Aim/Purpose: This study aims to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework that incorporates personal characteristics, social context, and technological features as significant factors that influence the intention of small-city users in China to use mobile health. Background: Mobile health has become an integral part of China’s health management system innovation, the transformation of the health service model, and a necessary government measure for promoting health service parity. However, mobile health has not yet been widely adopted in small cities in China. Methodology: The study utilized a quantitative approach whereby web-based questionnaires were used to collect data from 319 potential users in China using China’s health management system. The data was analyzed using the PLS-SEM (the partial least squares-structural equation modeling) approach. Contribution: This study integrates the protection motivation theory (PMT), which compensates for the limitations of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology theory (UTAUT) and is a re-examination of PMT and UTAUT in a small city context in China. Findings: The findings indicate that attitude and perceived vulnerability in the personal characteristic factors, social influence and facilitating conditions in the social context factors, and performance expectancy in the technological feature factors influence users’ intention to use mobile health in small cities in China. Recommendations for Practitioners: This study provides feasible recommendations for mobile health service providers, medical institutions, and government agencies based on the empirical results. Recommendation for Researchers: As for health behavior, researchers should fully explain the intention of mobile health use in terms of holism and health behavior theory. Impact on Society: This study aims to increase users’ intention to use mobile health in small cities in China and to maximize the social value of mobile health. Future Research: Future research should concentrate on the actual usage behavior of users and simultaneously conduct a series of longitudinal studies, including studies on continued usage behavior, abandonment behavior, and abandoned-and-used behavior.

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the success of ERP post-implementation and the factors that affect the overall success of the ERP system by integrating the Task Technology Fit (TTF) model into the Information System Success Model (ISSM). Background: Not all ERP implementations provide the expected benefits, as post-implementation challenges can include inflexible ERP systems and ongoing costs. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the success after ERP implementation, and this research integrates the Task Technology Fit (TTF) model into the Information System Success Model (ISSM). Methodology: For data analysis and the proposed model, the authors used SmartPLS 3 by applying the PLS-SEM test and one-tailed bootstrapping. The researchers distributed questionnaires online to 115 ERP users at a construction company in Indonesia and successfully got responses from 95 ERP users. Contribution: The results obtained will be helpful and essential for future researchers and Information System practitioners – considering the high failure rate in the use of ERP in a company, as well as the inability of organizations and companies to exploit the benefits and potential that ERP can provide fully. Findings: The results show that Perceived Usefulness, User Satisfaction, and Task-Technology Fit positively affect the Organizational Impact of ERP implementation. Recommendations for Practitioners: The findings can help policymakers and CEOs of businesses in Indonesia’s construction sector create better business strategies and use limited resources more effectively and efficiently to provide a considerably higher probability of ERP deployment. The findings of this study were also beneficial for ERP vendors and consultants. The construction of the industry has specific characteristics that ERP vendors should consider. Construction is a highly fragmented sector, with specialized segments demanding specialist technologies. Several projects also influence it. They can use them to identify and establish several alternative strategies to deal with challenges and obstacles that can arise during the installation of ERP in a firm. Vendors and consultants can supply solutions, architecture, or customization support by the standard operating criteria, implement the ERP system and train critical users. The ERP system vendors and consultants can also collaborate with experts from the construction sector to develop customized alternatives for construction companies. That would be the most outstanding solution for implementing ERP in this industry. Recommendation for Researchers: Future researchers can use this combined model to study ERP post-implementation success on organizational impact with ERP systems in other company information systems fields, especially the construction sector. Future integration of different models can be used to improve the proposed model. Integration with models that assess the level of Information System acceptance, such as Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM3) or Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2), can be used in future research to deepen the exploration of factors that influence ERP post-implementation success in an organization. Impact on Society: This study can guide companies, particularly in the construction sector, to maintain ERP performance, conduct training for new users, and regularly survey user satisfaction to ensure the ERP system’s reliability, security, and performance are maintained and measurable. Future Research: It is increasing the sample size with a larger population at other loci (private and state-owned) that use ERP to see the factors influencing ERP post-implementation success and using mixed methods to produce a better understanding. With varied modes, it is possible to get better results by adding unique factors to the research, and future integration of other models can be used to improve the proposed model.

