bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Culture on Organizational Design and Planning and Control in Australia and the United States Compared with Singapore and Hong Kong
Authors: Harrison Graeme L. , McKinnon Jill L. , Panchapakesan Sarala , Leung Mitzi
Published: April 2007

This study draws on the national cultural dimensions of power distance, individualism, and Confucian dynamism to predict and explain differences in philosophies for, and approaches to organizational design and management planning and control systems in Australia and the US, representing Anglo‐American nations, and Singapore and Hong Kong, representing the ‘five dragons' of East Asia. Data were gathered by survey questionnaires mailed to senior accounting and finance executives in 800 organizations.

The results were largely as predicted and, in general, provide support for the importance of national culture in influencing organizational design and management planning and control systems. In particular, the cultural values of Anglo‐American society relative to East Asian society are associated with a greater emphasis on decentralization and responsibility centres in organizational design, and a greater emphasis on quantitative and analytical techniques in planning and control. By contrast, the cultural values of East Asian society are associated with a greater emphasis on long‐term planning and on group centred decision‐making. The results are important to managers in global organizations who need to understand the cultural bases of observed differences in organizational and management planning and control practices in Anglo‐American and East Asian nations.
Voluntary Disclosure in the Annual Reports of New Zealand Companies
Authors: Hossain M. , Perera M. H. B. , Rahman A. R.
Published: April 2007

New Zealand is currently experiencing a liberal and competitive economic environment which has led to a greater investment interest in corporate securities. Likewise, New Zealand firms are also developing strategies to attract investors, for example, through voluntary disclosure of information. Therefore, the level of information voluntarily disclosed by New Zealand companies is of interest to prospective investors. The purpose of this study is to examine empirically the relationship between five firm‐specific characteristics and the general level of accounting information voluntarily disclosed by companies listed on New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZSE). In this study the a priori expectations are based on agency theory. The five firm‐specific characteristics examined are: firm size, leverage, assets‐in‐place, type of auditor, and foreign listing status. The results obtained from cross‐sectional regression show that firm size, foreign listing status and leverage are significantly related to the extent of voluntary disclosure. In contrast assets‐in‐place and type of auditor are not significant explanatory variables. A study of this type would be of particular relevance to accounting policy makers because, inter alia, it helps them in (a) understanding corporate disclosure behaviour, (b) explaining why firms adopt certain disclosure strategies, and (c) developing a coherent and acceptable set of mandatory disclosure requirements.
An Empirical Analysis of International Accounting Standards, Equity Markets, and Economic Growth in Developing Countries
Authors: Larson Robert K. , Kenny Sara York
Published: April 2007

The International Accounting Standards Committee receives widespread support for its efforts to ‘harmonize’ international accounting. International Accounting Standards (IASs) are, however, controversial, particularly in the context of developing countries. The authors report the results of an exploratory study empirically examining the relationships between the adoption of IASs, equity market development, and economic growth in developing countries with equity markets. They analyzed 27 developing countries by means of a cross‐national sociological research design and partial least squares. The results indicate no major association between developing countries' equity market development and economic growth due to adoption of IASs. Questions for future research are proposed.
Failure Prediction: Evidence from Korea
Authors: Altman Edward I. , Eom Young Ho , Kim Dong Won
Published: April 2007

This study is an attempt to construct and test a distress classification model for Korean companies. Utilizing a sample of 34 distressed firms from the recent 1990‐1993 period and a matched (by industry and year) sample of non‐failed firms, we observe the classification accuracy of two models. Both models utilize measures of firm size, asset turnover, solvency and leverage with one model available for testing only on publicly traded companies and one model applicable to all public and private entities. We observe excellent classification accuracy based on data from the first two years prior to distress. And, although the accuracy drops off after t‐2, the models still provide effective early warnings of distress in many cases. The results of this study are of particular relevance in the current financial market scenario of increased deregulation and greater individual financial institution decision making. It is somewhat ironic for us to be proposing the use of a financial distress early‐warning model given the current robust economic growth and low bankruptcy rate in Korea. But, the financial problems in Japan are a sobering reminder that high growth can be followed by financial excesses, increased business failures and large loan losses.
The American Civil Service
Authors: Bunning G. H. Stuart
Published: April 2007

Some time ago a committee at the Ministry of Labour asked me to lecture on the above. Procrastination, ill‐health, a good deal of work and other causes resulted in my addressing my audience with apologies and a few scrappy notes. The meeting was kinder that I deserved, but the following is a digest not so much of what I said, and is certainly not in the disorder in which I said it, as what I should have said if I had been able to give some time to its preparation.
Use of Sinking Funds, etc., for Capital Purposes
Authors: Long Ernest , Maxwell Eric
Published: April 2007

