bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In search of the evidence: informing effective practice
Authors: Booth Andrew
Published: January 2008

Despite the abundant journal literature the challenge for the health care professional is in retrieving clinically relevant information. Critical appraisal is a useful tool in meeting this challenge. This article examines the five stages of the critical appraisal process and the information implications associated with each stage. The role of health information workers, together with their training and development requirements, is also outlined. Clinicians and information workers need to work together to provide further evidence in support of the effectiveness of literature‐based approaches and their contribution to patient care.
Fast track hip trial: an evaluation of a change in X‐ray referral
Authors: Kletzenbauer Stephen P. , Blakemore Martin E.
Published: January 2008

The purpose of this trial was to establish whether a change in the X‐ray referral procedure would reduce the time between presentation and admission for patients who attended a busy Accident and Emergency department with a fractured neck of femur. This group of patients was selected because they are susceptible to decubitus ulcers, the development of which may relate to the time spent on a trolley. Senior nurses in the Accident and Emergency department were educated in patient assessment and management, and knowledge and implementation of ionising radiation regulations. They then referred patients who presented with suspected fractures of the femoral neck to the radiology department within agreed guidelines and without a doctor's examination. Records were kept over a 3‐month trial period. A total of 27 completed cases were recorded and the data included radiological findings, total time from presentation to arrival on the ward or discharge, total time waiting for a porter and being transported, total time spent in the radiology department, and whether the patient reattended for a further X‐ray examination. We concluded that the change in X‐ray referral procedure resulted in an appreciable reduction in the overall time between presentation and admission. However, it was not possible to draw any valid conclusions regarding any reduction in decubitus ulceration as a result of this speedier diagnosis and admission.
An audit of lost X‐ray films on orthopaedic and trauma wards
Authors: Livesey FRCS Jonathan P. , Berry Phillip , Cossham Thomas , Hodgson Dominic , Monk Jonathan P.
Published: January 2008

Lost X‐ray films waste time, delay treatment, and may necessitate a patient being exposed to further radiation. Audit of a 132‐bed orthopaedic and trauma department over a 2‐month period showed that 16 patients' X‐ray films were lost. Fifteen (93%) had been stored in anonymous polythene packets. Only 5 (31%) were found within half an hour, and a mean of 67 minutes' working time was occupied locating each one. Recognition of why and where they were lost reduced the number of losses.
Optimising data collection for orthopaedic audit: a comparison of four techniques
Authors: Sochart David H. , Long Alison J. , Wilson Kirstie H. , Porter Martyn L.
Published: January 2008

The collection of complete and accurate data is an essential prerequisite of any study that aims to produce meaningful results. Much contemporary research in orthopaedic surgery has focused on proving the superiority of one implant or technique over another and relies on data which are currently being collected by various different methods. Modern joint replacement surgery is now successful with high implant survivorship at 10 and even 20 years and any new prosthetic design could be expected to result in only a modest improvement over current results. Complete follow‐up as well as optimum data collection are therefore of particular importance to detect any such benefit. Four methods commonly used for the collection of orthopaedic data were compared in this study with the aim of finding out which techniques would automatically result in the most reliable capture of complete data without the need for labour‐intensive supervision and the use of additional resources. The information obtained has been used to re‐define the audit methods for the North West Regional Arthroplasty Register.
Informed choice initiative: an example of reaching users with evidence‐based information
Authors: Rosser Jilly , Watt Ian S. , Entwistle Vikki
Published: January 2008

The Informed Choice Initiative aims to make available to both professionals and users a range of leaflets about topics related to pregnancy and childbirth which are based upon the best available scientific evidence. For each topic covered there are two leaflets — one for health care professionals and one for patients. They are intended to facilitate women's involvement in decisions about their health care and help promote clinical effectiveness. The initiative is the result of a collaboration between the Midwives Information and Resource Service and the NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination. The article describes the rigorous development process of the leaflets and discusses some of the issues raised by initiatives such as Informed Choice.
Accuracy of medication records for patients with learning difficulties: an interface audit between the Phoenix NHS Trust and Avon Primary Care Audit Group
Authors: Burrow Jenny , Rimmer James W.
Published: January 2008

Discrepancies over medication records for patients with learning difficulties living in community homes were highlighted by the Phoenix NHS Trust Clinical Audit Committee. Their concerns were shared with Avon Primary Care Audit Group and a patient‐centred interface audit was developed to address the issue. No major discrepancies were found although 27 cases (30%) of minor inconsistencies were uncovered. The recommendations of the audit should ensure that these inconsistencies are ironed out by suggesting that the home's drug chart accompanies patients for all medical contacts and that this home chart is used to update all other medication records.
Is systematic osteoporosis prevention and detection possible in a district hospital?
Authors: Ulahannan Thomas J. , Lavelle Linda A.
Published: January 2008

