• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.172-179
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• 2018

Background: Insufficient training in infection control and occupational health among healthcare workers (HCWs) in countries with high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) burdens requires attention. We examined the effectiveness of a 1-year Certificate Program in Occupational Health and Infection Control conducted in Free State Province, South Africa in an international partnership to empower HCWs to become change agents to promote workplace-based HIV and TB prevention. Methods: Questionnaires assessing reactions to the program and Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills, and Practices were collected pre-, mid-, and postprogram. Individual interviews, group project evaluations, and participant observation were also conducted. Quantitative data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Qualitative data were thematically coded and analyzed using the Kirkpatrick framework. Results: Participants recruited (n = 32) were mostly female (81%) and nurses (56%). Pre-to-post-program mean scores improved in knowledge (+12%, p = 0.002) and skills/practices (+14%, p = 0.002). Preprogram attitude scores were high but did not change. Participants felt empowered and demonstrated attitudinal improvements regarding HIV, TB, infection control, and occupational health. Successful projects were indeed implemented. However, participants encountered considerable difficulties in trying to sustain improvement, due largely to lack of pre-existing knowledge and experience, combined with inadequate staffing and insufficient management support. Conclusion: Training is essential to strengthen HCWs' occupational health and infection control knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices, and workplace-based training programs such as this can yield impressive results. However, the considerable mentorship resources required for such programs and the substantial infrastructural supports needed for implementation and sustainability of improvements in settings without pre-existing experience in such endeavors should not be underestimated.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.207-214
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• 2020

Background: Prolonged sitting at work can lead to adverse health outcomes. The health risk of office workers is an increasing concern for the society and industry, with prolonged sitting work becoming more prevalent. Objective: This study aimed to explore the variation in muscle activities during prolonged sitting work and found out when and how to take a break to mitigate the risk of muscle symptoms. Methods: A preliminary survey was conducted to find out the prevalence of muscle discomfort in sedentary work. Firstly, a 2-h sedentary computer work was designed based on the preliminary study to investigate the variation in muscle activities. Twenty-four participants took part in the electromyography (EMG) measurement study. The EMG variations in the trapezius muscle and latissimus dorsi were investigated. Then the intervention time was determined based on the EMG measurement study. Secondly, 48 participants were divided into six groups to compare the effectiveness of every break type (passive break, active break of changing their posture, and stand and stretch their body with 5 or 10 mins). Finally, data consisting of EMG amplitudes and spectra and subjective assessment of discomfort were analyzed. Results: In the EMG experiment, results from the joint analysis of the spectral and amplitude method showed muscle fatigue after about 40 mins of sedentary work. In the intervention experiment, the results showed that standing and stretching for 5 mins was the most effective break type, and this type of break could keep the muscles' state at a recovery level for about 30-45 mins. Conclusions: This study offers the possibility of being applied to office workers and provides preliminary data support and theoretical exploration for a follow-up early muscle fatigue detection system.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.228-234
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• 2020

Background: The concept of social capital has its focus on cooperative relations in the workplace. This study investigates the association between social capital and sickness absence among workers in 41 work groups in the Danish dairy industry and examines the possible effects of an intervention on social capital in the workplace on sickness absence. Methods: A sample of 791 dairy workers working in 41 work groups that participated in an intervention study on social capital filled in a questionnaire on four subtypes of social capital, and social capital scores from individual participants were aggregated to the level of work groups. Sickness absence was measured at the level of work groups in company registers as the two-year average percentage of working time lost to sickness absence. Group-level associations between social capital and sickness absence were analyzed using multilevel linear regression analysis. Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, group size, and random effects at the workplace level. Results: We found statistically significant associations between social capital within work groups, social capital in relation to the immediate manager, and social capital toward the workplace as a whole on the one side and sickness absence on the other side. We found no support for any effects of the intervention on sickness absence. Conclusion: The work group level of social capital is associated with the work group level of sickness absence. However, the intervention to enhance group-level social capital had no effect on reducing sickness absence in the intervention group.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.128-139
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• 2018

As The Fourth Industrial Revolution and Intelligent Information Age came into full-scale, the policy of open government data has become a hot topic for each country. The United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries are shifting policy direction to "creating value" of open government data. Also, in the age of the digital economy where the data market is soaring, open government data is gradually being recognized as a new raw material for new business and start-ups. In addition, Korea ranked first in the OECD open government data evaluation twice in a row, and was highly evaluated in the international evaluation. However, domestic firms are still lacking in qualitative openness of government data, data is dispersed among institutions, lack of public-private data linkage, and development of app-oriented development. This study attempts to analyze major national policies for the creation of a data ecosystem that considers data lifecycle, from production to storage, distribution and utilization of data. First, the target countries were the leading public data countries among the OGP member countries, the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. The results of this study are as follows. As a result of analyzing the results and comparing Korea's policies, it was concluded that most of Korea is superior in open government data policy. However, improvement of data quality, development of open data portal as an open platform, support for finding various users including apps and web development companies, and cultivation of open government data utilizing personnel are analyzed as policy issues. In addition, the direction of policy for the balanced ecosystem of Korea is presented together.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.35-43
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• 2016