Civil Service Abroad: Great Britain, Canada, France, Germany by leonard d. white, Charles h. bland, walter. sharp and fritz morstfxn marx
Recruitment in the Public Service, with Special Reference to the New South Wales Public Service
Authors: Murray George
Published: April 2007

The functions of the State have so expanded that the public service has become of utmost importance: The need for an efficient civil service led England to abolish patronage in making appointments to the service: Similar reforms were attempted in Australia as early as 1862, but it was not until the passing of the New South Wales Public Service Act in 1895 that the reforms found very adequate expression: The operation of this Act has done much to improve the quality of the New South Wales public service, although the principles underlying the Act have been constantly violated: The present recruitment policy fails to attract the most desirable recruits to the service: There is urgent need for building up an administrative division to deal with the higher work of Government.
Departmental Reports
Authors: Willson F. M. G.
Published: April 2007

Book review in this article.

DEPARTMENTS WHICH DO NOT ISSUE ANY REPORTS

DEPARTMENTS WHICH ARE REQUIRED BY STATUTE TO ISSUE AN ANNUAL GENERAL REPORT

DEPARTMENTS WHICH ISSUE NON‐STATUTORY GENERAL REPORTS

DEPARTMENTS WHICH DO NOT ISSUE GENERAL REPORTS

CORONA THE JOURNAL OF H.M. COLONIAL SERVICE
Changes in the Administrative Organization of the Government of Pakistan since 1953
Authors: Ahmed G.
Published: April 2007

The Summer issue included the Haldane Essay by Professor Rowland A. Egger, entitled “Ministerial and Departmental Organization and Management in the Government of Pakistan.” That essay was a condensation of some of the chapters of a Report made by him to the Government of Pakistan in 1953. This article describes the principal administrative changes introduced in Pakistan since 1953. The author, who was till recently Chairman of the National Planning Commission, presided over two Committees appointed in 1956 and 1958 to study the administrative structure of the Government of Pakistan.
BOOK REVIEWS
Authors: Bock Edwin A. , Miller J. D. B. , Marshall A. H. , Keith‐Lucas Bryan , Happold Margaret , Davies Ernest , Grove J. W. , Grove J. W. , Hart Jenifer , Walker Nigel , Lawrence Michael
Published: April 2007

Book Reviews in This Article:

Administrators in Action By F. M. G. Willson.

New Dimensions in Foreign Policy By Max Beloff.

Development from Below By Ursula K. Hicks.

The Structure of Local Governments throughout the World By Samuel Humes and Eileen M. Martin.

Local Government in the United States of America.

Building by Local Authorities By Elizabeth Layton.

Parliament and Public Ownership By A. H. Hanson.

Basic Issues in Public Administration Edited by Donald C. Rowat.

State Sponsored Bodies By Garret FitzGerald.

The Australian Police Forces By G. M. O'Brien.

Attendance Centres By F. H. McClintock, in collaboration with M. A. Walker and N. C. Savill.

Parliament By G. A. Campbell.
Book Reviews
Authors: MADDICK HENRY , MACKENZIE W. J. M. , McCLELLAND W. G. , FOX ALAN , WALKER NIGEL , WALKER NIGEL , SHARPE L. J. , BELL REGINALD W.
Published: April 2007

Book Reviews in This Article:

Public Administration Problems of New and Rapidly Growing Towns in Asia

The World Role of Universities By Edward W. Weidner.

The Organizational Society By Robert Presthus. Alfred A. Knopf.

British Wages Council By F.J.Bayliss.

Offenders As Employees By J.P.Martin.

The Habitual Prisoner By D.J.West.

The Metropolitan Problem And American Ideas By Luther Halsey Gulick. Alfred A.Knopf.

The Compleat After‐Dinner Speaker By Gerald McKnight.
Book Reviews
Authors: GREAVES H. R. G. , MACKENZIE W. J. M. , JOHNSON NEVIL , STANYER JEFFREY , BUCHAN ALASTAIR , RHODES G. , RIDLEY F. , STUVEL G. , WALKER NIGEL , HUGHES R. P. F.
Published: April 2007

Book Reviews in This Article:

Representative and Responsible Government. A. H. Birch.

Bureaucracy and Political Development. Edited by Joseph LPalombara.

The British System of Government. Norman Wilson.

Social Leaders and Public Persons: A Study of County Government in Cheshire since 1888. J. M. Lee.

American Civil‐Military Decisions: A Book of Case Studies

State and Local Government: A Case Book. Edited by Edwin A. Bock.

Les sociétés locales d'économie mixte et leur contrǒle. F. ‐ J. Fabre, R. Morin and A. Serieyx.

La Prévision: Domaine — Méthodes — Résultats. J. Wolff.

Crimes of Violence. F. H. MClintock.