Osteoporosis demands systematic management for optimum use of resources. Guidelines from the Primary Care Rheumatology Society (PCRS) aim to improve its diagnosis and treatment. We identified all admissions over three months to a district general hospital of patients with fracture of femur, vertebra, or distal forearm and of women who underwent oophorectomy or hysterectomy. We audited their care using the criteria that the diagnosis and risk of osteoporosis should be recorded; that management should follow PCRS guidelines; and that this information should be communicated to general practitioners. An ideal standard of 100% compliance with these criteria was chosen. Overwhelmingly these audit criteria were not met, the only one that was met being the prescription of hormone replacement therapy after oophorectomy. Potential for prevention of 35% of hip and distal forearm fractures was identified, the commonest risk factor being long‐term corticosteroid therapy. Identification of high risk patients is feasible by simple methods and their management needs improvement. We suggest that a ‘long‐term corticosteroid therapy register’ and a dedicated ‘osteoporosis service’ would facilitate this.
Research utilization in nursing: barriers and opportunities
Authors: le May Andrée , Alexander Caroline , Mulhall Anne
Published: January 2008

This paper describes a recent study which investigated the research culture of 21 nurses, midwives and health visitors and their nine managers in three Trusts in England. Data were collected through in‐depth interviews and analysed using an adaptation of Colaizzi's framework. The results presented in this paper describe the opportunities for, and barriers to, research‐based practice within the three cultures. These findings emphasize the complexity of creating and sustaining a research culture within NHS Trusts.
Clinical effectiveness: the potential for change in maternity care
Authors: Iqbal Zafar , Clarke Michael , Taylor David J.
Published: January 2008

Aim: To assess the potential for improved clinical effectiveness through the use of research‐based evidence in obstetric care. Design: A questionnaire survey to obtain evidence about (i) the usage of reviews of controlled perinatal trials, and (ii) the attitudes of professionals towards the reviews and their practice, relating to 27 areas of clinical care addressed by the reviews. Subjects and setting: All doctors and midwives working in two teaching hospital maternity units (Units X and Y). Main outcome measures: The use of the reviews. For each of the 27 areas of clinical care, (i) whether a majority of professionals were in agreement with research‐based evidence, and (ii) how perceived current practice compared with research‐based evidence. Results: For most areas of clinical care (21/27 in unit X, 20/27 in unit Y) a majority of professionals agreed with the research‐based evidence. However, for a large proportion of these areas (16/21 in unit X, 12/20 in unit Y), practice appeared to be inconsistent with research‐based evidence. Conclusion: There is a considerable opportunity to improve clinical effectiveness, as in many of the areas of care examined professionals agree with research‐based evidence, but clinical practice appears to be inconsistent. The approach used in this study could be used to help develop practices for promoting clinical effectiveness.
The elderly, medicines and robust evidence from randomised control trials
Authors: Earl‐Slater Alan
Published: January 2008

This paper identifies and explores issues of medication, the elderly, and the problems in securing and using evidence from randomised control trials. Demographic and health care data are presented. While the elderly are a significant set of consumers of medicines, there is a lack of published evidence, in control trial format, on which medications are better for elderly patients. Even if all the trial evidence on a new drug was published before the drug was put on the market, as recently recommended, there are serious issues to consider in securing and using evidence from clinical trials. This paper indicates ten problems in securing and using evidence from randomised control trials. Three examples of randomised control trials involving the elderly are given. While it is easier to call for improvements in the evidence base than to achieve improvements, this paper argues that improvements are fundamentally necessary. This is because if no significant improvement comes through on the evidence base, we will never know if we are providing the elderly with the cost‐effective care and attention that they deserve.
Problems with implementing and evaluating the effect of locally developed guidelines for the management of dyspepsia
Authors: Patrick Hannah , Bolton Paul , Brickenden Karen
Published: January 2008

Introduction Clinical Guidelines are systematically developed statements which assist clinicians and patients in making decisions about appropriate treatment for specific conditions. While there have been great expectations of improving clinical practice many criticisms of the process have been made:
Audit of a dedicated osteoporosis clinic
Authors: Hall Judith M. , Fairney Angela
Published: January 2008

In this article an audit of the service provided by our osteoporosis clinic at St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, is described. The aim was to assess the quality of the service and to identify deficiencies that could be improved upon. It extended into primary care, and included an enquiry into patient satisfaction. From April to October 1995 154 patients (of whom 150 were female) were referred to the clinic. Of these 118 required a bone density measurement and 34% of patients had osteoporosis. The general practitioners (GPs) were satisfied with the waiting time for appointments and the standard of advice and treatment (>90%) but the standard set for communication was not achieved. The inadequate premises for the clinic did not deter the patients from documenting their satisfaction with the service provided. Subsequently, improvements have been made. We conclude that an osteoporosis clinic is an important part of the shared care approach to prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.
Is there any place for the physiotherapist service in the fracture clinic?
Authors: Nashi M. , Ashby Verna , Muddu B.N. , Tate Maggie
Published: January 2008