Aim/Purpose: The UAE and other Middle Eastern countries suffer from various cybersecurity vulnerabilities that are widespread and go undetected. Still, many UAE government organizations rely on human-centric approaches to combat the growing cybersecurity threats. These approaches are ineffective due to the rapid increase in the amount of data in cyberspace, hence necessitating the employment of intelligent technologies such as AI cybersecurity systems. In this regard, this study investigates factors influencing users’ intention to adopt AI-based cybersecurity systems in the UAE. Background: Even though UAE is ranked among the top countries in embracing emerging technologies such as digital identity, robotic process automation (RPA), intelligent automation, and blockchain technologies, among others, it has experienced sluggish adoption of AI cybersecurity systems. This selectiveness in adopting technology begs the question of what factors could make the UAE embrace or accept new technologies, including AI-based cybersecurity systems. One of the probable reasons for the slow adoption and use of AI in cybersecurity systems in UAE organizations is the employee’s perception and attitudes towards such intelligent technologies. Methodology: The study utilized a quantitative approach whereby web-based questionnaires were used to collect data from 370 participants working in UAE government organizations considering or intending to adopt AI-based cybersecurity systems. The data was analyzed using the PLS-SEM approach. Contribution: The study is based on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) framework, widely used in information security research. However, it extends this model by including two more variables, job insecurity and resistance to change, to enhance its predictive/exploratory power. Thus, this research improves PMT and contributes to the body of knowledge on technology acceptance, especially in intelligent cybersecurity technology. Findings: This paper’s findings provide the basis from which further studies can be conducted while at the same time offering critical insights into the measures that can boost the acceptability and use of cybersecurity systems in the UAE. All the hypotheses were accepted. The relationship between the six constructs (perceived vulnerability (PV), perceived severity (PS), perceived response efficacy (PRE), perceived self-efficacy (PSE), job insecurity (JI), and resistance to change (RC)) and the intention to adopt AI cybersecurity systems in the UAE was found to be statistically significant. This paper’s findings provide the basis from which further studies can be conducted while at the same time offering critical insights into the measures that can boost the acceptability and use of cybersecurity systems in the UAE. Recommendations for Practitioners: All practitioners must be able to take steps and strategies that focus on factors that have a significant impact on increasing usage intentions. PSE and PRE were found to be positively related to the intention to adopt AI-based cybersecurity systems, suggesting the need for practitioners to focus on them. The government can enact legislation that emphasizes the simplicity and awareness of the benefits of cybersecurity systems in organizations. Recommendation for Researchers: Further research is needed to include other variables such as facilitating conditions, AI knowledge, social influence, and effort efficacy as well as other frameworks such as UTAUT, to better explain individuals’ behavioral intentions to use cybersecurity systems in the UAE. Impact on Society: This study can help all stakeholders understand what factors can increase users’ interest in investing in the applications that are embedded with security. As a result, they have an impact on economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. Future Research: Future research is expected to investigate additional factors that can influence individuals’ behavioral intention to use cybersecurity systems such as facilitating conditions, AI knowledge, social influence, effort efficacy, as well other variables from UTAUT. International research across nations is also required to build a larger sample size to examine the behavior of users.

