title: Hydrodynamic modelling of Lake Whangape and Lake Waahi

authors: Jones, Hannah Frances Emily

abstract: The University of Waikato was contracted by Waikato Regional Council to develop hydrodynamic models for Lake Whangape and Lake Waahi. The models are intended to provide a basis for future water quality modelling to inform the restoration of habitat for native fish and the management of pest fish populations. Lakes Whangape and Waahi are shallow, highly eutrophic lakes in the lower Waikato River basin. They contain significant populations of native fish species, such as īnanga (Galaxias maculatus), longfinned and shortfinned eel (Anguilla dieffenbachia and Anguilla australis). They also contain a number of exotic pest fish, such as mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis), koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) and goldfish (Carassius auratus), that can contribute significantly to water quality problems. For both lakes, bathymetry was combined with LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data to create a topographic- bathymetric Digital Elevation Map (EDM) that provided the basis for the hydrodynamic model grids and may also be used for GIS modelling of potential fish habitat. The DEMs revealed the presence of stopbanks around both lakes that appear to restrict floodplain habitat significantly. Hydrodynamic models for Lakes Whangape and Waahi were developed using available measured or synthesised data. While there was insufficient data available for formal model calibration and validation, year-long model simulations were analysed to ensure that seasonal variability in water levels and temperature were represented. The model used, Delft3D-FLOW, is open-source, developed by Deltares (The Netherlands), and can be coupled to open-source ecological and water quality models (e.g. Delft-WAQ), thus enabling future water quality modelling applications.

text: Hydrodynamic modelling of Lake Whangape and Lake Waahi The University of Waikato was contracted by Waikato Regional Council to develop hydrodynamic models for Lake Whangape and Lake Waahi. The models are intended to provide a basis for future water quality modelling to inform the restoration of habitat for native fish and the management of pest fish populations. Lakes Whangape and Waahi are shallow, highly eutrophic lakes in the lower Waikato River basin. They contain significant populations of native fish species, such as īnanga (Galaxias maculatus), longfinned and shortfinned eel (Anguilla dieffenbachia and Anguilla australis). They also contain a number of exotic pest fish, such as mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis), koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) and goldfish (Carassius auratus), that can contribute significantly to water quality problems. For both lakes, bathymetry was combined with LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data to create a topographic- bathymetric Digital Elevation Map (EDM) that provided the basis for the hydrodynamic model grids and may also be used for GIS modelling of potential fish habitat. The DEMs revealed the presence of stopbanks around both lakes that appear to restrict floodplain habitat significantly. Hydrodynamic models for Lakes Whangape and Waahi were developed using available measured or synthesised data. While there was insufficient data available for formal model calibration and validation, year-long model simulations were analysed to ensure that seasonal variability in water levels and temperature were represented. The model used, Delft3D-FLOW, is open-source, developed by Deltares (The Netherlands), and can be coupled to open-source ecological and water quality models (e.g. Delft-WAQ), thus enabling future water quality modelling applications.

year: 2014

title: Influence of employee well-being on workplace injuries: A study of safety climate as a potential mediator

authors: Sim, Mabelene

subjects: Employee Well-Being

abstract: Being at work constitutes a considerable part of our lives and research on employee well-being and safety-related outcomes at the workplace can help to improve people’s work lives. This study examined the work-related employee well-being and individual workplace injuries relationship and how safety climate potentially mediates the association. The current research sets out to (1) examine the connection of employee well-being with workplace injuries, and the influence of safety climate on this relationship, and (2) assesses the level of employee well-being, safety climate and its association with injuries in a global city country in South East Asia, Singapore.
This study adopted a cross-sectional design utilising self-reported data from 147 participants aged 21 to 69 with work experience ranging from 6 months to 37 years across various industries within the manufacturing sector. Results of the current study illustrate that when employee well-being increases, safety climate also increases. In addition, when employee well-being and safety climate improves, individual workplace injury reduces. Among employee well-being and safety climate dimensions, having meaning and positive emotions at work and management’s attitude, behaviour and actions profoundly influence injuries in the workplace. Long working hours negatively affect safety climate and workplace injuries. Age and experience have a small to medium effect on injuries at the workplace, with employees aged between 45-49 years old and those with work experience between 16-25 years reporting more injuries. Management staff reported better employee well-being and lower injuries, while shift workers indicated weaker safety climate. Respondents also indicated that approximately 50% of workplace injuries were unreported, but when employees display appropriate behaviour in reporting workplace injuries, they experience higher employee well-being and safety climate. Mediation analysis indicated that safety climate did act as a mediator between employee well-being and workplace injuries. The mediation model including four control variables age, tenure, hierarchy and work hours, accounted for approximately 20% of the variance in individual injuries at the workplace.
Practically, utilising established employee well-being and safety climate construct, together with commonly available demographic variables, organisations can combat workplace injuries. Theoretically, this these findings from Singapore contribute to the literature of employee well-being from a positive psychology perspective and extend the safety climate literature in an Asian context. Moreover, this study suggests cross-cultural applicability for the relevant measures, having utilised a Hungarian employee well-being measure and a Norwegian safety climate instrument for an Asian sample. Overall, to tackle safety-related outcomes, employers must first take care of employee’s well-being at work and management-related factors towards safety perception.

