use of curved lines and volumes that are reminiscent of the movement and twisting of water in Maadi's, the human scale in the facade by using different divisions, creating complete and empty spaces by balcony design, the porch and retreat in floors, unity, and harmony between adjacent facades, coordination in the forms used in the facade as well as avoiding uniformity and the height of more than three floors, respectively, had the most significant value and impact from the residents' point of view. From the resident's perspective, the sense of belonging has the most significant effect on the facade, form, and size, then the facade components and the materials. The Maadis’ components with their evocativeness, readability, tranquility and climatic comfort as well as uniqueness, respectively, increased the impact of existing nature on the facade. Therefore, paying attention to the green infrastructure of Isfahan Maadis and attracting the participation of residents, under the influence of their sense of belonging, promote the physical characteristics of the facades of the residential buildings adjacent to the Maadis.

The disciplines of environmental management and emergency management share many of the same concepts, issues, processes, and concerns. Yet they interact more by accident than design. This paper explores the contributions that environmental management can make to the theory and practice of emergency management – from preparedness and response through recovery and reconstruction. It explores the concept of “disaster” in the contexts of both environmental management and emergency management, and it addresses the significance of environmental degradation as both a contributing factor in disaster effects and an important criterion in setting priorities for long-term reconstruction. Research and planning in many areas of the world are serving to embed emergency management solidly in the practice of environmental management, and vice-versa. The paper notes the growing consciousness of environmental justice/equity issues that figure significantly in the impact of disaster effects and in the decisions to be made throughout the process of long-term recovery and post-disaster reconstruction. It concludes by identifying areas where environmental management and emergency management can and should interact more positively to support long-term recovery and reconstruction.

INTRODUCTION: Participation suggests partaking and treating people in such a way that enables them to retain a decisive impact on events that affect their lives. The present study aimed to investigate the factors impacting the increase in the participation of aid workers in the programs of the Red Crescent Relief and Rescue Organization. METHODS: The present research is applied purpose-wise, cross-sectional time-wise, and a survey in terms of data collection. The statistical population involves every volunteer aid worker of the Red Crescent Society of Kermanshah Province in 2021. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire whose face validity was obtained. Moreover, the questionnaire's reliability was confirmed through Cronbach's alpha. Data were analyzed within SPSS and Amos software. FINDINGS: Variables of sex, social capital, safety culture, religious beliefs, and media consumption significantly and positively impact the participation of aid workers. Furthermore, the impact of the socio-economic status as a variable is significant and inverse. However, variables of age and marital status do not significantly influence the participation of aid workers. Among these variables, the media consumption variable has the highest regression coefficient value with a regression coefficient of 0.454 while the marital status variable, with a coefficient of 0.039, has the smallest regression coefficient value on the participation of aid workers in the programs of the Red Crescent Relief and Rescue Organization. CONCLUSION: Increasing the cooperation and participation of aid workers in the activities and programs of the Red Crescent Relief and Rescue Organization is impacted by several factors to which we need to pay close attention. Attending to these factors can significantly improve how the forces are utilized and further fulfill the goals and programs of the Red Crescent Rescue Organization.

Summary Generally, progress, productivity and success of any organization depends on the skills and knowledge of their manpower. Thus, better and more accurate training programs in organizations will lead to their growth and efficiency will be eventually achieved. Due to the many advances in the field of medicine, nurses are the backbone of activities in organizations of medical sciences and patient’s affairs. For this purpose, in-service training courses for employees are the most important courses in nursing. This study was conducted at the University of Medical Sciences (Tabriz-Iran) aiming to determine the preferred learning styles of nurses in in-service training courses. In this cross-sectional study, all nurses working in medical and educational centers in a university in the North West of Iran were randomly selected. To collect data, a two-part questionnaire of Kolb’s demographic and social information was used. Data was analyzed by using descriptive and analytical statistics SPSS version 17 software. A total of 470 nurses with an average age of 36.46 ± 5.77 were studied. There was a significant correlation between preferred learning styles of nurses with nursing position, employment status, and income level. There was no a significant statistical relationship between the preferred learning style of nurses with age, work experience and experience in the center. The present study shows that the highest percentage of Kolb’s learning style is related to the preferential converging learning style (57.8%). This study aimed to determine the preferred learning styles of nurse’s in-service training courses in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The results of the study showed that converging and assimilating styles were the preferred learning ones among the majority of nurses; these styles are effective and interpreted according to their profession requiring a lot of information and knowledge. Due to the dominance of converging learning style among nurses, it is recommended to use appropriate teaching methods tailored to the style including the use of diagrams, presentations, lectures and self-learning with enjoyable materials.

