The Human Contribution

This book explores the human contribution to the reliability and resilience of complex, well-defended systems. Usually the human is considered a hazard - a system component whose unsafe acts are implicated in the majority of catastrophic breakdowns. However there is another perspective that has been relatively little studied in its own right - the human as hero, whose adaptations and compensations bring troubled systems back from the brink of disaster time and again. What, if anything, did these situations have in common? Can these human abilities be ’bottled’ and passed on to others? The Human Contribution is vital reading for all professionals in high-consequence environments and for managers of any complex system. The book draws its illustrative material from a wide variety of hazardous domains, with the emphasis on healthcare reflecting the author’s focus on patient safety over the last decade. All students of human factors - however seasoned - will also find it an invaluable and thought-provoking read.

It's obvious why only men develop prostate cancer and why only women get ovarian cancer. But it is not obvious why women are more likely to recover language ability after a stroke than men or why women are more apt to develop autoimmune diseases such as lupus. Sex differences in health throughout the lifespan have been documented. Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health begins to snap the pieces of the puzzle into place so that this knowledge can be used to improve health for both sexes. From behavior and cognition to metabolism and response to chemicals and infectious organisms, this book explores the health impact of sex (being male or female, according to reproductive organs and chromosomes) and gender (one's sense of self as male or female in society). Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health discusses basic biochemical differences in the cells of males and females and health variability between the sexes from conception throughout life. The book identifies key research needs and opportunities and addresses barriers to research. Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health will be important to health policy makers, basic, applied, and clinical researchers, educators, providers, and journalists-while being very accessible to interested lay readers.

This handbook is a one-stop guide that sets out a strategic approach for understanding and managing HR risks. Managing Risk: The HR Contribution will enable the user to understand how managing HR risks will benefit their organisation. It will also assist the user to put into place a practical strategy for managing risks associated with employees from recruitment through to the close of the employee/employer relationship. This book will be of particular interest to organisations looking for a strategic, integrated approach linked to business risk management and corporate governance.

A handy guide offering a practical plan for targeting skills any employee wants to develop and employers most desire. It's hard to tell if today's competitive job market is more unsettling for employees seeking job security or companies trying to retain loyal workers. The Value-Added Employee provides fresh insights on what makes employees valuable to the organization and how companies can keep productive employees on the job. Employees will understand how to increase their personal marketability by developing specific skills, knowledge, and attitudes. Managers and coaches will find the tools and resources to make employees more valuable to the organization. Even policymakers and human resource professionals can drive change and business improvement through the application of competency modeling processes. The Value-Added Employee is a step-by-step plan for targeting the competencies an employee wants to develop and employers most desire. It discusses 31 core competencies, including interpersonal competencies, business competencies, and self-management competencies. Designed as a handbook, The Value-Added Employee is a toolkit of ideas and a workbook to be written in and referred to on a regular basis. Through its use, employees and their companies will discover a firm foundation for meeting future goals.

Exploring the different points of view and 'tones of voice' adopted in theology for the meeting of religions, this book presents a contemporary philosophical and theological engagement with key issues of how different faiths might meet, of comparative philosophy of religion, the use of aesthetics, inter-religious ethics and issues relating to the self. Providing a critical evaluation of contemporary liberal, post-liberal and conservative voices, this book highlights the use of the creative imagination and explores new ideas for the meeting of religions.

Want to create a social impact in your community or beyond? You yearn to make a difference in others' lives. You feel the call to throw your wisdom, energy, and time into a cause, social enterprise, or not-for-profit. You want to give. Have you considered your giving may be hurting, not helping? In the West, we want to fix things, and the tools to repair social, economic, and environmental issues are often unconsciously selected by the ego, rather than by looking consciously at benefiting the whole. The strategies to correct the injustices of our time are lived by leaders who make their contribution count - every day. Make your contribution count imports pioneering African women's guidance to navigate how the West can integrate African cultural ethos, where 'we' takes precedence over 'me.' Pioneers who have endured many unimaginable circumstances harness their feminine energy to transform how to lead, contribute, consume, and structure organizations to have a social impact in their communities and beyond - sustainably. Be transported through 17 African countries and 70 interviews along with the author, Suzanne F. Stevens and her husband, Michael K. Gingerich as they backpack through a timely social evolution. Through real-life adventures, international research findings, practical strategies, and reflective questions, the author will take you on a journey where: - Your contribution awareness will be heightened locally and abroad - You will explore strategies on how to tap into your purpose to maximize your meaning- You will discover tools to lead conscious-contributions(TM) - sustainablyCollaboratively we can address the social, economic, and environmental issues of our time - we all have a role to play."Suzanne takes the reader on an inspiring global journey where she shares strategies on how to activate your purpose, harness your mission, and lead at home or abroad a social, economic, and environmental initiative. A message for anyone who wants to impact society consciously and sustainably." Aaron Hurst, author of the Purpose Economy. Author, Suzanne F. Stevens is a conscious-contribution(TM) cultivator and amplifier of social contributors' voices. As the founder of YouMeWe Social Impact Group, Suzanne ignites leaders and entrepreneurs to make their contributions count. As a lover of travel and adventure, her most profound journey lies on these pages. Five percent of book sales are invested in higher education for women in Africa. We appreciate your time and look forward to you joining us on this journey to make your contribution count. Join the mission at YouMeWe.ca. MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION COUNT for you, me, we. An evolutionary journey inspired by the wisdom of pioneering African women.

Major accidents are rare events due to the many barriers, safeguards and defences developed by modern technologies. But they continue to happen with saddening regularity and their human and financial consequences are all too often unacceptably catastrophic. One of the greatest challenges we face is to develop more effective ways of both understanding and limiting their occurrence. This lucid book presents a set of common principles to further our knowledge of the causes of major accidents in a wide variety of high-technology systems. It also describes tools and techniques for managing the risks of such organizational accidents that go beyond those currently available to system managers and safety professionals. James Reason deals comprehensively with the prevention of major accidents arising from human and organizational causes. He argues that the same general principles and management techniques are appropriate for many different domains. These include banks and insurance companies just as much as nuclear power plants, oil exploration and production companies, chemical process installations and air, sea and rail transport. Its unique combination of principles and practicalities make this seminal book essential reading for all whose daily business is to manage, audit and regulate hazardous technologies of all kinds. It is relevant to those concerned with understanding and controlling human and organizational factors and will also interest academic readers and those working in industrial and government agencies.

Human health depends on the health of the planet. Earth’s natural systems—the air, the water, the biodiversity, the climate—are our life support systems. Yet climate change, biodiversity loss, scarcity of land and freshwater, pollution and other threats are degrading these systems. The emerging field of planetary health aims to understand how these changes threaten our health and how to protect ourselves and the rest of the biosphere. Planetary Health: Protecting Nature to Protect Ourselves provides a readable introduction to this new paradigm. With an interdisciplinary approach, the book addresses a wide range of health impacts felt in the Anthropocene, including food and nutrition, infectious disease, non-communicable disease, dislocation and conflict, and mental health. It also presents strategies to combat environmental changes and its ill-effects, such as controlling toxic exposures, investing in clean energy, improving urban design, and more. Chapters are authored by widely recognized experts. The result is a comprehensive and optimistic overview of a growing field that is being adopted by researchers and universities around the world. Students of public health will gain a solid grounding in the new challenges their profession must confront, while those in the environmental sciences, agriculture, the design professions, and other fields will become familiar with the human consequences of planetary changes. Understanding how our changing environment affects our health is increasingly critical to a variety of disciplines and professions. Planetary Health is the definitive guide to this vital field.