text: Influence of employee well-being on workplace injuries: A study of safety climate as a potential mediator Being at work constitutes a considerable part of our lives and research on employee well-being and safety-related outcomes at the workplace can help to improve people’s work lives. This study examined the work-related employee well-being and individual workplace injuries relationship and how safety climate potentially mediates the association. The current research sets out to (1) examine the connection of employee well-being with workplace injuries, and the influence of safety climate on this relationship, and (2) assesses the level of employee well-being, safety climate and its association with injuries in a global city country in South East Asia, Singapore.
This study adopted a cross-sectional design utilising self-reported data from 147 participants aged 21 to 69 with work experience ranging from 6 months to 37 years across various industries within the manufacturing sector. Results of the current study illustrate that when employee well-being increases, safety climate also increases. In addition, when employee well-being and safety climate improves, individual workplace injury reduces. Among employee well-being and safety climate dimensions, having meaning and positive emotions at work and management’s attitude, behaviour and actions profoundly influence injuries in the workplace. Long working hours negatively affect safety climate and workplace injuries. Age and experience have a small to medium effect on injuries at the workplace, with employees aged between 45-49 years old and those with work experience between 16-25 years reporting more injuries. Management staff reported better employee well-being and lower injuries, while shift workers indicated weaker safety climate. Respondents also indicated that approximately 50% of workplace injuries were unreported, but when employees display appropriate behaviour in reporting workplace injuries, they experience higher employee well-being and safety climate. Mediation analysis indicated that safety climate did act as a mediator between employee well-being and workplace injuries. The mediation model including four control variables age, tenure, hierarchy and work hours, accounted for approximately 20% of the variance in individual injuries at the workplace.
Practically, utilising established employee well-being and safety climate construct, together with commonly available demographic variables, organisations can combat workplace injuries. Theoretically, this these findings from Singapore contribute to the literature of employee well-being from a positive psychology perspective and extend the safety climate literature in an Asian context. Moreover, this study suggests cross-cultural applicability for the relevant measures, having utilised a Hungarian employee well-being measure and a Norwegian safety climate instrument for an Asian sample. Overall, to tackle safety-related outcomes, employers must first take care of employee’s well-being at work and management-related factors towards safety perception.

year: 2019

title: A Mātauranga Māori Perspective of Literacy for Adult Learners

authors: Furness, Jane Amanda

abstract: Globally, literacy can be conceived of in different ways. Two perspectives that have influenced adult literacy policy internationally are the economic functionalist and the sociocultural. In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori educators have repeatedly advanced a mātauranga Māori perspective of literacy. This perspective has parallels with the embodied, practice-based multiliteracies and sociomateriality of the sociocultural perspective but less so with the dominant functionalist perspective. To address how Māori views have been side-lined in adult literacy policy development, we seek to clarify this view and foreground Māori-led policy recommendations that date back to the creation of the New Zealand Adult Literacy Strategy in 2001. We also highlight the relevance of this perspective by sharing the success and effectiveness of Māori-led adult literacy programmes. In doing so, we demonstrate the need for a biliteracy approach to adult literacy policy to reflect our bicultural nation and ensure Māori aspirations for literacy are met.

text: A Mātauranga Māori Perspective of Literacy for Adult Learners Globally, literacy can be conceived of in different ways. Two perspectives that have influenced adult literacy policy internationally are the economic functionalist and the sociocultural. In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori educators have repeatedly advanced a mātauranga Māori perspective of literacy. This perspective has parallels with the embodied, practice-based multiliteracies and sociomateriality of the sociocultural perspective but less so with the dominant functionalist perspective. To address how Māori views have been side-lined in adult literacy policy development, we seek to clarify this view and foreground Māori-led policy recommendations that date back to the creation of the New Zealand Adult Literacy Strategy in 2001. We also highlight the relevance of this perspective by sharing the success and effectiveness of Māori-led adult literacy programmes. In doing so, we demonstrate the need for a biliteracy approach to adult literacy policy to reflect our bicultural nation and ensure Māori aspirations for literacy are met.

year: 2023-10-23