Process of burnout: structure, antecedents, and consequences

The major changes that have been witnessed in today's workplaces are challenging the mental well-being of employed people. Stress and burnout are considered to be modern epidemics, and their importance to physical health and work ability has been acknowledged world-wide. The aim of the thesis was to study the concept of burnout as a process proceeding from its antecedents, through the development of the syndrome, and to its outcomes. Several work-related factors considered antecedents of burnout were studied in different occupational groups. The syndrome of burnout is seen as consisting of three dimensions - exhaustion, cynicism and lack of professional efficacy - and different alternatives for the sequential development of these dimensions were tested. Furthermore, several indicators of the severely detrimental health and work ability outcomes of burnout were investigated in a longitudinal study design. The research questions were as follows. 1) Is burnout, as measured with the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS), a three-dimensional construct and how invariant is the factorial structure across occupations (Finnish) and national samples (Finnish, Swedish and Dutch)? How persistent is exhaustion over time? 2) What is the sequential process of burnout? Is it similar across occupations? How do work stressors relate to the process? 3) How does burnout relate to severe health consequences as well as temporary and chronic work disability according to hospitalization periods, sick-leave episodes and receiving disability pensions? The data were collected between 1986 and 2005. The population of the study consisted of respondents to a company-wide questionnaire survey carried out in 1996-1997 (N=9705, response rate 63%). The participants comprised 6025 blue-collar workers and 3680 white-collar workers. The majority were men (N=7494) and the average age was 43.7 years. In addition, a sample from the population had responded to a questionnaire survey in 1988, which was combined with the 1996 data to form panel data on 713 respondents. The register-based data were collected between 1986 and 2005 from 1) the company's occupational health services' records for a sample of respondents from the 1996 questionnaire survey (sick-leave data), 2) hospitalization records from the Hospital discharge register, and 3) disability pension records from the Finnish Centre for Pensions. These data were combined person by person with the 1996 questionnaire survey data with the help of personal identification numbers which were saved with the study numbers by the researchers. The results showed that burnout consists of three separate but correlating symptoms: exhaustion, cynicism and lack of professional efficacy. As a syndrome, burnout was strongly related to job stressors at work, and seemed to develop from exhaustion through cynicism to lack of professional efficacy in a similar manner among white-collar and blue-collar employees. The results also showed that exhaustion persisted even after eight years of follow-up but did not predict cynicism or lack of professional efficacy after that amount of time. Nor were job stressors longitudinally related to burnout. Longitudinal results were obtained for the severe health-related consequences of burnout. The investigated outcomes represented different phases of health deterioration ranging from sick-leaves and hospitalization periods to receiving work disability pensions. The results showed that burnout syndrome, and its elements of exhaustion and cynicism, were related to future mental and cardiovascular disorders as indicated by hospitalization periods. Burnout was also related to future sick-leave periods due to mental, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disorders. Of the separate elements, exhaustion was related to the same three categories of disorder, cynicism to mental, musculoskeletal and digestive disorders, and lack of professional efficacy to mental and musculoskeletal disorders. Burnout also predicted receiving disability pensions due to mental and musculoskeletal disorders among initially healthy subjects. Exhaustion was related to receiving disability pensions even when self-reported chronic illness was taken into account. The results suggest that burnout is a multidimensional, chronic, work-related syndrome, which may have serious consequences for health and work ability.

Constructing and negotiating entrepreneurial agency : A social psychological approach to entrepreneurship discourse in the farm context