Internal and external environment changes surrounding our society are pressing our government to solve a lot of difficult problems. These problems are more likely to be solved by a number of ministries and agencies, rather than a single ministry or agency. Thus collaboration is a necessary strategy to increase government's problem-solving skills. This study examines determinants of successful collaboration by analysing cases of local governments that solved uneasy problems covering many ministries after persistent efforts which have been controversial issues in our society. First, theoretical approach for collaboration and its matrix is examined. Second, interviews of government officers are analyzed to study collaboration cases. Finally, Strategic points of view are discussed to promote collaboration within government sectors. The results show that common goal sharing, incentives and supporting systems play important roles in inducing collaboration.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2014

Background: In Japan, more than 60% of employees are reported to suffer from anxiety and stress. Consequently, Japanese society has begun to address such important issues as psychogenic disability and job-related suicide. Furthermore, given the aging of society and the surge in the number of elderly people requiring care, it is necessary to adequately and proactively support employees who care for their elderly relatives. The purpose of the present study was to investigate caregiver burden in caring for elderly relatives and work-related stress factors associated with mental health among employees. Methods: We studied 722 men and women aged 18-83 years in a cross-sectional study. The K10 questionnaire was used to examine mental health status. Results: The proportion of participants with a high K10 score was 15% (n = 106). Having little conversation with their supervisor and/or coworkers significantly increased the risk of depression [odds ratio (OR) 1.8], as did high job overload (OR 2.7) and job dissatisfaction (OR 3.8), compared with employees who frequently conversed with their supervisor and/or coworkers. Caring for elderly relatives as a prominent characteristic of an employee was a significant risk factor for depression (OR 2.1). Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that employees who were caring for elderly relatives were significantly associated with an increased risk of depression. To prevent depressive disorders, it may be important to focus on reducing the work-caregiving role conflict, as well as enhancing employees' job control and better rewarding their efforts in the workplace.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.88-96
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• 2020

Background: The current lack of the number of nurses and high nurse turnover rate leads to major problems for the health-care system in terms of cost, patient care ability, and quality of care. Theoretically, burnout may help link emotional labor with turnover intention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of burnout in the association between emotional labor and turnover intention in Korean clinical nurses. Methods: Using data collected from a sample of 606 nurses from six Korean hospitals, we conducted a multiple regression analysis to determine the relationships among clinical nurses' emotional labor, burnout, and turnover intention, looking at burnout as a mediator. Results: The results fully and partially support the mediating role of burnout in the relationship between the subfactors of emotional labor and turnover intention. In particular, burnout partially mediated the relationship between emotional disharmony and hurt, organizational surveillance and monitoring, and lack of a supportive and protective system in the organization. In addition, we found that burnout has a significant full mediation effect on the relationship between overload and conflicts in customer service and turnover intention. Although the mediating effect of burnout was significantly associated with the demands and regulation of emotions, no significant effects on turnover intention were found. Conclusion: To reduce nurses' turnover, we recommend developing strategies that target both burnout and emotional labor, given that burnout fully and partially mediated the effects of emotional labor on turnover intention, and emotional labor was directly associated with turnover intention.

• Informatization Policy
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.44-67
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• 2017

Commercial properties are gaining importance in the national economy, drawing more and more interests from agencies and individuals. Therefore, objective and accurate investment information needs to be supplied in order to support rational decision making and market transparency. To contribute to guiding the Korean commercial property market to become as transparent and competitive as the markets of developed countries, this study aims to seek for ways to establish a Korean commercial property information framework. As part of the activities to achieve the goal, the Korean commercial property market information was first evaluated in terms of data collection, production and operation. Then, US NCREIF, which is operated by the private sector, and Singapore's URA, managed by the public sector, were considered as the examples of well-managed foreign commercial property market information frameworks. Efficient management of the system requires establishing a monitoring scheme, and users' accessibility and information availability will be enhanced through phased expansion of the information.

• Informatization Policy
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.20-37
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• 2016

As the numbers of various cyber-crimes have sharply increased, the importance of securing information has also been emphasized. Despite the government's constant efforts to solve the issue, they hardly work in practice, and cases related to information security are still on the rise. This study investigates the reasons for the discrepancy that occurs when a solution is put to action. The research analyzes the recent shift in the administrative system with regard to information security and officials' awareness of the shift, focusing on members of local government. The results of the study confirm a steady attempt including changes in institutions at the level of the central government. However, there is still a lack of personnel and budget support at the local government level as well as not much change in the awareness of information security.

• Informatization Policy
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.35-56
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• 2015

The study tried to explore the possibility of expanding citizen's participation in the case of Information Network Village(INVIL) with consideration of their different participation levels. As major players, central and local governments, INVIL itself, Central INVIL Committee and so forth have worked for the INVIL project and their importance levels of now and future were questioned and evaluated in the analysis. As a result, INVIL itself is regarded as the most important player for now and futrue as well. Central and local governments are also important to support the sustainability of this project. For future direction of INVIL project to be successfully sustainable, the specific roles of central and local governments were discussed and recommended to reduce explicit and potential conflicts among major players.