The role of the physiotherapist's services in the fracture clinic was audited to evaluate whether the number of treatments required by the patients was reduced, whether waiting time for an appointment was reduced, and patients' views of the physiotherapy services in the fracture clinic.
Cholesterol reduction for the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease: a successful multi‐disciplinary approach to implementing evidence‐based treatment in a district general hospital
Authors: Giles Paul D. , Cunnington Alan R. , Payne Mark , Crothers David C. , Walsh Mark S.
Published: January 2008

The Walsall clinic for survivors of myocardial infarction is described. Coronary heart disease is a major health issue in Walsall. The starting point for the project was the publication of the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S) in 1994, which showed the benefit of cholesterol treatment in these patients. Although the new clinic was established primarily to implement a 4S‐based regime, the cholesterol regime has been modified in the light of newer evidence, and the service broadened to encompass cardiological assessment and the use of other forms of secondary prevention. Several factors have contributed to the success of the service, including support from the Health Authority, patient involvement, partnership with Primary Care and the use of information technology. The latter has integrated routine clinical record keeping and correspondence with complete prospective audit data accumulation and measurement of performance against evidence‐based standards. These principles are of potential value in other clinical effectiveness initiatives.
TOWARDS A PROFILE OF THE VISIONARY LEADER
Authors: Richardson Bill , Gregory Anthea , Turton Sara
Published: January 2008

This paper seeks to address the important modern management issue of vision management. In particular, it attempts to provide examples of, and to differentiate between three different types of visionary who have been the focal points for the theorists working in this area. It presents a profile of the ‘ideal visionary’ as portrayed by theory and provides a checklist of generic visionary qualities to help those readers who need to assess a would‐be visionary, and predict the likelihood of his/her achieving success at the top of an organisation. Finally, the paper notes that the strengths of the visionary are often the sources of his/her eventual failure. These strengths‐come‐weaknesses have been identified along with more externally generated organisational performance reducers.
INTRODUCING SECOND GENERATION MANAGEMENT
Authors: Hall David
Published: January 2008

A new management ‘system’ has been developed which is so comprehensive and integrated that it provides a new direction in management thinking. On the basis of real‐life experiences at the ‘sharp end’ of management rather than theoretical research, it argues that business failures are not so much the fault of managers but a result of the entire system of management. The new approach that it recommends is so fundamentally different that I have named it ‘Second Generation Management’. Rather than ‘force‐fitting’ functional management systems into business plans with little synergy or linkage between them, Second Generation Management first identifies the comprehensive needs of the business. Using ‘shared models of management’, it develops a cadre of skilled managers to provide direction, co‐ordination and support so that the business operates as ‘one brain’. This system of Second Generation Management has already been quietly and successfully implemented by a variety of companies on both sides of the Atlantic.
SMALL FIRMS AND THE PROSPECT OF RECOVERY: A NOTE ON POLICY
Authors: Chittenden Francis
Published: January 2008

There has been a trickle of recent evidence that the current recession is coming to an end. From a number of perspectives it may be argued that it is fortunate that the pace of recovery from the longest post‐war recession is faltering and slow. How can slow recovery from the longest recession since the war be welcome when almost 44% of the small businesses responding to the National Westminster Bank / Small Business Research Trust surveys report low turnover or lack of business as the major constraint, with the smallest businesses being affected most? The reason is that the economic and social policy cocktail which offers the prospect of sustained growth has yet to be discovered in the UK, if indeed such policies exist. Over the past thirty years (excluding the oil shock of the early 1970s) two periods of decline in real GDP have occurred, both since 1980 (Budget Statement 1990/1). It thus appears that the downside swings in the economy are becoming more pronounced. Recent reductions in interest rates are helpful in encouraging recovery but policies which smooth rather than accentuate fluctuations in the levels of economic activity are what is really required. These policies need to be established within the context of a strategy for managing the UK economy. Such a strategy must incorporate the role of small firms which, as recent evidence shows, continue to be a very important segment of industry and commerce despite the ravages of recession.
MARKETING PLANNING IN SMALL FIRMS: AN ASSESSMENT AND AGENDA FOR SURVIVAL AND GROWTH
Authors: Mackintosh Susan , Tynan Caroline
Published: January 2008

Recent research has confirmed that marketing continues to have a low status among small firms in the UK. This paper considers the theory of marketing planning and its relevance to small firms, and reports on the key findings of a qualitative research project which investigated the levels of understanding and utilisation of marketing and marketing planning in small Cambridgeshire firms. The results of this project confirm that marketing is misunderstood and underutilised in most small firms. However, the findings also show that many firms are anxious to improve their marketing activity, but are unsure about where to turn for assistance. A practical framework is proposed which would assist small firms in taking a more disciplined approach to marketing without adopting strategic marketing planning, which is seen by many as daunting and inflexible. The findings of this research project have implications both for small firm owner/managers and for service providers who want to assist small firms to survive and grow in the mid‐1990s and beyond.
DEFENCE SECTOR PROCUREMENT AND THE SMALL, MILITARY‐INDUSTRIAL FIRM
Authors: Graham Gary , Kenny Brian
Published: January 2008