Aim/Purpose: The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that impact the behavioral intention to use social media (SM) for knowledge sharing (KS) in the disaster relief (DR) context. Background: With the continuing growth of SM for KS in the DR environment, disaster relief organizations across the globe have started to realize its importance in streamlining their processes in the post-implementation phase. However, SM-based KS depends on the willingness of members to share their knowledge with others, which is affected by several technological, social, and organizational factors. Methodology: A survey was conducted in Somalia to gather primary data from DR practitioners, using purposive sampling as the technique. The survey collected 214 valid responses, which were then analyzed with the PLS-SEM approach. Contribution: The study contributes to an understanding of the real-life hurdles faced by disaster relief organizations by expanding on the C-TAM-TPB model with the inclusion of top management support, organizational rewards, enjoyment in helping others, knowledge self-efficacy, and interpersonal trust factors. Additionally, it provides useful recommendations to managers of disaster relief organizations on the key factors to consider. Findings: The findings recorded that perceived usefulness, ease of use, top management support, enjoyment in helping others, knowledge self-efficacy, and interpersonal trust were critical factors in determining behavioral intention (BI) to use SM-based KS in the DR context. Furthermore, the mediator variables were attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Recommendations for Practitioners: Based on the research findings, it was determined that management should create different discussion forums among the disaster relief teams to ensure the long-term use of SM-based KS within DR organizations. They should also become involved in the discussions for disaster-related knowledge such as food supplies, shelter, or medical relief that disaster victims need. Disaster relief managers should consider effective and adequate training to enhance individual knowledge and self-efficacy since a lack of training may increase barriers and difficulties in using SM for KS during a DR process. Recommendation for Researchers: The conceptual model, further empirically investigated, can be employed by other developing countries in fostering acceptance of SM for KS during disaster relief operations. Impact on Society: Disaster relief operations can be facilitated using social media by considering the challenges DR practitioners face during emergencies. Future Research: In generalizing this study’s findings, other national or global disaster relief organizations should consider, when applying and testing, the research instruments and proposed model. The researchers may extend this study by collecting data from managers or administrators since they are different types of users of the SM-based KS system.

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to examine the ten factors from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) theories in order to analyze behavioral intentions to use the Indonesian online capital market investment platforms and the effect of behavioral intentions on actual usage. Background: The potential growth of capital market investors in Indonesia is large, and the low use of the Internet for investment purposes makes it necessary for stakeholders to understand the factors that affect people’s intentions to invest, especially through online platforms. Several previous studies have explained the intention to use online investment platforms using the TAM and TPB theories. This study tries to combine TAM, TPB, and UTAUT theories in analyzing behavioral intentions to use an online capital market investment platform in Indonesia. Methodology: The research approach employed is a mixed method, particularly explanatory research, which employs quantitative methods first, followed by qualitative methods. Data were collected by conducting interviews and sending online surveys. This study was successful in collecting information on the users of online capital market investment platforms in Indonesia from 1074 respondents, which was then processed and analyzed using Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM) with the IBM AMOS 26.0 application. Contribution: This study complements earlier theories like TAM, TPB, and UTAUT by looking at the intention to use online capital market investment platforms from technological, human, and environmental viewpoints. This study looks at the intention to use the online capital market investing platform as a whole rather than separately depending on investment instruments. This study also assists practitioners including regulators, the government, developers, and investors by offering knowledge of the phenomena and factors that can increase the capital market’s investment intention in Indonesia. Findings: Attitudes, perceived ease of use, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, and national pride were found to be significant predictors of the intention to use online investment platforms in Indonesia, whereas perceived usefulness, perceived risk, perceived trust, perceived privacy, and price value were not. Recommendations for Practitioners: All practitioners must be able to take steps and strategies that focus on factors that have a significant impact on increasing usage intentions. The government can enact legislation that emphasizes the simplicity and convenience of investment, as well as launch campaigns that encourage people to participate in economic recovery by investing in the capital market. Meanwhile, the developers are concentrating on facilitating the flow of investment transactions through the platform, increasing education and awareness of the benefits of investing in the capital market, and providing content that raises awareness that investing in the capital market can help to restore the national economy. Recommendation for Researchers: Further research is intended to include other variables such as perceived benefits and perceived security, as well as other frameworks such as TRA, to better explain individuals’ behavioral intentions to use online capital investment platforms. Impact on Society: This study can help all stakeholders understand what factors can increase Indonesians’ interest in investing in the capital market, particularly through online investment platforms. This understanding is expected to increase the number of capital market participants and, as a result, have an impact on economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. Future Research: Future research is expected to investigate additional factors that can influence individuals’ behavioral intention to use an online capital market investment platform, such as perceived benefits and perceived security, as well as the addition of control variables such as age, gender, education, and income. International research across nations is also required to build a larger sample size in order to examine the behavior of investors in developing and developed countries and acquire a more thorough understanding of the online capital market investment platform.