Background & Aimsof the Study: Risky driving behaviors are a set of actions that put drivers at the risk of death or injuries which are caused by the violations of legal standards. These kinds of behaviors are the key factor leading to a higher risk of traffic crashes and injuries. The present study aimed to investigate the situation of some high-risk traffic behaviors and the related factors in Kashan.Materials and MethodsIn this descriptive cross-sectional study, 400 people were selected from among Kashan population by convenience sampling method. The self-reporting questionnaire consisted of two parts: demographic information (e.g., gender, age, marital status, level of education of the person and parents, and family income) and the number of traffic violations (e.g., paid fines, running red lights, parking prohibited in specified places, as well as unauthorized overtaking and speeding).Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 16) using descriptive statistics (e.g., frequency distribution, central and dispersion indices) and inferential statistics (e.g., independent t-test, analysis of variance, and chi-square).ResultsThe current study was conducted on 400 drivers who were selected from among Kashan population (314 men and 86 women) with the mean age of 38.15±10.29. The obtained results indicated that women were safer drivers. Moreover, it was found that people in older age groups committed fewer violations. In addition, the frequency of unauthorized speeding and overtaking was significantly higher among single people, as compared to the married ones. Regarding educational level, the frequency of unauthorized parking and overtaking was higher among the people with higher levels of education. Moreover, the frequency of unauthorized speeding was significantly higher among those with higher family income (P<0.05).ConclusionBased on the results of the present study and the relationship between demographic variables and risky traffic behaviors, it is suggested that the general public be trained on driving principles and regulations with respect to their age and educational level. In addition, the implementation of appropriate measures for the prevention of road accidents and injuries is recommended.

The study aimed to identify the current situation and the extent to which strategic innovation contributes to enhancing human resource practices and creating competitiveness for higher education institutions. The problem of the study was represented in the following question: Does strategic innovation in human resource practices create a competitive advantage for higher education institutions? The study adopted a descriptive analytical approach alongside a historical method, and it was applied to the employees of Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, with a sample size of 66 individuals. Using the statistical program (SPSS), the data was analyzed, leading to several results and recommendations, the most important of which are: The study indicated that more than 87% of the participants had not received training courses on strategic innovation, and the same percentage (87%) had not received training courses on competitive advantage. The respondents expressed neutrality regarding several aspects, including: the university successfully promotes a decentralized approach by delegating authority to employees to determine performance levels, and the university is concerned with analyzing data related to competitors to understand their strengths and weaknesses. We also reached several recommendations, including: We recommend that the university administration focus on enhancing training courses for employees, especially regarding competitive advantage enablers such as strategic innovation, agility, and other modern methods to create excellence and improve the university's image globally and locally. There must be clear strategic policies formulated to retain creative individuals, with a necessity to clarify these policies to the employees. Additionally, we recommend the need to respond to labor market requirements and the ideas of business owners to prepare students according to labor market needs.

Managing water in an integrated and sustainable manner is currently challenging water resource managers throughout the world. It requires professionals from many disciplines working together with impacted stakeholders in crafting a strategy that is economically efficient, ecologically sound, and acceptable to all who are impacted by how this resource is managed over space and time. We at universities are continually thinking about how we can better prepare our students who elect to become our future water resources planners and managers. This paper identifies some of the issues and challenges facing educators in this field, and some possible ways of addressing them. The amount of water available and suitable for human use in the world is limited. Too many humans must live with less water than what they would like, and even need, to maintain their health let alone their overall welfare. Currently the world's water resource systems are not able to provide everyone reliable potable water at reasonable costs. Populations are increasing, as are per capita demands for water. The United Nations tells us about one person in six, on average, in this world has no access to safe drinking water, and about one in three lacks adequate sanitation. In many countries these percentages are substantially higher. One can assume that those without clean water to drink are sick. The World Health Organization (WHO) tells us more than 30 thousand children under the age of five die from either hunger or from water-borne and easily-preventable diseases. We use about 70 percent of our freshwater resources for agriculture. What we get for that varies considerably. The World Water Council believes that by 2020 we shall need 17 percent more water than is currently available if we are to feed everyone. Do all these grim statistics suggest a water crisis? Will there be a water crisis in the future? Much depends on how we manage our water and our watersheds (Rogers et al. 2006). And this in turn depends on our abilities at universities to provide the personnel with the training and capacity to manage this resource effectively. With perhaps a few exceptions, those of us who live in North America are not dying from lack of water or sanitation. We are fortunate. We seem to have enough water, although the recent droughts in the southeast and in the west suggests we may be increasingly challenged to meet our demands for water supplies, to keep our rivers flowing and clean and our aquatic ecosystems functioning as they should. We can manage all our natural resources better, and professionals know this, but deciding what is better