Entrepreneurship, understood as the autonomous, effective pursuit of opportunities regardless of resources, is currently subject to a multitude of interests, expectations, and facilitation efforts. On the one hand, such entrepreneurial agency has broad appeal to individuals in Western market democracies and resonates with their longing for an autonomous, personally tailored, meaningful, and materially rewarding way of life. On the other hand, entrepreneurship represents a tempting and increasingly popular means of governance and policy making, and thus a model for the re-organization of a variety of societal sectors. This study focuses on the diffusion and reception of entrepreneurship discourse in the context of farming and agriculture, where pressures to adopt entrepreneurial orientations have been increasingly pronounced while, on the other hand, the context of farming has historically enjoyed state protection and adhered to principles that seem at odds with aspects of individualistic entrepreneurship discourse . The study presents an interpretation of the psychologically and politically appealing uses of the notion of entrepreneurial agency , reviews the historical and political background of the current situation of farming and agriculture with regard to entrepreneurship, and examines their relationships in four empirical studies. The study follows and develops a social psychological, situated relational approach that guides the qualitative analyses and interpretations of the empirical studies. Interviews with agents from the farm sector aim to stimulate evaluative responses and comments on the idea of entrepreneurship on farms. Analysis of the interview talk, in turn, detects the variety of evaluative responses and argumentative contexts with which the interviewees relate themselves to the entrepreneurship discourse and adopt, use, resist, or reject it. The study shows that despite the pressures towards entrepreneurialism, the diffusion of entrepreneurship discourse and the construction of entrepreneurial agency in farm context encounter many obstacles. These obstacles can be variably related to aspects dealing with the individual agent, the action situation, the characteristics of the action itself, or to the broader social, institutional and cultural context. Many aspects of entrepreneurial agency, such as autonomy, personal initiative and achievement orientation, are nevertheless familiar to farmers and are eagerly related to one s own farming activities. The idea of entrepreneurship is thus rarely rejected outright. The findings highlight the relational and situational preconditions for the construction of entrepreneurial agency in the farm context: When agents demonstrate entrepreneurial agency, they do so by drawing on available and accessed relational resources characteristic of their action context. Likewise, when agents fail or are reluctant to demonstrate entrepreneurial agency, they nevertheless actively account for their situation and demonstrate personal agency by drawing on the relational resources available to them.

Localized data gathering paradigms for small and marginal farm lands in Semi-Arid region – Issues and Concerns

In this work we explore the application of wireless sensor technologies for the benefit of small and marginal farmers in semi-arid regions. The focus in this paper is to discuss the merits and demerits of data gathering & relay paradigms that collect localized data over a wide area. The data gathered includes soil moisture, temperature, pressure, rain data and humidity. The challenge to technology intervention comes mainly due to two reasons: (a) Farmers in general are interested in crop yield specific to their piece of land. This is because soil texture can vary rapidly over small regions. (b) Due to a high run-off, the soil moisture retention can vary from region to region depending on the topology of the farm. Both these reasons alter the needs drastically. Additionally, small and marginal farms can be sandwiched between rich farm lands. The village has very little access to grid power. Power cuts can extend up to 12 hours in a day and upto 3 or 4 days during some months in the year. In this paper, we discuss 3 technology paradigms for data relaying. These include Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) and DTN (Delay and Disruption Tolerant Network) technologies. We detail the merits and demerits of each of these solutions and provide our final recommendations. The project site is a village called Chennakesavapura in the state of Karnataka, India.

Use of climate information for farm-level decision making: rainfed groundnut in southern India

The production of rainfed crops in semi-arid tropics exhibits large variation in response to the variation in seasonal rainfall. There are several farm-level decisions such as the choice of cropping pattern, whether to invest in fertilizers, pesticides etc., the choice of the period for planting, plant population density etc. for which the appropriate choice (associated with maximum production or minimum risk) depends upon the nature of the rainfall variability or the prediction for a specific year. In this paper, we have addressed the problem of identifying the appropriate strategies for cultivation of rainfed groundnut in the Anantapur region in a semi-arid part of the Indian peninsula. The approach developed involves participatory research with active collaboration with farmers, so that the problems with perceived need are addressed with the modern tools and data sets available. Given the large spatial variation of climate and soil, the appropriate strategies are necessarily location specific. With the approach adopted, it is possible to tap the detailed location specific knowledge of the complex rainfed ecosystem and gain an insight into the variety of options of land use and management practices available to each category of stakeholders. We believe such a participatory approach is essential for identifying strategies that have a favourable cost-benefit ratio over the region considered and hence are associated with a high chance of acceptance by the stakeholders. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Queens and Workers of the Primitively Eusocial Wasp Ropalidia marginata do not Differ in Their Dufour's Gland Morphology