Modern Business Filing and Archives. Robert L. Collison.
BOOK REVIEWS
Authors: KLAPISCH‐ZUBER CHRISTIANE , GOLDBERG P. J. P. , WEIL RACHEL , CORI PAOLA Dl , KINNEAR MARY , PENNYBACKER SUSAN DABNEY , HOLTON SANDRA STANLEY
Published: April 2007

Book Reviews in this Article:

Caroline Walker Bynum, Holy Feast and Holy Fast: the religious significance of food to medieval women.

Judith M. Bennett, Women in the Medieval English Countryside: Gender and Household in Brigstock Before the Plague.

Susan Dwyer Amussen, An Ordered Society: Gender and Class in Early Modern England.

Martin Ingram, Church Courts, Sex and Marriage in England, 1570‐1640.

Franca Pieroni Bortolotti, Sul movimento politico delle donne. Scritti inediti.

Alison Prentice, Paula Bourne, Gail Cuthbert Brandt, Beth Light, Wendy Mitchinson and Naomi Black, Canadian Women: A History.

Patricia Hollis, Ladies Elect, Women in English Local Government, 1865‐1914.

Ann Morley with Liz Stanley, The Life and Death of Emily Wilding Davison. A Biographical Detective Story, with Gertrude Colmore's The Life of Emily Davison’.

Susan Kingsley Kent, Sex and Suffrage in Britain, 1860‐1914.
The Lund Project on Women's Autobiographies and Diaries in Sweden
Authors: SJÖBLAD CHRISTINA
Published: April 2007

Old volume, I do love you. For me—who cannot speak—it's a relief to be able to write. And to no one else than you can I write about things I am ashamed of, things I would like to tear out of my mind, if only I could. But I can't … The only means is to analyse.
THEMATIC REVIEWS
Authors: TWELLS ALISON
Published: April 2007

Clare Midgley, Women Against Slavery: The British Campaigns, 1780‐1870

Moira Ferguson (ed.) The Hart Sisters: Early African Caribbean Writers, Evangelicals, and Radicals

Moira Ferguson, Colonialism and Gender from Mary Wollstonecraft to Jamaica Kincaid: East Caribbean Connections

Doris Y. Kadish and Françoise Massardier‐Kenney (eds) Translating Slavery: Gender and Race in French Women's Writing, 1783‐1823

Michael Moon and Cathy N. Davidson (eds) Subjects and Citizens: Nation, Race, and Gender from Oroonoko to Anita Hill
The Validity of the Employment Interview: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Marchese Marc C. , Muchinsky Paul M.
Published: April 2007

The interview is the most widely used personnel selection method, but has revealed low reliability and validity compared with other selection methods (Mayfield 1964; Ulrich and Trumbo 1965; Schmitt 1976; Arvey 1979). Thirty‐one studies on the validity of the interview were meta‐analyzed. The result was an average validity coefficient of .27. The estimated true validity of the interview was calculated to be .38. These values indicated that the interview has moderate validity as a personnel selection device. Six characteristics of the interview were also examined in relation to the validity of the interview: structure of the interview; number of interviewers; length of the interview; gender of the applicant pool; blue‐collar/white‐collar jobs; and use of college students versus job applicants. The six study characteristics accounted for 30.9% of the variance in the validity of the interview. Structure of the interview appeared to be the only characteristic that moderated the validity of the interview. The relationship of this study to other meta‐analyses of the employment interview is discussed.
The Effect of Information Frame and Informant Gender on Judgements of Merit versus Gender‐Based Employment Selection
Authors: Singer M.S.
Published: April 2007

This study investigated the effect of information frame and informant gender on people's views on merit versus gender‐based selection. Results showed that people in general support merit selection and oppose preferential selection. However, the negative reaction to gender‐based selection could be attenuated when (1) female informants described the advantages of gender‐based selection to female respondents, and (2) male informants argued the same case to male respondents. In addition, the provision of justification further exacerbated perceptions of unfairness of gender‐based selection.
The Validity of Job Knowledge Measures
Authors: Dye David A. , Reck Martin , McDaniel Michael A.
Published: April 2007

The validity of written job knowledge tests as predictors of job performance and training success was examined. Based on a sample of 363,528 persons and 502 coefficients, meta‐analyses were performed to investigate the extent of validity generalization and the effects of two hypothesized moderator variables: content similarity and job complexity. Corrected mean validities were 0.45 for studies predicting job performance and 0.47 for studies of training success. Support was found for both moderators since validities were higher for high complexity jobs and when job‐test content similarity was high. The implications of this study for personnel selection and research in the area of work performance are discussed.
Gender‐Based Preferential Selection: Perceptions of Injustice and Empathy of Deprivation
Authors: Singer M.S.
Published: April 2007