Aim/Purpose: This paper investigates the user acceptability of blockchain technology in the healthcare sector, with a specific focus on healthcare professionals in Jordan. Background: The study seeks to identify the factors that affect healthcare professionals’ use and acceptance of blockchain technology in Jordan. Methodology: The study’s research framework integrates factors from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). A questionnaire was distributed to collect data from 372 healthcare professionals in Jordan, and the results were analyzed using structural equation modeling based on the Partial Least Square (PLS) technique. Contribution: While only a few previous studies have explored blockchain technology acceptance in the healthcare sector using either the TAM or the UTAUT, this study uniquely integrates elements from both models, offering a novel approach that provides a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence the acceptance of blockchain technology among healthcare professionals in Jordan. The findings can assist decision-makers in developing strategies to enhance the adoption rate of blockchain technology in the Jordanian healthcare sector. Findings: The study revealed that usability, convenience, privacy and security, cost, and trust significantly impact the perceived usefulness of blockchain technology. The findings also suggest that healthcare professionals are more likely to have a positive attitude towards blockchain-based healthcare systems if they perceive them as useful and easy to use. Attitude, social influence, and facilitating conditions were found to significantly impact behavioral intention to use. Recommendations for Practitioners: Stakeholders should focus on developing blockchain-based healthcare systems that are easy to use, convenient, efficient, and effort-free. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers may compare the acceptance of blockchain technology in the healthcare sector with other industries to identify industry-specific factors that may influence adoption. This comparative analysis can contribute to a broader understanding of technology acceptance. Impact on Society: Successful adoption of blockchain technology in the healthcare sector can lead to improved efficiency, enhanced protection of healthcare data, and reduced administrative burdens. This, in turn, can positively impact patient care and lead to cost savings, which contributes to more sustainable and accessible healthcare services. Future Research: Future research may explore integrating blockchain technology with other emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and sidechain, to create more comprehensive and innovative healthcare solutions.

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to identify the characteristics of YouTube video reviews that consumers utilize to evaluate review helpfulness and explores how they process such information. This study aims to investigate the effect of argument quality, review popularity, number of likes, and source credibility on consumers’ perception of YouTube’s video review helpfulness. Background: Video reviews posted on YouTube are an emerging form of online reviews, which have the potential to be more helpful than textual reviews due to their visual and audible cues that deliver more vivid information about product features and specifications. With the availability of an enormous number of video reviews with unpredictable quality, it becomes challenging for consumers to find helpful reviews without consuming significant time and effort. In addition, YouTube does not provide a specific feature that indicates a review helpfulness similar to the one found on e-commerce websites. Consequently, consumers have to examine the characteristics of video reviews that are readily available on YouTube, evaluate them, and form a perception of whether a review is helpful or not. Despite the increasing popularity of YouTube’s video reviews, video reviews’ helpfulness received inadequate attention in the literature. The antecedents of the helpfulness of online video reviews are still underinvestigated, and more research is needed to identify the characteristics that consumers depend upon to assess video review helpfulness. Furthermore, it is important to understand how consumers process the information they gain from these characteristics to form a perception of their helpfulness. Methodology: Following an extended investigation of the relevant literature, we identified four key video characteristics that consumers presumably utilize to evaluate review helpfulness on YouTube (i.e., review popularity, number of likes, source credibility, and argument quality). By employing the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), we classified these characteristics along the central and peripheral routes. The central route characteristics require a high cognitive effort by consumers to process the review’s message and reach a logical decision. In contrast, the peripheral route assumes that consumers judge the review’s message based on superficial qualities without substantial cognitive effort. A research model is introduced to investigate the effect of central and peripheral cues and their corresponding video review characteristics on review helpfulness. Accordingly, argument quality is proposed in the central route of the model, while review popularity, number of likes, and source credibility are proposed in the peripheral route. Furthermore, the study investigates how consumers process the information they obtain from these routes jointly or independently. To empirically test the proposed model, a convenient sample of 361 YouTube users was obtained through an online survey. The partial least squares method was used to investigate the effect of the proposed characteristics on video review helpfulness. Contribution: This study contributes to the literature in several ways. First, it is one of the few studies that investigate online video reviews’ helpfulness. Second, this study identifies several unique characteristics of YouTube’s video reviews that span peripheral and central routes, which potentially contribute to review helpfulness. Third, this study proposes a conceptual model based on the ELM to explore the effect of central and peripheral cues and their corresponding review characteristics on review helpfulness. Fourth, the research findings provide implications for research and practice that advance the theoretical understanding of video reviews’ helpfulness and serve as guidelines to create more helpful video reviews by better understanding the consumer’s cognitive processes. Findings: The results show that among the four characteristics proposed in the research model, argument quality in the central route is the strongest determinant factor affecting video review helpfulness. Results also show that review popularity, source credibility, and the number of likes in the peripheral route have significant effects on video review helpfulness. Altogether, our results show that the effect of the peripheral route adds up to 0.463 compared to 0.430, which is the impact magnitude of the argument quality construct in the central route. Based on the comparable effect magnitude of the central and peripheral routes of the model on video review helpfulness, our results indicate that both peripheral and central cues significantly affect consumers’ perception of video review helpfulness. The two routes are not mutually exclusive, and their cues can be processed in parallel or consecutive ways. Recommendations for Practitioners: The study recommends creating a dedicated category for reviews on YouTube with a specific feature for consumers to indicate the helpfulness of a video review, similar to the helpful vote button in textual reviews. The study also recommends that reviewers deliver more appealing and convincing argument quality, work toward improving their credibility, and understand the factors that contribute to video popularity. Impact on Society: Identifying the characteristics that affect video review helpfulness on YouTube helps consumers access helpful reviews more efficiently and improves their purchase decisions. Future Research: Future research could look into different types of data that could be extracted from YouTube to investigate the helpfulness of online video reviews. Future studies could employ machine learning and sentiment analysis techniques to reach more insights. Future research could also investigate the effect of product types in the context of online video reviews.