Ropalidia marginata is a primitively eusocial paper wasp found in peninsular India, where recent work suggests the role of the Dufour's gland hydrocarbons in queen signaling. It appears that the queen signals her presence to workers by rubbing the tip of her abdomen on the nest surface, thereby presumably applying her Dufour's gland secretion to the nest. Since the queen alone produces pheromone from the Dufour's gland and also applies it on the nest surface, the activity level of queen gland should be higher than that of worker gland, as the gland contents would have to get replenished periodically for queens but not for workers. The difference in activity level can be manifested in difference in Dufour's gland morphology, larger glands implying higher activity levels and smaller glands implying lower activity levels, as positive correlation between gland size and gland activity has been reported in exocrine glands of various taxa (including Hymenopteran insects). Hence we investigated whether there is any size difference between Dufour's glands of queens and workers in R. marginata. We found that there was no difference between queens and workers in their Dufour's gland size, implying that Dufour's gland activity and Dufour's gland size are likely to be uncorrelated in this species.

Differential cellular recognition pattern to M. tuberculosis targets defined by IFN-gamma and IL-17 production in blood from TB plus patients from Honduras as compared to health care workers: TB and immune responses in patients from Honduras

Background: A better understanding of the quality of cellular immune responses directed against molecularly defined targets will guide the development of TB diagnostics and identification of molecularly defined, clinically relevant M.tb vaccine candidates. Methods: Recombinant proteins (n = 8) and peptide pools (n = 14) from M. tuberculosis (M.tb) targets were used to compare cellular immune responses defined by IFN-gamma and IL-17 production using a Whole Blood Assay (WBA) in a cohort of 148 individuals, i.e. patients with TB + (n = 38), TB- individuals with other pulmonary diseases (n = 81) and individuals exposed to TB without evidence of clinical TB (health care workers, n = 29). Results: M.tb antigens Rv2958c (glycosyltransferase), Rv2962c (mycolyltransferase), Rv1886c (Ag85B), Rv3804c (Ag85A), and the PPE family member Rv3347c were frequently recognized, defined by IFN-gamma production, in blood from healthy individuals exposed to M.tb (health care workers). A different recognition pattern was found for IL-17 production in blood from M.tb exposed individuals responding to TB10.4 (Rv0288), Ag85B (Rv1886c) and the PPE family members Rv0978c and Rv1917c. Conclusions: The pattern of immune target recognition is different in regard to IFN-gamma and IL-17 production to defined molecular M.tb targets in PBMCs from individuals frequently exposed to M.tb. The data represent the first mapping of cellular immune responses against M.tb targets in TB patients from Honduras.

Activity-travel behaviour of non-workers from Bangalore City in India

This paper presents exploratory and statistical analyses of the activity-travel behaviour of non-workers in Bangalore city in India. The study summarises the socio-demographic characteristics as well as the activity-travel behaviour of non-workers using a primary activity-travel survey data collected by the authors. Where possible, the research also compares the analysis findings with the case studies on activity-travel behaviour of non-workers, carried out in developed and developing countries. This gives an opportunity to understand the differences/similarities in the activity-travel behaviour of non-workers across diverse socio-cultural settings. The preliminary exploratory analysis shed light on the differences in activity participation, trip chaining, time-of-day preference for trip departure, and mode use behaviour of non-workers in Bangalore city. Statistical models were developed for investigating the effects of individual and household socio-demographics, land use parameters, and travel context attributes on activity participation, trip chaining, time-of-day choice, and mode choice decisions of non-workers. A few important results of the analysis are the influence of viewing television at home on out-of-home activity participation and trip-chaining behaviour, and the impact of in-home maintenance activity duration on time-of-day choice. Further, based on the findings of the initial analyses, an attempt has been made in this study to develop an integrated model that links time allocation, time-of-day choice, and trip chaining behaviour of non-workers. The study also discusses the implications of the research findings for transportation planning and policy for Bangalore city. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Farm-raised shrimp: good aquacultural practices for product quality and safety