Study 1 examined fairness perceptions about gender‐based selection. Using a 2 × 3 × 4 (sample × justification × merit discrepancy) between‐subjects design, and a scenario approach involving a hypothetical selection case, results showed that (1) males and females perceived gender‐based selection as unfair and that the level of perceived unfairness was directly related to the size of discrepancy in merits between the female appointee and the rejected male candidate, (2) the provision of either an ethical or a legislative justification exacerbated perceptions of injustice. To reframe the findings in the context of relative deprivation theory, study 2 repeated study 1 with a professional sample as well as both measures of fairness perceptions and feelings of deprivation. Results on fairness perceptions replicated those of study 1. Findings concerning deprivation included: (1) gender‐based selection induced a similar level of feeling (or empathy) of deprivation among male and female professionals; (2) the level of felt deprivation was not related to the size of merit discrepancy; (3) the provision of either form of justification further intensified feelings (or empathy) of deprivation. The implications were discussed within the framework of relative deprivation theory.
The Organizational Socialization Inventory
Authors: Taormina Robert J.
Published: April 2007

Organizational socialization is regarded as an interactive process between employees and their organizations such that employee perceptions of socialization may impact on the process. Four social‐psychological factors were theorized to influence employee perceptions of their socialization at work, namely: training; understanding; co‐worker support; and prospects for the future. Based on these four factors, an Organizational Socialization Inventory (OSI) was created as a quantitative measure of socialization in organizations. The OSI is intended for general use in a variety of organizational settings. This paper describes the construction of the OSI and its subscales, reports their reliabilities, relates the results of their initial validity tests, and suggests some potential uses of the OSI.
The Validity of the SHL Customer Service Questionnaire (CSQ)
Authors: Furnham Adrian
Published: April 2007

This study set out to validate the Saville and Holdsworth (SHL) Customer Services Questionnaire (CSQ) by relating test scores to ‘objective measures’ like absenteeism, punctuality, and letters of compliment and complaint, as well as subjective supervisor rating measures. Over 170 airport staff served as subjects. The dependent measures were logically related one to another and there were a few sex and rank differences on them. A number of significant correlations between CSQ subscales and the dependent measures showed two subscales (TC4) Approach to Organizing and (EC2) Need for Results the best correlates of the dependent variable. Of the subscales scores within the three factor scores Relations with People showed fewest significant correlations, and Emotions and Energy most. Results were discussed in terms of the limited research in this field.
Assessment Center Graduate Selection: Decision Processes, Validity, and Evaluation by Candidates
Authors: Jansen Paul , Stoop Bert
Published: April 2007

In this contribution, results are presented of research on the predictive validity of a procedure for the career‐oriented selection of graduates in The Netherlands. After selection on account of applicant letter, the selection procedure consists of four selective steps: interview with a ‘recruitment officer’, mental test, interview with line manager, and an assessment center comprising two situational exercises. Performance indicators investigated are present salary, average annual changes in function, appraisal of performance, appraisal of management potential, and average annual salary progression. We report on the relationships between the predictors, between the criteria, and between predictors and criteria. The assessment center, together with other steps from the selection procedure, appear to be valid for a number of performance indicators. The correlation between the overall assessment center rating and present salary, corrected for restriction in range, equals 0.55. Stepwise regression indicates that elements from all procedure steps contribute to the prediction of the criterion of average annual salary progression. The disturbing influence of possible ‘crown prince’ ‐effects on these results, are discussed. Also, the decision process taking place during the end meeting of the assessors is investigated. Finally, the evaluation of the procedure, both by accepted and by rejected candidates, is discussed. These and other results are compared to what is generally known about assessment centers.
The Correlation of General Cognitive Ability and Psychomotor Tracking Tests
Authors: Ree Malcolm James , Carretta Thomas R.
Published: April 2007

A study was conducted to investigate the nexus of cognitive and psychomotor tests as might be used for personnel selection and assessment. These two domains are frequently seen as independent. A multiple aptitude cognitive test battery and a psychomotor test battery were administered to 354 United States Air Force recruits. The average multiple correlation of the cognitive tests and each psychomotor score as a criterion was 0.34, corrected for range restriction. Confirmatory factor analyses disclosed general cognitive and general psychomotor factors, three lower‐order psychomotor factors, and two lower‐order cognitive factors. The general cognitive factor accounted for 39% of the variance and the general psychomotor factor accounted for 29% of the variance. Residualized, the lower‐order factors accounted for between 10% and 3% of the variance. The average g saturations (loadings) of the cognitive and psychomotor tests were 0.82 and 0.34 respectively. An implication for personnel selection is that the incremental validity of psychomotor tracking tests beyond the validity of cognitive tests will be small due to the commonality of measurement. A further implication of findings is the need to study the validity of the general and specific psychomotor factors.
Cutoff Scores that Optimize the Utility of a Fixed Quota of Successful Employees Selection Decision
Authors: De Corte Wilfried
Published: April 2007