The proper matching of industry structure to strategy is expected to have a positive impact upon organisational performance. This relationship has not been fully examined in the defence industry. The central aim of this paper is to link the competitive performance of small, high technology defence firms to their ability to adapt to industry structure changes. With this in mind a study was conducted to extend Porter's (1980) framework of the strategic management of industry structural change. The study draws upon the experiences of 40 small, high technology defence firms in the UK. Firms in the sample range from 5 to 200 employees, and £50,000 to £10m sales turnover. The study broadens the findings of exploratory research undertaken in the buying department of two large defence firms. A questionnaire was designed to identify macro level phenomena and detail hypotheses generated by the case studies. The empirical analysis of the creation and sustaining of competitive advantages will focus on strategic determinants, and inter‐organisational variables that influence the performance of small firms in tendering for defence sub‐contracts.
CHANGES IN THE NATURE OF UK SMALL BUSINESS RESEARCH, 1980–1990
Authors: Watkins David
Published: January 2008

Significant changes have taken place in the nature, organisation and management of research on the UK SME sector over the past decade. This is the first in a short series of papers documenting and analysing those changes. The data set addressed is the published proceedings of the ‘UKEMRA’ annual research conferences, which constitute the most comparable relevant source of research output between the late 1970s and the early 1990s. This paper focuses specifically on the changing nature of the production process in SME research. It demonstrates that there has been a strong trend towards institutionalisation, with a shift in the modal form of production from sole workers to research teams. Furthermore, these teams have increasingly worked across institutions and, in a significant proportion of cases, collaboration has extended beyond academics to potential users/funders of research output. Finally, there appears to be little continuity between those active at the beginning and end of the time period reviewed. The implications for the future organisation of SME research are briefly discussed.
IN DEFENCE OF BUSINESS PLANNING: WHY AND HOW IT STILL WORKS FOR SMALL FIRMS AND ‘CORPORATIONS OF SMALL BUSINESS UNITS’
Authors: Richardson Bill
Published: January 2008

This paper explains what business planning is and why it is being criticized. It differentiates between business planning (which focuses on the strategic development of the small firm or business unit) and corporate planning (which deals with the strategic direction and activities of the bigger, multi‐operation corporation). Ultimately, the paper comes to the defence of business planning by identifying where and how it can still be a useful tool for organizational leaders to employ in their job and primary drivers of the strategic development function. The secret of successful business planning is to use it in appropriate contexts as one aspect of a more comprehensive repertoire of strategic leadership approaches and to avoid the pitfalls which detract from its otherwise efficacy.
LILLIPUT LANE
Authors: Thompson John L.
Published: January 2008

Lilliput Lane, based on the edge of the English Lake District, manufactures a range of miniature plaster cottages which are marketed to customers throughout the world, many of whom are committed collectors. This case study traces the early growth of the company in the 1980s, its subsequent setbacks, a successful turn‐around, followed by a flotation and sale in the 1990s. It focuses on the issues of strategic leadership, stakeholder expectations, core competencies, adding value, diversification and focus strategies. Lilliput Lane has been written for the purpose of class discussion. It should not be taken to reflect either effective or ineffective management.
DOCKSPEED LTD
Authors: Brown Robert , Tait Peter
Published: January 2008

Dockspeed Ltd., features Andy Ingleston, an entrepreneurial graduate with “diesel in his blood” and a passion to create his own business. Part A described Andy's initial business idea, to assist small hauliers avoid wasted driver down time in the congested mid‐1980's Dover port. Parts B & C track the opportunities taken by the entrepreneurial owner to build the company from a single vehicle to a well controlled refrigerated transport fleet, with subsidiaries in France and Spain.
JOHN WILLIAMS: ENTREPRENEUR
Authors: McLarty Roy
Published: January 2008

The process of small business establishment is examined in a step by step approach with reference to John Williams. Initially, the entrepreneurial focus is considered and the case study leads to the examination of entrepreneurial traits. Some facts relating to the owners personal situation are given. As opportunities appear they are also presented for decision‐making purposes and these lead into marketing issues such as customer identification, environmental influences and the marketing mix variables. As the case study concludes, it establishes a focus on the future direction of the firm, bearing in mind a record of sales 23% above target for the first year. There are four assignment stages, each of which is free‐standing: the start‐up decision; preparation of a business plan; marketing planning; and planning for growth. The learning experience of this case study is broad and it has been specifically developed to suit a wide range of readers from academic and non‐academic backgrounds.
MARKETING LOCAL ENTERPRISE AGENCIES
Authors: Kirk‐Smith Michael , Gault William
Published: January 2008

