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发帖数: 20290 | 1 http://www.bmj.com/content/331/7531/1498.full
The case of the disappearing teaspoons: longitudinal cohort study of the
displacement of teaspoons in an Australian research institute
Abstract
Objectives To determine the overall rate of loss of workplace teaspoons and
whether attrition and displacement are correlated with the relative value of
the teaspoons or type of tearoom.
Design Longitudinal cohort study.
Setting Research institute employing about 140 people.
Subjects 70 discreetly numbered teaspoons placed in tearooms around the
institute and observed weekly over five months.
Main outcome measures Incidence of teaspoon loss per 100 teaspoon years and
teaspoon half life.
Results 56 (80%) of the 70 teaspoons disappeared during the study. The half
life of the teaspoons was 81 days. The half life of teaspoons in communal
tearooms (42 days) was significantly shorter than for those in rooms
associated with particular research groups (77 days). The rate of loss was
not influenced by the teaspoons' value. The incidence of teaspoon loss over
the period of observation was 360.62 per 100 teaspoon years. At this rate,
an estimated 250 teaspoons would need to be purchased annually to maintain a
practical institute-wide population of 70 teaspoons.
Conclusions The loss of workplace teaspoons was rapid, showing that their
availability, and hence office culture in general, is constantly threatened. |
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