and implementing measures to be better involves more than just professionals. Politicians representing the public, and increasingly the public itself, are participants in this decision-making process. They define what is “better” and when and how to act. And inevitably acting requires money. Acting in ways to prevent crises is not always easy to do. There are always more pressing matters that get people's attention – and their money – until of course there really is a water crisis. This has prompted the well-known concept called the hydro-illogical cycle illustrating the lack of interest in planning for floods during periods of drought, or in planning for droughts when experiencing a flood. Many of the issues facing water and environmental resource managers today generally stem from the following factors: changing priorities of water and environmental management objectives over time – for example from economic efficiency to ecological health and diversity that require changes in past policies and even infrastructure, the way our institutions work, the need for multiple disciplinary inputs and public participation, uncertainties regarding future demands, supplies, and pollutant types and loads, and a lack of adequate understanding of many natural and social processes affecting, and affected by, the management of water and environmental resources. Managers and planners are challenged to develop plans and policies for serving often conflicting multiple purposes and satisfying multiple objectives expressed by multiple stakeholders representing multiple interests and backgrounds, all lacking perfect knowledge of what economic, physical, chemical, biological, ecological and social impacts will result from what ever decisions they make. We all could benefit from better science, better management tools, better training of professionals in all the applicable disciplines, and political institutions that can provide the expertise and leadership that will result in more timely, integrated, and sustainable water resources and environmental management plans and policies. The remainder of this paper outlines some current issues related to the training of individuals who wish to accept the challenges just described and contribute to improving how we manage our water and environmental resources. Recent decades have witnessed a shift in emphasis by U.S. agencies providing funds for research and training of graduates interested in environmental and water resources management. The emphasis has been on addressing scientific uncertainties and less toward planning and management issues. This runs counter to those who claim there is a need for improved environmental and water resource management. One result of this shift away from research in planning and managerial issues has been the decline of academic programs in water management and planning. Ironically, weather- and climate-related research programs, as well as large-scale observation initiatives promoted by many in the hydrologic, ecological, environmental engineering and other communities, increasingly cite benefits for water resources, environmental, and ecological management as central to their programmatic justification. Having more scientific information and the understanding that comes from it does not automatically mean we know how best to use it. There are many scientific, technical, political, practical, and regulatory challenges to integrating advances in hydrologic science into policies for managing environmental and water resources. There may be an unrealized potential, for instance, for using improvements in hydrologic forecasting based on new data sources and methods, such as embedded environmental sensors and data assimilation techniques. As science teaches us more about the processes taking place at the interface of hydrology and climate, and as the hydrologic, water quality, and associated ecological implications of land cover change become better understood, ways are needed to incorporate this knowledge into management plans and policies. Research is needed to figure out how best to do that, and trained professional planners and managers are needed to make it happen. At various universities, debates are taking place over a variety of issues, some of which are listed below. Issue #1: Educational policy – should universities turn out more well-trained engineering professionals and scientists, or more broadly trained generalists? Many will argue that there is an overarching need for people who know there is a world beyond where they live and work and can appreciate how history and culture affects current events. There is a need for individuals who can evaluate, think, and speak and write effectively at technical and non-technical levels. In my opinion, such skills should be obtained at the undergraduate level. One way to get this background is to obtain a liberal arts education (including study in a foreign country). Expertise in specific technical disciplines can be obtained at the master's level. After all, medicine, law, and business are graduate subjects. Why not in this multidisciplinary water resource field as well? Obviously for those desiring engineering or the sciences some basic introductory courses would be expected at the undergraduate level, just as pre-med courses are expected for admission to most medical schools. This is not to say we cannot train students to become competent technical professionals with engineering, economic, ecological, or natural resource degrees, for example, at the undergraduate level, but doing that eliminates the time needed for students to obtain the other skills that all should have who expect to become tomorrow's leaders in whatever they do. Yet in much of the world, attending universities costs money, especially at private universities and colleges. This means we need fellowships and training grants to attract the best and brightest students we can to our water resources profession. Issue #2: Course curricula – do they need changing? Many universities need to take a serious look at their curricula more often than they do. It seems much easier to change course contents than the overall plan. Most educators support exposing students to interdisciplinary projects at both graduate and undergraduate levels, so that students learn to participate productively in such projects and recognize the approaches and issues of fields other than their own. Engineers, economists, and ecologists especially need to appreciate each other's approaches to problem solving. Being exposed to case studies, including failed projects and those that get students out in the field is also beneficial. This gives them an appreciation of multidisciplinary team-building and dealing with multiple conflicting goals such as drought mitigation, flood