The new utility model, proposed previously by the author, is used to establish test cutoff scores that optimize the utility of a ‘fixed quota of successful employees selection decision’. Within the model, the problem can be formulated as a constrained non‐linear program, and, to obtain the solution, a sequential quadratic programming method is implemented. Next, the approach is illustrated by means of an example application which relates to the selection of a fixed quota of five successful employees for an entrance management position. Apart from detailing certain computational aspects of the procedure, the example allows also to clarify the issue of practical relevance. Finally, the limitations, as well as a generalization of the procedure to the simultaneous estimation of both optimal test and criterion cutoffs, are discussed.
Exploring the Individual's Perception of Sources and Credibility of Feedback in the Work Environment
Authors: Bastos Margareth Walsh , Fletcher Clive
Published: April 2007

This study reports on the construction of an instrument to assess individuals' perceptions of feedback from various sources in a work environment, and to investigate the effects of the sources' credibility on those perceptions. Six dimensions were found to reflect the sources of feedback and the type of information they convey, and 10 dimensions were found to represent the degree of credibility the individual attributes to the sources of feedback. Data collected from a heterogeneous sample of 706 employees in the UK and Brazil were analysed to establish the reliability and construct validity of the questionnaire.
Applied Computer Diagnostics — Theoretical Foundations and Future Perspectives
Authors: Jäger Reinhold S. , Krieger Winfried , Dlugosch Gabriele E.
Published: April 2007

The paper reviews and discusses a number of issues relating to the use of computer technology to assist the process of assessing psychologically relevant variables — computer‐assisted diagnostics. A definition of computer‐assisted diagnostics is given and theoretical developments are discussed. The paper emphasizes the need to consider theoretical issues relating to a number of domains: theory of content, test theory, human—computer interaction, programming theory, instructional theory, normative theory and situation theory. The paper concludes with a view of the current situation and future perspectives, and describes some important ethical issues.
‘Merit’, ‘Preferential’or ‘Diversity‐Based’Selection: Effect of Information Frame and Informant Gender on the Public's Views on Preferential Treatment in Selection
Authors: Singer M.
Published: April 2007

The study examined (1) the public's reactions to the philosophical justifications for merit vs. preferential selection, and (2) the effect of information frame (i.e. ‘merit’, ‘preferential’and ‘diversity’frames) and informant gender on people's views on preferential selection. Results show that in general the public supported merit selection and opposed the preferential practice and that their reactions to the justifications for a selection practice determined the level of support for (or opposition to) that practice. In addition, people's support for merit selection was weakened under the preferential‐frame‐female‐informant condition; their opposition to preferential selection was also reduced when a male informant advocated the advantages of the preferential practice by using the term diversity‐based selection instead of preferential selection. Results were discussed in the context of the social influence literature.
A Comparison of the Validity of Handwriting Analysis With That of the Cattell 16PF
Authors: Bushnell I.W.R.
Published: April 2007

Few British organizations utilize handwriting analysis for personality assessment, but in some European countries handwriting analysis is extremely popular. Research has examined the reliability and validity of both methods of assessment, but few studies have directly compared the two. In this study, the personality of 120 subjects was assessed by the Cattell 16PF and by handwriting analysis. Each subject was presented with five handwriting analysis textual reports and five personality textual reports (one of each being their own) and asked to rank order each set in terms of perceived accuracy. The same ranking process was undertaken by each respondent's social partner. The results demonstrated that handwriting reports were ranked at a chance level by Self and by Other and that personality reports were ranked at a well above chance level by Self and by Other. Self‐rankings were more accurate than Other‐rankings.
Better Candidates Fly Fewer Training Hours: Another Time Testing Pays Off
Authors: Duke Anne P. , Ree Malcolm James
Published: April 2007

The relationship between Pilot Candidate Selection Method (PCSM) scores and the number of flying training hours required to complete United States Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) was investigated on a sample of 1,082 graduates. This was done to demonstrate that ability testing has real world correlates and that cost savings accrued as a result of ability testing. The criterion ‘extra flying hours’ was computed by subtracting each student's cumulative flying hours from the sample mean. The correlations (corrected for range restriction) between PCSM scores and primary and advanced flying training extra hours were −0.206 and −0.270, respectively. Demonstrating that UPT graduates with higher PCSM scores required fewer flying hours to complete training facilitates the estimation of the cost avoidance achieved by ability tests.
Action theory: a tool for understanding in social work
Authors: Berglind H.
Published: April 2007