(PDF has 75 pages)

Assessing the sustainability of brackish water aquaculture systems in the Philippines. Working Paper 4: Aquaculture and poverty - a case study of five coastal communities in the Philippines

After reviewing the rather thin literature on the subject, we investigate the relationship between aquaculture and poverty based on a case study of five coastal communities in the Philippines. The analysis relies on a data set collated through a questionnaire survey of 148 households randomly selected in these five communities. The methodological approach combines the qualitative analysis of how this relationship is perceived by the surveyed households and a quantitative analysis of the levels and determinants of poverty and inequality in these communities. There is overwhelming evidence that aquaculture benefits the poor in important ways and that it is perceived very positively by the poor and non-poor alike. In particular, the poor derive a relatively larger share of their income from aquaculture than the rich, and a lowering of the poverty line only reinforces this result. Further, a Gini decomposition exercise shows unambiguously that aquaculture represents an inequality-reducing source of income. We believe that the pro-poor character of brackish water aquaculture in the study areas is explained by the fact that the sector provides employment to a large number of unskilled workers in communities characterized by large surpluses of labour. Our results also suggest that the analysis of the relationship between aquaculture and poverty should not focus exclusively on the socio-economic status of the farm operator/owner, as has often been the case in the past. [PDF contains 51 pages]

Fish pond management at the Onibonoje Agricultural Industries (Nigeria) Limited, RSH farm at ESA Oke Road'Ijebu Jesa Oyo State, Nigeria

A brief account is given of fish culture at the Anibonoje Agricultural Industries Ltd. fish farm in Nigeria. The pond culture of Tilapia, Clarias lazera, Heterotis niloticus and Cyprinus carpio is outlined, describing the feeding of the fish, the fertilization of the ponds, and pond management. The role of the government vis-a-vis that of the organized private sector is also examined

Investment prospects in integrated fish and poultry farming project: The Kainji Lake Research Institute integrated fish and poultry farm model

The paper examines the feasibility of a small-scale integrated fish and poultry farming project based on an existing experimental model currently in operation at the Kainji Lake Research Institute, New Bussa, Nigeria. Financial analysis reveals a viable investment based on the output from a 2 ha fish pond or reservoir

Food and feeding habits of Tilapia zilli (Pisces: Cichlidae) in Ondo State University fish farm

The food and feeding habits of Tilapia zillii in the fish farm of Ondo State University, Akungba - Akoko, Nigeria, were studied by gut analysis. Examinations of 150 specimens showed that Nymphea formed the main bulk of food consumed. Spirogyra, Pithophora and Compsopogon occurred frequently while Pistia detritus and plant remains featured less frequently. Variation in the frequency of occurrence of the various food items was observed among the various sizes of samples. The samples within the middle - size group fed on both higher plant and filamentous algae while the young and higher fish consumed exclusively filamentous algae. On the basis of food items found in the gut, Tilapia zillii was classified as primary consumers

The hydrology of a small fish pond at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi Experimental Fish Farm

The monthly and seasonal water requirements of a small fish pond (0.068ha; maximum capacity of 613.83m super(3)) at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi Fish Farm (Benue, Nigeria) were determined during the period of February to August 1996. The sources of water for the pond were rainfall, (103.4cm), run-off (6.3cm) and regulated inflow (95.0cm). The water loss for the period were Evapotranspiration, (106.74cm), Seepage (71.64cm) and regulated discharge (25.00cm). Evapotranspiration was identified as the main source of water loss while rainfall was the major source of water gain. The mean monthly water deficit was 24.56~c11.43cm while the mean monthly surplus was 9.84~c8.05cm. The quantity of water required to maintain the optimal water level in the pond was 474.00m super(3). Preliminary water budget of the study area showed that rainfed aquaculture can be effectively carried out at Makurdi during the months of June to October with supplementary inflows during the dry season months