management, flash flood prediction, water supply, transportation, emergency management, agriculture, and ecosystem stewardship – and conflicting opinions about how to achieve them. Issue #3: Continuing education: How can it best be provided to all professionals? Some have suggested that whatever the technical information students learn, it will be obsolete by the time they get their first job. The rate of increase in knowledge and changes in technology seem to be increasing over time. The half-life of the technical information we teach our students is decreasing. On-the-job training and continuing education throughout one's professional career is an absolute necessity. How can universities best meet this need? Some governmental agencies concerned with environmental and water resources management have programs for continuing education. However, a high turnover rate often makes this uneconomic. Professors themselves need continuing education as well. Their research provides some of this, but they also can learn from their consulting and what they do on their sabbatical leaves. All professionals should be provided such opportunities, not just academics. Issue #4: Funding. Can the needed changes in education be accomplished in the absence of changes in funding “carrots and sticks”? Difficulties in supporting students studying water and environmental resources management have led to the relative lack of students studying these subjects. University deans look for where the money is when they analyze continuing and new directions for their academic departments. The availability of fellowships, traineeships, and research grants are noticed. Industry can also provide support, and in many disciplines they do, but in the water and environmental resources arena the private sector has not been a major player. Managing water and environmental resources is primarily a public responsibility. Nevertheless industry has provided some support, for example to the American Water Works Association Research Foundation which promotes research and technology transfer. Coop programs, internships, and traineeships that expose students to the real world may be a partial solution. The USDA-CSREES coop funding program is an example for agricultural water management. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers master's degree program in planning is another example. Employers working in the water management area often report difficulties in finding employees with the appropriate backgrounds. Because of the decrease in funding of research and training grants in the water planning and management area, few young graduate students are finding their way into the field. This leads to fewer students being trained in the areas of most interest to these employers. The report Freshwater Ecosystems: Revitalizing Educational Programs in Limnology (National Research Council 1996) included a chapter on linking education and water resource management. Water is viewed as a public good, and thus those who manage it are often associated with government agencies. At a recent meeting of the National Research Council (Logan 2006), several government agencies stated their need for articulate young people prepared for working in interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary teams, which is the nature of modern water management, viewing problems in a broad systems context – water management decisions made upstream “reverberate” downstream influencing eco-systems, fisheries, and the coastal zone in general, linking societal goals and objectives with performance measures and conceptual eco-logical models, adaptability in general and adaptive manage-ment in particular, quantifying and dealing with risk and uncertainty, and conflict management and resolution in a stakeholder-driven participatory political process. One can think of other skills needed to address some of our current and future management challenges. For example, how can managers most effectively design, manage and operate infrastructure in the face of non-stationarity in water supply and demand; identify and provide environmental flows in already over-allocated systems, especially in times of drought, and environmental effects of reservoir operation and dam removal; alter reservoir regulation in the face of changing uses and priorities, environmental and ecological uncertainties and needs, and possibly the removal of past engineering infrastructure such as dams and canals; predict and then respond to hydrologic responses to precipitation, surface water generation and transport, environmental stresses on aquatic ecosystems, the relationships between landscape changes, sediment fluxes, and subsurface transport, as well as mapping ground water recharge and discharge vulnerability; respond to the environmental, economic, health and social impacts caused by floods, droughts, sedimentation, and contamination including from pharmaceuticals and other household chemicals and products; provide an early warning for flooding, droughts, habitat degradation, and health hazards, increase the efficiency of water use, especially in the agricultural sector; address questions whose answers require knowledge of the quantitative relationships among various physical, chemical, biological, and social process occurring at disparate spatial or temporal scales. For example, how can we scale up to larger area forecasts from knowledge of smaller habitat patch scale ones? How can we estimate regional aquatic ecosystem processes over entire river basins often based on small plot experiments and observations? deal with deforestation, suburbanization, road construction, agriculture, and other human land-use activities that impact economies and ecosystems (changes in land cover, climate, and land use affect water quantity and quality regimes which impact ecosystem health and other uses of water such as for drinking, irrigation, industry and recreation); manage chemical and biological components of the hydrological cycle under changing land uses and habitats, and control invasive species … This list could continue. Suffice to say there are many subjects a competent water resource manager should be familiar with, at least to the extent that the issues are appreciated and that effective communication can take place between the manager and experts or specialists when appropriate. Today's planning and management environment involves public participation, not just at the final stages of planning, but throughout the process, including decision making. Tools are being developed to help all stakeholders gain a “shared vision” of how their system works, and the physical, economic, environmental, ecological and sometimes the social impacts of various plans and management policies. Such public participation does