Business start‐ups and enterprise development are supported by the UK Government through Local Enterprise Agencies (LEAs) with the provision of managed workspaces and ancillary facilities. Local Enterprise Agency managers may not have business or marketing backgrounds. The extent of use of marketing concepts and practices by staff in LEAs was investigated. A questionnaire was sent to a sample of 30 LEA managers (10% of all LEAs) covering their understanding of LEAs' market ‘positioning’, promotional activity and client targeting. The findings show that the application of formal marketing approaches is weak, even among LEA managers who possess marketing qualifications. It seems unlikely that potentially successful entrepreneurs are seen as a target market by LEA staff or are actively attracted to take advantage of the facilities and services available. Local Enterprise Agencies emphasize the importance of capabilities in business planning, in their clients. However, entrepreneurs are, in general, notably weak in this business function and LEAs may therefore be de‐selecting entrepreneurs in their selection procedures. These findings suggest a weakness in LEA operations. It is recommended that training in marketing specifically tailored to the LEAs' task should be given to LEA managers.
CHANGES IN THE MARKET FOR SMALL BUSINESS TRAINING: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TRAINERS
Authors: Nelson Edwin G. , Gibb Yolanda K.
Published: January 2008

The context in which changing small business needs and the impact of government policies are making new demands on trainers are reviewed. The performance of the SME sector as a whole, and the survival and competitiveness of individual firms, are factors of critical importance in both developed and developing economies. This is recognised by the UK Government, which is adopting measures designed to stimulate the take‐up of services designed for the support of small firms. Thus, the SME sector offers a potentially large and relatively unexploited market for business trainers in which demand depends on the relevance of the supply of training as perceived by owner‐managers. The key to this market is the competence of small business trainers to design and deliver relevant products. This is an important determinant of the choice and quality of the support on offer to owner‐managers. An indicative survey of small business trainers in the UK shows that they themselves recognise a need to enhance their competence in both the design and delivery of products through continued professional development. The way forward for the professional development of trainers is discussed.
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN SMALL FIRMS: KEEPING IT STRICTLY INFORMAL
Authors: Benmore Graham , Palmer Adam
Published: January 2008

Recent research into the use of human resource (HR) practices within small firms suggests that it is characterized by an absence of personnel policies, limited planning and little strategic integration. These practices are further explored by reviewing some of the results obtained from a survey into the attitudes towards and existence of HR practices within small businesses. The specific issues considered are the extent to which HR practices operate formally or informally, the attitudes of owner‐managers towards them and the extent to which the attitudes expressed are consistent with their use. The results indicate a very high take‐up rate for each of ten specific practices identified in the survey. In most instances this is reflected in the utilization of informal practices rather than formal systems. Similarly, owner‐managers exhibit positive attitudes towards five of the six HR dimensions adopted for the study, suggesting a consistency between practices and attitudes. The findings of this small sample suggest that HR practices appear to be more widely used in small businesses than has previously been recognized, although there remains a reluctance to formalize the arrangements adopted.
TECS: AN APPROPRIATE MODEL FOR SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL BUSINESSES?
Authors: Jones Andrew , Joyce Paul , Woods Adrian , Black Sharon , Shaw Susan
Published: January 2008

The emergence of the global economy between the late 1970s and the late 1980s, with its concomitant intensification of competitive pressures, has been accompanied by a search for appropriate objectives, policies and mechanisms for developing private enterprise in the UK. The current UK Government has attempted to accommodate the varied local needs of the private business sector, and the need for support by public authority, by creating the Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) network. This offers a devolved management structure for the delivery of enterprise support and training services and a means of creating public‐private partnerships in the stimulation of local economic growth. An overall view is given of this initiative, based on an appreciation of the critical interactions between central government, the TECs, private sector organizations and representative forums for local business. Drawing on current theories of governance to suit the new conditions of the 1990s, a contribution is made to discussions of the evolution of public policy and its effect on the development of a healthy and vigorous private enterprise sector.
FACILITATING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN DEPRIVED COMMUNITIES
Authors: Boraston Ian , Gill John , Shipton John , Jennings Peter L.
Published: January 2008

Using evidence from a programme of interviews with owners of small businesses, the possible problems which can arise for providers of support services when seeking to help potential entrepreneurs in deprived communities are considered. The focus is a co‐operative development initiative whose history is traced from its origins in the early 1980s, when the process aims of co‐operation were arguably as important as commercial success, to its current form with a more avowedly business ethos. The interviews had, as their principal purpose, to discover whether support could be provided and in what way, and what differences existed between assistance for the entrepreneur and the owner‐manager. A discussion of the distinction between entrepreneurs and owner‐managers provides a basis for analysing the firms in the study. Owner‐management rather than entrepreneurship is argued to be the more appropriate frame and support initiatives are discussed mainly in that context. Training, information (particularly from networking) and consultancy advice are considered as the principal ways of helping businesses of this type.
MARKETING DEVELOPMENT THROUGH NETWORKING: A COMPETENCY BASED APPROACH FOR SMALL FIRM ENTREPRENEURS
Authors: Hill Jimmy , McGowan Pauric
Published: January 2008