This article presents a theoretical framework that can be used not only for understanding the client but also one's own action as a practitioner. This framework, which has its roots mainly within philosophy and social psychology, uses terms of everyday language that are given a more precise meaning in the conceptual analysis of the Finnish philosopher G. H. von Wright. The application of action theory to social work practice is briefly described. The approach can be seen as an expansion of the problem‐solving method developed by Helen Harris Perlman.
Adult adjustment problems of separated children: a longitudinal study from birth to the age of 23 years
Authors: Bergman L.R. , Wångby M.
Published: April 2007

The study investigated the risk of adult criminality, alcohol abuse and mental health problems (between 18 and 23 years of age) that were associated with a) the number of separations to which a child had been subjected, b) age at separation and c) the sex of the child. Data were used from a Swedish longitudinal study of a large representative sample. It was found that: 1) experiencing a separation during childhood was associated with a significantly increased risk of later maladjustment for all 3 adjustment problems; 2) the risk increased approximately additively with the number of separation events experienced during childhood; and 3) for all 3 adjustment problems, the risks were largest in the case of early (before age 7) and late (age 12‐16) separations and there was not any significant risk increase arising from separations in the intervening age period. These risk increase patterns were similar for males and females, but the levels differed, since male sex in itself almost quadrupled the odds for later criminality and alcohol abuse.
The residential home – what difference does it make?: Comparing the public systems of care for the elderly and disabled in two Swedish municipalities
Authors: Lagergren M.
Published: April 2007

Two municipalities in Sweden – Solna and Sigtuna – have taken part in a project (the ASIM project) aimed at developing a system for monitoring and analysing the public system of long‐term care and assistance for elderly and disabled people. The two municipalities have chosen different alternatives in the question of residential homes. In Solna they have been retained and in Sigtuna they have been converted into sheltered housing. By separating the clients into different classes of dependence using the ASIM assessment, it is shown that in Solna, compared with Sigtuna, fewer of the most dependent clients are in long‐term hospital care and fewer of the high‐medium category are in domiciliary care. The data were used to calculate the distribution of the clients and the average dependence on the different levels of care if Solna were to apply the care pattern of Sigtuna and vice versa.
To be or to be trained to be: On emerging and diverging ideological traditions in organizing day care activities for people with severe mental disorders in Sweden
Authors: Hansson J.‐H.
Published: April 2007

Organized activities for people with severe mental disorders have until recently been the societal task of one human service organization, the medical speciality of psychiatry. With former psychiatric impatients moving out into the local community and with heavier dependence on outpatient polyclinic care, the situation is slowly changing. Day care activities for people with severe mental disorder are organized with an increasing involvement of the social services. The aim of this article is, using data from a national survey carried out in 1991 in Sweden, to describe and categorize how day care units interpret their task. Results show that claims‐making activities still adhere largely to a therapeutic paradigm in spite of the outspoken social character of the work of organizing everyday life activities.
Social policy and poverty in post‐totalitarian Europe
Authors: Marklund S.
Published: April 2007

This article attempts to compare the social policy models of the west with social policies in post‐totalitarian central and eastern Europe. It is argued that historical roots as well as recent developments make post‐Communist social policy similar to the two major models in the west: the institutional redistributive model and the industrial achievement or performance model. The present problems of mass unemployment and growing poverty cannot be solved without a major reform of social policy, including state intervention and control. The residual social safety net and a strong market orientation are unlikely to be able to reduce poverty and unemployment. However, it is also argued that the strong role of the state and organized labour in both of these European welfare systems creates an obstacle to the future of social policy in the countries of central and eastern Europe. The state is viewed with great scepticism and organized mass social movements are weak in most of these countries. It will take time to develop such agents that can support the development of state social policy, and it may not even be accepted that the route of interventionist state welfare characteristic of western Europe is desirable.
Poverty among households in Estonia
Authors: Kutsar D. , Trumm A.
Published: April 2007

Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union for 50 years. Now she has restored her independence and extensive transformation has started, creating acute social problems. The economic survival of the whole society has become a main goal. The authors examine different poverty lines using the family budget data of 239 households surveyed in May and August 1992 for comparison. The analysis reveals that, whereas the wages and expenditure are low compared with unregulated prices, the share of households living under the poverty line does not reflect the real situation. The poverty among Estonian households reveals a skewed structure of expenditure that indicates exclusion from the consumption‐centered way of life. Empirical evidence is given that single‐earner households and households with 3 or more children face the danger of falling into deep poverty.
Poverty and social trends in Russia
Authors: Kultygin V.P.
Published: April 2007

The article describes the socioeconomic situation of the Russian population and its dynamics in 1992. The analysis is based on series of regional sociological surveys led by the All‐Russian Living Standards Research Center and on official Russian statistical data. The basic unit of analysis is the family, and hence family typology approbated both in research and in practical social work is introduced. Besides describing and discussing the growing poverty tendencies in contemporary Russia, the article also contains methodological recommendations for social policy bodies and social workers on the strategy of work in social maintenance and social support of the least secure population strata.
Drug abuse, paradigms and social work
Authors: Hilte M.
Published: April 2007

