Lack Of Technical Competence Research Articles

Perceptions of health care providers in Mulago hospital on prevention and management of domestic violence.

To explore knowledge, attitudes and practices of health workers in Mulago hospital towards domestic violence prevention and management, especially violence during pregnancy. From 5(th) to 25(th) March 2000, self-administered pre-coded questionnaires were given to a purposively selected sample of 48 health workers identified from staff of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department, Mulago hospital, Uganda. The questionnaire had 22 statements assessing knowledge, attitudes and practices, to which participants gave responses on a Likert scale ranging from whether they agreed, disagreed or were undecided. Responses were analyzed in terms of frequencies and percentages. To corroborate information obtained, in-depth interviews were conducted with clinic and ward administrators on knowledge, attitudes, practices and barriers to survivors' management. Many respondents had poor knowledge of domestic violence management or prevention. Though they believed counseling survivors was necessary, none of the in-depth interviewees had counseling skills or had ever referred patients or survivors for such counseling. Lack of technical competence, negative attitudes and institutional constraints were cited as main barriers to provision of optimal care to survivors. Health workers of Mulago hospital lacked knowledge on management, had negative attitudes and provided sub-optimal care to domestic violence survivors.

Policy and operational constraints for the implementation of cleaner production in Zambia

This paper reports the findings of a study conducted to identify the appropriate policy strategies for cleaner production in Zambia. Through direct consultation with industry and other stakeholders, it was observed that the major constraints that hindered implementation of cleaner production in the industry were financial problems, poor/weak enforcement of environmental laws, lack of knowledge, lack of awareness and lack of technical competence. Similarly, potential motivators for cleaner production in industry were identified and included the macro-economic climate, economic reforms and policies, economic incentives, regulation and environmental leadership. In conclusion, the low levels of cleaner production adoption were mainly due to the lack of environmental standards in some industries, low levels of cleaner production awareness, limited understanding of commercial and economic benefits of utilisation of cleaner production approaches, inadequate institutional arrangements for the promotion and implementation of cleaner production and the lacklustre enforcement of existing environmental laws.

EXPATRIATE ADJUSTMENT TO FOREIGN ASSIGNMENTS

Ineffective expatriate performance and premature returns have been found to relate primarily to an inability to adjust to the foreign environment rather than a lack of technical competence. Research has identified three dimensions of expatriate adjustment: adjustment to work, adjustment to interactions with people in the foreign country and general adjustment to the culture and living conditions. Five major factors that have been found to influence these dimensions of adjustment and research using these factors provides a framework to help international firms understand and take a more active role in facilitating expatriate adjustment.

Government policies towards industrial innovation: a review

Government policies towards industrial innovation: a review

Sugar and spice and everything nice: health effects of the sexual division of labor among train cleaners.

Attempts have been made to justify the sexual division of labor by referring to women's relative physical weakness, lack of technical competence, and dislike for dirty work. An analysis of the work activity of train cleaners in France showed a rigid sexual division of labor, in which the task of toilet cleaning was exclusively assigned to women. Interviews and observations revealed a number of physical constraints associated with the work, and particularly with toilet cleaning. Women employees suffered from many musculoskeletal problems and were frequently absent from work. Toilet cleaning involved traveling distances of over 20 kilometers per day and maintaining uncomfortable postures. Twenty-five percent of time during the actual cleaning was spent in a crouched position. The work was complex, involving a number of choices and decisions, as well as requiring a variety of techniques adapted to the differences in the nature and location of soil. This "women's job" was dirty and physically demanding, and required technical skill. Among train cleaners, the inability to rotate jobs due to sex-typed job assignment may be associated with specific health and safety risks for both sexes.

Government policies towards industrial innovation: a review

Government policies towards industrial innovation: a review