not make the planning and management processes any easier, or more efficient, or cheaper. In fact often the opposite happens. But the end result has a far better chance of being robust to multiple interests and thus more sustainable in the long run (ASCE 1998). Future water resources managers need to know how to facilitate such participation. Water resources professors cannot rest on their laurels. Planning and management issues continue to evolve as do their demands on this profession. Students today will be faced with problems and technology we can only speculate about today. But they have to be prepared to effectively address those issues and use that technology. It's the job of those of us involved in water resources planning and management programs at universities to ensure our graduates have that capability. The increasing breadth, complexity, and rate of change of professional practice places a greater emphasis not only on continuing education but also on what a basic professional education must deliver at the undergraduate as well as graduate levels. The body of knowledge necessary to effectively manage water resources is beyond the scope of the traditional bachelor's degree, even when coupled with early-career experience. Education must meld technical excellence with the ability to lead, influence, and integrate a diverse number of disciplines and stakeholders – all required to meet societal goals in some ‘best’ and most sustainable way. Ideally, graduates from university programs in water resources planning and management should be knowledgeable in their particular discipline, as well as conversant with other applicable disciplines. An engineer, for example, should not only understand how to use the theories, principles, and/or fundamentals of mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering economics, biology, and probability and statistics underlying engineering but also be exposed to political processes, systems analysis and computer modeling, laws and regulations, history, sociology, and ethics. Most importantly, they should know how to work in interdisciplinary teams and effectively and clearly communicate orally and in writing. They must be optimistic in the face of challenges and setbacks they will surely face, and be committed to ethical behavior, both personally and professionally. After graduation they must remain curious and willing to continue learning fresh approaches, develop and use new technology or innovative applications of existing technology, and take on new endeavors that require research and ingenuity. Managing our water resources, including our ecosystems in our natural and built environments, involves both technical and administrative expertise. It involves both the “hard” as well as the “soft” sciences. In the hard sciences, the laws of physics, biology, chemistry, and mathematics are well established. The same cannot be said of the soft social and political sciences. Thus the “hard” sciences are easy. The “soft” sciences are hard. Clearly, however, we need more people competent in both to address many of the issues water resource managers are facing today. Daniel P. Loucks is a professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, USA, (www.cornell.edu) where he teaches and directs research in the development and application of economics, ecology and systems analysis methods for estimating the impacts of alternative policies aimed at solving environmental and regional water resources problems. He has authored articles and book chapters in these subject areas and has been involved in various development and environmental restoration projects throughout the world. He may be reached at Loucks@cornell.edu.

Context and purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the effective and determinant factors in the feasibility of establishment of occupational health and safety management system in Iranian governmental organizations. This type of research is a developmental application.Method: The statistical population of this study consists of two groups. The first group consisted of 30 experts and the second group consisted of all employees of governmental organizations in Kerman province with 77528 persons that the sample size in this area was determined using Cochran formula of 384 individuals. The research instrument is a researcher-made questionnaire on the feasibility of establishing an Occupational Safety and Health Management System whose validity has been confirmed by experts and its reliability has been confirmed in order to Cronbach's alpha value for feasibility variable for occupational health and safety management system deployment is 0.986. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and Smart Pls. Findings: The findings of the study indicate that intra-organizational and intra-organizational contextual factors and their components have a favorable status and their impact on the feasibility of establishing an Occupational Safety and Health Management System is positive and significant. Technological and temporal factors had the highest ratings with external ratings of 5.09 and 4.56, respectively, and leadership and information style factors with the average ratings of 5.82 and 5.78, respectively, they were the highest among the factors within the organization. Conclusion: Considering the factors considered in the present study and considering the strengths and weaknesses of these factors can greatly clarify the path towards the establishment of occupational health and safety management system in Iranian governmental organizations.

The objective of this study was to examine the evaluation of training courses applied in succession planning in organizations using the CIPP model. This was an applied research in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of data gathering type. Statistical population of the study included 100 employees of Chamber of Commerce, of which a sample size of 80 people were selected using the random sampling method and Cochran formula. Face validity and content validity were also used to assess the validity of questionnaire and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to calculate its reliability that the value of them was higher than 0.7, and the results indicated the validity and reliability of the researcher-made questionnaire. To analyze the data, with respect to research questions, descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency distribution tables and charts) and inferential statistics (confirmatory factor analysis and one-sided one-sample t test) were applied using SPSS and PLS software. The results revealed that context, input, output (product) and process components in the evaluation model of training courses used in succession planning are at a favorable level.