In recent years the use of networks and, in particular, personal contact networks (PCNs) has emerged as a focus for research in the area of small firm entrepreneurship. A tacit theme emerging from this area has been the need for entrepreneurs to develop a competency in using their PCNs as a means of resolving marketing problems faced in developing their enterprises. The competency literature itself focuses primarily on the subject of management development, with scant attention given to the identification of specific competences for small firm entrepreneurs and, in particular, the challenges they face in marketing decision‐making. Previous research by the authors addressed this shortcoming and pointed to the value of using PCNs for resolving marketing problems in the entrepreneurial small firm. A spectrum of entrepreneurial competences critical for marketing‐led enterprise development was developed. A conceptual model is proposed of how small firm entrepreneurs might use their existing competency strengths to develop a further competency in the proactive use of PCNs, a strength which is critical for the planned success of the entrepreneurial enterprise.
BUSINESS INCUBATORS AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT: NEITHER TRIED OR TESTED?
Authors: Martin Frank
Published: January 2008

Business incubators are now being considered or set up in many areas of the UK. There is, however, concern about the performance of these incubators in creating and developing new businesses. This paper examines published work on incubators, and links this to recent research in the UK to provide recommendations on the profile of a non‐profit incubator whose prime objective is the formation of new businesses.
STAYING THE COURSE: STRATEGIC COLLABORATION FOR SMALL, HIGH TECH FIRMS
Authors: Dickson Keith , Coles Anne‐Marie , Lawton Smith Helen
Published: January 2008

This paper is based on a research project about inter‐firm RD collaboration which was undertaken in two phases. In the first phase, which took place between 1988 and 1990, 27 pairs of small and large, technologically intensive firms were interviewed, all of which were in the process of RD collaboration. In the second phase, which took place approximately five years later, many of the original participants were recontacted to investigate both the fate of their original collaborations and the subsequent collaborative history of each firm. During the course of this second phase, a distinct group of small firms were identified which used long‐term collaboration as part of their innovation practice. These firms had gone through what was sometimes a fairly painful learning experience and had emerged as strategic collaborators.
MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT INTERVENTION STYLES AND THE SMALL ORGANISATION
Authors: Adamson Ivana
Published: January 2008

Sixty management consultants (30 with technical/scientific (T) background, and thirty with non‐technical (NT) background) operating in small companies (≤50 employees) were administered the Management Consultant Style Inventory (MCSI), based on the Blake and Mouton Consulcube. This was to test whether consultants operating in small organisations tend to use similar or whether they have preferred styles of intervention. The results show that there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. Statistically significant differences (based on age and gender) were found within the groups (for the T group, F4,29s at p <0.001, and the NT group F2,29 = 3.85s at p < 0.025). When taking into account subgroups with n = 7 or more, the most preferred intervention style was the Catalytic (T, male, 41−y, n = 15, mean score = 28 out of 40s.d. = 4.8), and the least preferred was the Prescriptive (NT, male, 41–50 years, n = 10, mean score = 21s.d. = 3.8). © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and European Research Press Ltd.
ETHICS AND ENTERPRISE: THE ROLE OF THE COMPANY DIRECTOR DISQUALIFICATION ACT
Authors: Lane Lee Jennifer , Gladstone Bryan
Published: January 2008

The purpose of this article is to consider how society and the legal system views and treats directors of businesses that fail and to consider the implications for small business entrepreneurship. Our particular concern is that the ambivalent social and legal attitude to risk‐taking may discourage enterprise and damage the health of the economy.
THE CHANGING INTERNATIONAL SCOPE OF EXECUTIVE SEARCH AND SELECTION
Authors: Christine Britton L. , Doherty Christine M. , Ball Derrick F.
Published: January 2008

The size structure of the executive recruitment consultancy industry is similar to that found in other business service industries in that the industry is predominantly comprised of small firms. This paper considers the reasons for small firm size in the industry and looks at the implications this has for expansion into Europe. The size structure of the industry is mainly due to the nature of the outcome, the service provision process and the barriers to growth which are a result of the particular client‐consultant relationship. Increased globalization of markets has led to an increase in the amount of international work carried out by executive recruitment consultancies. The larger international consultancies with branches in most European countries are in a strong position to take advantage of this. For the small consultancies wishing to offer international services, the main method adopted is to enter or establish an international network. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and European Research Press Ltd.
SINCLAIR v. NEIGHBOUR
Authors: Sellers L.J. , Davies L.J. , Sachs L.J.
Published: January 2008

October 21, 1966 Master and Servant — Summary dismissal — Manager of betting shop — Manager's “borrowing” of money from till for private gambling — Repayment of money by manager — Whether instant dismissal justified.
YETTON v. EASTWOODS FROY LTD.
Authors: Blain J.
Published: January 2008

June 10, 1966 Master and servant — Wrongful dismissal — Damages — Joint managing director — Offer of employment as assistant managing director at same emolument — Whether reasonable to refuse — Relevance of circumstances of dismissal — Whether attempts to find other employment reasonable.
McARDLE v. ANDMAC ROOFING CO. AND OTHERS McARDLE v. NEWTON BROTHERS SAME v. SAME SAME v. SAME
Authors: Sellers L.J. , Davies L.J. , Davies Edmund
Published: January 2008