Two different treatment practices for the inpatient treatment of drug abusers are described: the pedagogical and the therapeutic. The treatment practices are analyzed from the perspective of sociological theories of human action and from a cultural perspective. The control of the client is of crucial importance but it is exercised in different ways. In the pedagogical treatment practice, the control is manifested in the development of social skills and internalization of conventional roles and norms. In the therapeutic practice, the client's emotions and awareness of ontological facts as freedom and responsibility are objects of control.
Discharge procedures for mentally ill people: The prespective of former psychiatric patients on their professional social network
Authors: Dufåker M.
Published: April 2007

The analysis of the perspective of mentally ill people on their social network is not complete if the professional arena is left out. This article draws on literature about social network and other forms of human interaction to support the social network concept and an idea about how the professional arena has developed and become a vital part of the network. Fifty‐three former patients were interviewed to get their perspective on the professional network. Intimate relations with family and friends seemed to be a model even for contacts with professionals. A social psychological analysis of the satisfaction of the long‐term mentally ill respondents with relations to home care workers and their dissatisfaction with psychiatric professionals seemed to be connected to the professionals' ability to undertake a caring relationship.
The views of hearing‐impaired Finns on society: knowledge, satisfaction, activity, values and attitudes
Authors: Takala M.
Published: April 2007

The main goal of this study was to determine how hard‐of‐hearing (defined as seriously impaired hearing) adults view society. Hard‐of‐hearing people were asked what they know about Finnish society and how active and satisfied they are as members of society. Sixty‐eight adult hard‐of‐hearing volunteers participated by answering questionnaires mailed to them. Elements of the study were taken from the curriculum of social studies for the last year of compulsory school. The subjects had good general knowledge. They were fairly satisfied with Finnish society, except for its services for hard‐of‐hearing people. They were active in various association and in the life of the religious community, but not in politics. They reserved their most positive ratings for hearing‐impaired people. Although their hearing loss was irritating, they had not developed their own distinct culture: they wanted to be part of the broader Finnish society, with the help of some extra services (such as the induction loop system).
How to use the vignette technique in cross‐cultural social work research
Authors: Soydan H. , Stål R.
Published: April 2007

The vignette technique was used in a cross‐cultural comparative study of the delivery of personal social services in the United Kingdom and Sweden. In this article we discuss the major premises of using the vignette technique in cross‐cultural comparative social research. In total, 247 vignettes were collected, 165 in Örebro. Sweden and 82 in the United Kingdom (73 in Leicester, England and 9 in the rural areas of Bangor, Wales). The vignettes were filled in by social workers working in the sector of child and family care. Since this technique is seldom used in cross‐cultural comparative studies, it was necessary to develop a model for interpreting cross‐cultural data. In this article we consider methodological and practical aspects of the method adapted for cross‐cultural social work research. A preliminary survey of our empirical data demonstrates the usefulness of such a model in understanding cross‐cultural data. However, the empirical data will be presented in a later article.
Building a people's home* for settled, conscientious Swedes
Authors: Holgersson L.
Published: April 2007

Social policy in Sweden has evolved along two lines, one marginal and the other institutional. A work ethic that stems from the pre‐Christian era is a factor in both these traditions, above all in the marginal model. The marginal line, with social services aimed at the indivual, has traditionally focused on the coercion of deviants, a tendency that was manifest in the statutory provisions up to the reform of the social services in 1982. Rigorous regulations based on domiciliary right meant that poor relief and social assistance were largely reserved for the settled population. A primary aim of the social services reform of 1982 was to replace the existing social relief, with its heavy emphasis on control, by a system of social services that would be voluntary in principle and aimed at catering to the client. Coercive measures became less frequent initially, but the element of repression soon grew again at a time when the economic climate was becoming harsher. Since the beginning of the 1980s there has been a further increase in repression in both social welfare and correctional care. This has been accompanied by significant tendencies to move away from an institutional social policy towards a marginal line. The shifts in values in the 1980s and 1990s do not represent a traditional right‐left dichotomy.
A culturally sensitive case‐management model: the experience of Southeast Asian refugees in Washington State, USA
Authors: Vu T.
Published: April 2007

Generally, as people move from one culture to another, the former culture always makes a cultural imprint on the new one. Attempts to create a clean break from the former culture are often difficult if not impossible. This is particularly true in terms of values and cultural beliefs. The immigrants' perception toward the purpose and nature of public welfare is no exception to this rule, and as a result, their attitude toward the issues of welfare utilization is often influenced by the recipients' cultural background. This is an important factor that needs to be taken into consideration in the formulation and operation of an effective case management system geared at an ethnic clientele. This paper provides a general description of a model implemented in Washington State, USA. This model attempts to address both the issue of cultural sensitivity of case management and the need of the transitional support services for refugee recipients once they leave the welfare system.
Economic progress of immigrants in Sweden from 1970 to 1990: a longitudinal study
Authors: Ekberg J.
Published: April 2007