Aim/Purpose: This study examines the influence of Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE), and Facilitating Conditions (FC) on the use of smart phones for mobile learning by postgraduate students in University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Background: Due to the low level of mobile learning adoption by students in Nigeria, three base constructs of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model were used as factors to determine smart phone use for mobile learning by the postgraduate students in the University of Ibadan. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive survey research design of the correlational type, the two-stage random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 217 respondents, and a questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics (frequency counts, percentages, mean, and standard deviation), test of norm, and inferential statistics (correlation and regression analysis) were used to analyze the data collected. Contribution: The study empirically validated the UTAUT model as a model useful in predicting smart phone use for mobile learning by postgraduate students in developing countries. Findings: The study revealed that a significant number of postgraduate students used their smart phones for mobile learning on a weekly basis. Findings also revealed a moderate level of Performance Expectancy (???? =16.97), Effort Expectancy (???? =12.57) and Facilitating Conditions (???? =15.39) towards the use of smart phones for mobile learning. Results showed a significant positive relationship between all the independent variables and use of smart phones for mobile learning (PE, r=.527*; EE, r=.724*; and FCs, r=.514*). Out of the independent variables, PE was the strongest predictor of smart phone use for mobile learning (β =.189). Recommendations for Practitioners: Librarians in the university library should organize periodic workshops for postgraduate students in order to expose them to the various ways of using their smart phones to access electronic databases. Recommendation for Researchers: There is a need for extensive studies on the factors influencing mobile technologies adoption and use in learning in developing countries. Impact on Society: Nowadays, mobile learning is increasingly being adopted over conventional learning systems due to its numerous benefits. Thus, this study provides an insight into the issues influencing the use of smart phones for mobile learning by postgraduate students from developing countries. Future Research: This study utilized the base constructs of the UTAUT model to determine smart phone use for mobile learning by postgraduate students in a Nigerian university. Subsequent research should focus on other theories to ascertain factors influencing Information Technology adoption and usage by students in developing countries.

The Republic of India has witnessed an enormous leap in financial transactions after a sudden demonetisation in 2016. The study represents an in-depth analysis of the factors influencing e-wallets usage post-COVID situation covering the National Capital Region. The scientifically collected data were subjected to Pearson's correlation to recognise the correlation amongst the selected e-wallets. The usage of e-wallets is observed mainly during recharge, UPI payments, and utility payments. Through psychometric response and interaction analysis, six factors were selected and examined for data distribution and stable observation using standard deviation and variance coefficient. The coefficient of variance for six factors was observed ≤ 1. The weight of the factors noted to be secured way (0.184), to take advantage of cashback (0.182), low risk of theft (0.169), fast service (0.1689), ease to use (0.156), and saves time (0.139) using principal component eigenvectors analysis. Freecharge and Tez wallets reveal a maximum 99.2% correlation.