November 23, 1966 Negligence — Duty of care to whom? — Several contractors — Number of small sub‐contractors providing labour for work on site — No provision in contracts for necessary safety precautions — Main contractor retaining over‐riding control — Sub‐contractor's men working in close proximity to opening in roof — Fall of workman employed by other sub‐contractor through unfenced opening — Liability of all contractors — Apportionment.
LOVELIDGE v. ANSELM ODLING & SONS LTD.
Authors: Widgery J.
Published: January 2008

December 15, 1966 Building and construction — Safety regulations — “Machinery” Portable tool — Cutting wheel with partly uncovered flexible revolving shaft — Power derived from convenient electricity supply — Whether uncovered part of revolving shaft a “dangerous part of other machinery” — Whether duty to guard — Whether risk of accident foreseeable — Whether failure to guard negligence at common law — Construction (General Provisions) Regulations, 1961 (S.I. 1961 No. 1580), reg. 42.
TAYLOR v. GESTETNER LTD.
Authors: Paull J.
Published: January 2008

January 18, 1967 Factory — Passage — “Substance likely to cause persons to slip” — Water — Flooded passage floor swept but left with puddles — Reasonably practicable to make floor drier — Feet of passers down passage making grating damp — Employers' liability to employee slipping on grating — Factories Act, 1961 (9 & 10 Eliz. II, c. 34), s. 28.
INGLEFIELD v. MACEY
Authors: Ashworth J.
Published: January 2008

January 20, 1967 Master and Servant — Servant or independent contractor — Self‐employed workman agreeing to work for timberman — Intention that self employed status retained — Workman paid on daily basis and buying own insurance stamps — Experienced in timber trade — Direction what work to do but not how it should be done — Whether servant or independent contractor — Whether owed a duty to provide safe system of work — Extent of duty.
BARRY v. BLACK‐CLAWSON INTERNATIONAL LTD. AND OTHERS
Authors: Davies L.J. , Russell L.J. , Salmon L.J.
Published: January 2008

December 14, 1966 Negligence — Contractor — Faulty equipment supplied by sub‐contractor — Standards for guard rails ordered from reputable sub‐contractors — Sub‐contractors supplied by well known manufacturers — Defective standards supplied — Use of guard rail by building owners' employees for purpose for which not intended — Collapse of guard rail because of defective standard — Injury causing death to independent contractor — Defect in standards not apparent on visual inspection — Whether duty to inspect — Liability of building owners — Liability of contractors and sub‐contractors — Applicability of Building (Safety, Health & Welfare) Regulations, 1948 (S.I. 1948 No. 1145).
FRASER v. B. N. FURMAN (PRODUCTIONS) LTD., MILLER SMITH & PARTNERS (A FIRM) THIRD PARTY
Authors: Willmer L.J. , Diplock L.J. , Winn L.J.
Published: January 2008

May 10, 1967 Insurance — Employer's liability — Breach by brokers of contract to obtain employer's liability insurance — Damage flowing — Condition precedent in form of policy envisaged that employers should take reasonable precautions to prevent accidents — Accident to employee — Negligence and breach of statutory duty to fence dangerous machine established against employers — Risk not appreciated by employers — Whether employers would have been indemnified by insurers — “Reasonable precautions” — Whether necessary to establish their legal liability to do so — Whether probability of payment as matter of business policy sufficient.
REGAN v. G. & F. ASPHALT LTD.
Authors: Blain J.
Published: January 2008

April 10, 1967 Building — Safety regulations — Roof — Barrel roof ending in flat roof at either end — Flat roof 20 feet from ground — Workman on duckboard on barrel roof — Workman's fall from roof — Whether flat roof a “working place”— Whether flat roof or duckboard a “gangway”—Whether duckboard “adequate foothold”— Whether duckboard “safe meats of access and egress” — Building (Safety, Health and Welfare) Regulations, 1948 (S. I. 1948, No. 1145), regs. 24(1), 27(2), 31(1) — Construction (General Provisions) Regulations, 1961 (S. I. 1961 No. 1580) reg.7(1).
SEAGER v. COPYDEX LTD.
Authors: Denning M.R. , Salmon L.J. , Winn L.J.
Published: January 2008

April 18, 1967 Confidence — Confidential information — Duty — Patented invention — Confidential disclosure of similar features during business negotiations — Unconscious use of information without consent — Partly public and partly private information — Damages.
PARRY v. CLEAVER
Authors: Denning M.R. , Salmon L.J. , Winn L.J.
Published: January 2008

May 9, 1967 Damages — Personal injuries — Quantum — Pension — Compulsory contribution — Police pension fund — Right to disability pension on discharge from police — Whether pension to be taken into account in claim for damages.
SMITH (FORMERLY WESTWOOD) v. NATIONAL COAL BOARD
Authors: Reid  , Hodson  , Guest  , Pearce  , Upjohn
Published: January 2008

May 22, 1967 Mines — Colliery — Rail track — Dirt‐stack less than three feet from line — Shunter accompanying train — Path across dirt‐stack — Route shunter was “required” to follow — Negligence at common law — Coal and Other Mines (Sidings) Regulations, 1956 (S.I. 1956, No. 1773), reg. 20.
KAY v. I.T.W. LTD.
Authors: Sellers L.J. , Danckwerts L.J. , Sachs L.J.
Published: January 2008