This article presents a longitudinal study of immigrants' adaptation to the Swedish labour market. The study is based on data from the 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985 and 1990 censuses. It demonstrates large differences in economic success between different immigrant groups compared with corresponding native‐born Swedish groups. There are differences in both socioeconomic trends and income trends. Some of the results tend to support the corresponding studies made in the United States, but there are also results that differ from the findings in the United States. It is necessary to understand the economic progress among immigrants in a very broad perspective. The economic and the political circumstances, both in the emigrant and the immigrant countries must be added to a traditional human capital model.
Actors, legitimation and cultures of social work*
Authors: Walls G.
Published: April 2007

This article is based on my study of rationality and language games in social work. The study focuses on the actors of social welfare and health care. Included are the heads and social workers of public welfare and health care agencies and institutions, officials of voluntary organizations, and activists in social change‐oriented action groups. The objects of this study also differ with respect of their official status, area of responsibility, and position at work. The study tries to increase the understanding of the basic rationalities which are guiding social work as part of the daily routines, and of how the actors articulate and legitimate themselves, one another and the others, i.e. clients etc. The empirical data were collected using questionnaries. The study shows that organizational affiliation and area of concern do not bring about a systematic variation in the views of the respondents. The results then indicate the existence of a specific culture, a code of social work. The actors legitimate themselves according to system rationality. The system is considered to be outside the immediate scene of social work practice, which is articulated according to life‐world premises. In client‐centered social work, the external controlling and administrating system rationality threatens life‐world aspects by neglecting social work as a process based on involvement, dialogue and change.
Preparedness within the municipal social services in Sweden: planning for the home help service organization for elderly people in war and crisis from two organizational perspectives
Authors: Castenfors K.
Published: April 2007

A study aiming at presenting the effects of increases in work strain during war and crisis on the home help service organization within the social service sector in Stockholm was carried out in 1991. This has given rise to a discussion about achieving the goals for the organization in war and crisis. Organizations are supposed to encompass qualities that allow them to achieve operative goals even if operative conditions are changed. The principle underlying preparedness planning is the maintenance of peace‐time functions in organizations during war and crisis, although such functions may be restricted. Changes influencing preparedness planning within the social service organization include ongoing organizational restructuring in terms of decentralization and increases in private enterprising within the municipal social service sector. Two factors of decisive importance to organizational appropriateness are information generation and information processing. The results from the study show deficiencies within the organization's ability to generate and process information between different organizational levels about demands put on the organization in situations of war and crisis.
Patterns and meaning of unemployment
Authors: Therborn G. , Therborn Göran
Published: April 2007

This article introduces the special issue. Unemployment in Argentina, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain is placed in the context of global economics. The end of full employment in Sweden was part of an international deinstitutionalization that connected employment closely to economic growth. The immediate causes of the economic decline and mass unemployment in Sweden were a financial crash and neoliberal government policies. The ambiguity of unemployment in the criteria for evaluating the performance of policy‐makers and three different cultures among unemployed people are outlined. An overview of what is known about the consequences of unemployment in terms of excess illness and mortality is given.
Structural reforms and labor markets in Argentina
Authors: Vuolo R. M. La , Vuolo Rubén M. Lo
Published: April 2007

Argentina is considered to be one of the most successful cases of structural reforms in Latin America, because of the extent and rapid pace of the reforms after the hyperinflationary process of 1989–1990. At the beginning of 1991, the convertible plan was launched and inflation fell sharply. However, even when the economy is growing fast, the problems in the labor market seem to worsen. Unemployment and underemployment have risen, and an increasing number of people have fallen out of normal work. The article analyzes how changes in labor markets are closely related to the transformation process in the economic system. After a summary of the situation before the crisis of the 1980s, the article analyzes the stabilization plans applied and then discusses the current dynamics of labor markets and the policies implemented to change labor regulations. Finally, some hypotheses about future scenarios are presented.
Unemployment in Spain
Authors: Yruela M. Pérez , Yáñez C. J. Navarro
Published: April 2007

This article describes the problem of unemployment in Spain and its recent evolution. Data on unemployment in relation to economic growth and some basic demographic characteristics are presented. We also analyze programs designed to reduce unemployment and others to protect unemployed people as different aspects of developing the welfare state in Spain. The framework for analyzing the welfare state is the evolution of industrial relations. Other problems about unemployment are analyzed, including geographical disparities between northern and southern Spain, where rural unemployment is especially severe. We offer an overall perspective on the problem and the government initiatives to ameliorate it.