Despite the extensive research into the effects of reputation, virtually all of this research has examined the effect of one type of reputation on one or more specific outcomes. In this study we ask the question: How do the reputations of analysts, CEOs, and firms individually and jointly affect firm outcomes? To answer this question we focus on a context where reputations are particularly relevant - changes in analyst recommendations and the effect of those changes on stock market reactions. Our study makes contributions to the growing reputation literature by being one of the first studies to recognize and measure how the market accounts for multiple reputations. Further, we argue and find that the reputations of different actors interact with each other when determining particular firm outcomes. We find that different actor's reputations influence the reactions of observers.

Learn more about the actors playing Tim Tebow, Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft, Rob Gronkowski, and other notable Patriots in FX's "American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez."

The post Meet the actors in the cast of ‘American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez’ appeared first on Boston.com.

We are happy to present who we believe are some of the best insulation contractors in the U.S.

Summer is a great time for construction work, but a brutal time for construction workers. Excessive heat and sun exposure pose significant dangers, such as sunburn, dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Every year, construction workers become ill on the job and some even lose their lives due to heat exposure.

Walls & Ceilings’ annual roster of the country’s top insulation contractors.

Since the early 1980s the percentage of the construction industry that has been dominated by unionized companies has decreased, that is until the last few years. Something has changed. Unions offer training programs, a ready supply of skilled labor, and a level playing field of wages and established fringe benefits.

The FWCCA invites you to participate at its Jan. 30-31 Executive Conference, which is taking place at the OMNI Champion Gate Resort. The FWCCA is searching for individuals who have informative, educational, technical and/or business programming that are willing to share with FWCCA members.

The way in which a general contractor manages a project will directly impact a subcontractor's bottom line.

Walls & Ceilings’ annual round-up of some of the country’s most regarded EIFS/Stucco contractors.

Contractors must walk a fine line when it comes to dealing with sudden changes in material and labor costs.

Management tools are creating major gains for contractors.

Technology seems to be simultaneously disrupting and driving change in today’s preconstruction industry.

Baby boomers currently represent over 40 percent of the construction industry. 

Let’s face it, there are many ways a contractor can get off track during the preconstruction process. 

Washington — The Department of Labor has issued a final rule that targets “employee misclassification” of workers as independent contractors.

Washington — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has filed a lawsuit challenging the Department of Labor’s rule on determining if a worker is an employee or an independent contractor.

Washington — Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) is threatening acting Labor Secretary Julie Su with a subpoena over her “failure to provide the requested information” on the Department of Labor’s independent contractor rule.

Washington — Certain personal risk factors increase workers’ risk for heat-related injury and illness, OSHA cautions.

Cambridge, MA — Early screening for psychosocial risk factors may aid in a worker’s recovery from an on-the-job injury, a new white paper from the Workers Compensation Research Institute suggests.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council has proposed two rules which would require federal contractors to report security incidents and standardize cybersecurity requirements for unclassified Federal Information Systems (FIS).

What are some of the underlying reasons why hand injuries are still so common?

After finishing 2022 with a respectable recovery from pandemic upheaval, the fire alarm industry is expected to carry strong momentum through this year and beyond.

Santa Monica, CA – Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression may be common among private military contractors, suggests a new study from RAND Corp., a nonprofit research institution.

Washington – The House Armed Services Committee recently adopted a proposed amendment that would exempt many federal defense contractors from disclosing labor law violations.

Washington – Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) has introduced legislation intended to protect employees of companies that perform work for the federal government.

New Orleans — OSHA can issue citations to general contractors who fail to control hazardous conditions at multi-employer worksites, even if those conditions do not directly affect their own employees, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled Nov. 26.

Bilbao, Spain — Excessive workloads, conflicting demands and a lack of support from management are some of the psychosocial factors that can contribute to the development of musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace, according to a literature review conducted by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

Washington — The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has updated its online hub of information and resources on substance use disorder and recovery.

Lansing, MI – Michigan OSHA has launched a Local Emphasis Program targeting enforcement activities on industries that recently have experienced an increase in injuries and illnesses.