April 24, 1967 Master and Servant — Vicarious liability — Scope of employment — Customer's five ton vehicle blocking access to warehouse — Driver of fork lift truck's inability to gain access — Attempted removal of five ton lorry by driver of truck — Accident to fellow employee — Whether in course of employment — Liability of employers.
HILL v. ARCHBOLD
Authors: Denning M.R. , Danckwerts L.J. , Winn L.J.
Published: January 2008

June 16, 1967 Master and Servant — Maintenance of suit — Trade union's paid officials — Defamation action — Union's legal assistance to officials for libel action — Whether maintenance — No express power to pay officials' costs in union rules — Whether fairly ancillary to work of servants and business of union.
AGRICULTURAL SUPPLIES (IPSWICH) LTD. v. RUSHMERE
Authors: Plowman J.
Published: January 2008

May 31, 1967 Restraint of trade — Master and servant — Sales representative — Wholesalers and retailers of veterinary products — Employee undertaking not to sell in direct competition for one year after leaving employment in the area for which employed — Whether reasonably necessary to protect goodwill — Whether limited to employer's customers — Undertaking four years after commencement of employment — Whether void for uncertainty — Whether enforceable.
LITTLER v. G. L. MOORE (CONTRACTORS) LTD.
Authors: Brabin J.
Published: January 2008

May 9, 1967 Building — Safety regulations — “Process” — Cutting glazed earthenware drainpipe with hammer and chisel — Whether “cutting … stone, concrete, slag or similar materials by means of a hand tool (other than a trowel)” — Whether “process” — Protection of eyes of person engaged in process — Goggles not provided — Eye injury caused by particle of metal from tool — Whether necessity to provide protection against particle flying from tool — Whether damages awardable to cover contingency of possible eye deterioration — Construction (General Provisions) Regulations, 1961 (S. I. 1961 No. 1580), reg.52, Sched. (2)
NIMMO v. ALEXANDER COWAN AND SONS LIMITED
Authors: Reid  , Guest  , Upjohn  , Wilberforce  , Pearson
Published: January 2008

July 23, 1967 Factory — Place of work — Duty to keep safe — “So far as is reasonably practicable” — Onus of proof — Factories Act, 1961 (9&10 Eliz. II,c.34), s. 29(1).
HOUGHTON v. HACKNEY BOROUGH COUNCIL (NOTE)
Authors: Diplock J.
Published: January 2008

May 17, 1961 Master and servant — Safe system of work — Injury by criminals — Whether duty of reasonable care not to expose servant to unnecessary risk of injury by criminals — Rent collector — Robbery in room without barrier — Porter ordered to be in vicinity — Whether precautions reasonable.
REG1NA v. INDUSTRIAL INJURIES COMMISSIONER EX PARTE CABLE
Authors: Denning M.R. , Willmer L.J. , Davies L.J.
Published: January 2008

November 14, 1967 National insurance — Industrial injuries benefit — Assessment — “Disabilities” to be taken into account — Disease contracted after, and not directly attributable to, accident — Eye loss resulting from accident — Subsequent contraction of non‐attributable disease in remaining eye before date of assessment — Claimant's “physical and mental condition at date of assessment” — Whether near blindness “result of” injury through accident — Whether rides modified by regulations — National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act, 1965 (c.52), s.12, Sch.4, paras. 1,2 — National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) (Benefit) Regulations, 1964 (S.I. 1964 No. 504), regs. 2,3.
BALL v. RICHARD THOMAS & BALDWINS LTD.
Authors: Willmer L.J. , Davies L.J. , Davies Edmund
Published: January 2008

November 28, 1967 Factory — Lifting tackle — Hook — Steelworks — Removal of scab — Hook placed under it — Hook suspended from chain of crane — Strain taken up by crane to enable brick to be placed under scab — Whether “raising” operation — Factories Act, 1961 (9 & 10 Eliz. II. c.34), s. 26(1).
THORNTON v. FISHER & LUDLOW LTD.
Authors: Danckwerts L.J. , Diplock L.J. , Sachs L.J.
Published: January 2008

February 28, 1968 Factory — Lighting — “Sufficient and suitable” — Effective lighting provided — Lighting not switched on — Whether breach of statutory duty — Roadway 30 feet wide — Whether “passage” or “gangway” — Factories Act, 1961 (9 & 10 Eliz.II, c.34), ss.5(1), 28(1).
EVANS v. SANDERSON BROS. & NEWBOULD LTD.
Authors: Danckwerts L.J. , Diplock L.J. , Sachs L.J.
Published: January 2008

March 12, 1968 Factory — “Lifting machine” — Push button control — Workman operating crane thereby, ruptured thumb — Stiff buttons assumed to be faulty control — Stiffness caused by fault in electrical circuit — Whether part of lifting machine — Factories Act, 1961 (9 & 10 Eliz.II,c.34), s.27(1).