bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modernism, Post Modernism and Organizational Analysis 3: The Contribution of Jacques Derrida
Authors: Cooper Robert
Published: March 2007

This paper, the third in a series on the relevance of the modernist-post modernist debate to organizational analysis (Cooper and Burrell 1988, Burrell 1988), examines the work of Jacques Derrida. Specifically, Derrida's work is viewed as a contribution to the analysis of process (as opposed to structure) in social systems. In this context, three interrelated themes of his work - deconstruction, writing, 'difference' — are described in some detail and their implications explored for social and organizational analysis. Derrida's account of the logic of writing shows it to be fundamental to the division of labour and therefore to significant dimensions (complexity, formalization) of formal organization. Since 'organization theuries' are themselves products of writing and the division of labour, their essential function is to explain and justify the structures they represent, they are therefore more concerned with maintaining their own consistency and the stability of the organized world they describe rather than critical understanding. This point is illustrated by a detailed deconstruction of two major approaches to the study of bureaucracy (the 'formalist' and 'expertise' models) in organization theory. Finally, it is suggested that the affinity between the logic of writing and the division of labour underlies Michel Foucault's concept of knowledge-power and the development of areas of professionalized knowledge such as accountancy.
Organizational Mortality of Small Firms: The Effects of Entrepreneurial Age and Human Capital
Authors: Preisendörfer Peter , Voss Thomas
Published: March 2007

This paper addresses the issue of internal determination of organizational outcomes. It is argued that in small and simply structured organizations a considerable proportion of the variance in organizational activities and outcomes is associated with individuals. In particular, the paper uses human capital theory to derive hypotheses about individual determinants of organizational mortality. These hypotheses are tested with event-history data of firm registrations and de-registrations in a West German region. The hypotheses are corroborated by the data, but the effects may nonetheless be due to processes linking individual characteristics with organizational performance other than those suggested by the human capital approach.
Organizational and Professional Predictors of Physician Satisfaction
Authors: Stevens Fred , Philipsen Hans , Diederiks Joseph
Published: March 2007

In order to find out whether organizational characteristics and professional attitudes are positive predictors of the job satisfaction of physicians, an analysis is presented, based on a survey of 121 internists in 13 medical departments in Dutch university hospitals. The study indicates that formal structuring of work activities is a positive predictor of work environment satisfaction, whereas size is a negative predictor. Professional attitudes such as service orientation and craftsmanship are strong positive predictors of satisfaction with patient demand. The study also indicates that certification (being a medical specialist or not) positively relates to work load satisfaction.

Controlling for certification reveals that the absence of a significant relationship between formal structuring of work activities and work load satisfaction is accoun ted for by a positive correlation for medical specialists and a negative one for residents in training to become specialists. This indicates the importance of a difference in hierarchical position for the relation between formal structuring of work activities and physician satisfaction. The results for hospital physicians are consistent with satisfaction studies in other settings: dependency on bureaucratic procedures is associated with dissatisfaction, while the advantages of bureaucracy — the possibility of creating routines and procedures to limit role ambiguity — are conducive to satisfaction.
Research Note: Research in Arab Countries, Published in Arabic
Authors: Atiyyah Hamid S.
Published: March 2007

The major objectives of this research note are to present a concise summary of research results on management and organization published in Arabic and to compare these results with findings on the same topics published in English. An extensive search of the relevant literature in Arabic produced relatively few empirical studies. Results of these exploratory studies identify the salient features of Arab organizations and management such as overcentralization and emphasis on control. However, results on the leadership style of Arab managers are con flicting. The resort to cultural factors to explain these inconsistent findings is criticized and the need for more and methodologically-sound research is stressed.
Through a Glass, Darkly
Authors: Sköldberg Kaj
Published: March 2007

Aiming to undermine the terra firma of organization theory, Sandelands and Drazin's paper 'On the Language of Organization Theory' at first sight provides a potentially important case of foundational criticism. On closer scrutiny, serious flaws become apparent. The authors' general notion of science proves to be far too narrow excluding, per definition, alternative methodological perspectives such as the idiographic one. Their recommendation that organizational research be confined to perceptions of individual actions emerges as mistaken on meta- scientific grounds, and unrealistic in practice. According to a central idea in the paper, the concepts of organization and environment are 'hypostasized', and so are fallacious. Yet, while misunderstanding the meaning of hypostasization, Sandelands and Drazin themselves make ample use of the supposedly erroneous concepts. Finally, the theories of natural selection and strategic choice are squeezed by force into an analytical dichotomy taken from linguistic philosophy, with the result that the authors confuse achievement and process aspects. In actual fact, however, the theories involve both aspects, as do theories of decision processes.
Durkheim and Organizational Analysis: Two Legacies
Authors: Starkey Ken
Published: March 2007

All three of the 'founding fathers' of social science (Marx, Weber and Durkheim) have played important if contrasting roles in the evolution of management thought and organizational analysis. Of the three, the influence of Durkheim has been relatively less examined. This article argues that the time is ripe for a reconsideration of Durkheim's contribution and its potential for understanding past and present developments in management and organization. The dominant Durkheimian tradition emphasizes solidarity, the major concern of the work of Durkheim's middle period. His later work emphasizes differing systems of sym bolic classification and their role in the genesis or reconstruction of social order, and provides us with a very different legacy.
From Interpretation to Representation in Organizational Analysis: Postmodernism, Ethnography and Organizational Symbolism
Authors: Jeffcutt Paul
Published: March 2007

Essentially, this paper argues that the understanding of organization is insepar able from the organization of understanding. This argument is developed and sustained through detailed consideration of the problematics of interpretation and of representation in organizational analysis, focusing on the understanding of significant problems within a particular arena of activity (organizational symbolism). Accordingly, from an analysis of forms of narrative in organizational symbolism, the paper articulates issues that are fundamental to both the theory and practice of organization. Through such a consideration of paradoxes of tex tuality in the inscription of order, current concerns in organizational analysis become connected to long-standing problems in Organization Studies.
Contract Enforcement Across Cultures
Authors: Chong Ju Choi
Published: March 2007

The importance of contract enforcement and formal and informal agreements has recently become an increasingly researched area in management. A major part of this research is the difference between the sociological and management approach and that of the recent developments in organization economics. Recent works in this area include Barney (1990), Eisenhardt (1989) and Noord erhaven (1992). The main purpose of this paper is to try and develop the ideas in these works further with respect to agreements and non-legal forms of contracts. We do this by comparing systems of cooperation and agreements in Eastern Europe, East Asia and Southeast Asia.
The Management of Politics in Technically Related Organizational Change
Authors: Pichault François
Published: March 2007

This paper is an attempt to build an integrated model of the role of politics in technologically related organizational change. A large part of organizational theory presents power games as a simple factor of 'dilution', unavoidably con demning projects of change to a reinforcement of existing structures (perpetuation principle). Other authors consider that conflicts are able to con tribute to the renewal of old structural arrangements by forcing top manage ment to search for new organizational solutions (innovation principle). Our basic hypothesis is that both principles may occur, and depend on specific conditions. We thus try to investigate the organizational conditions under which politics either contribute or inversely block the change process, by means of four contrasted case studies of computer-based-information-system (CBIS) introduction in a chain-store, a bank, a teaching hospital and a news agency.

A first key variable envisaged is the distribution of power. Is power concen trated at the 'centre' of the organization or dispersed at the 'periphery'? If the distribution of power undeniably influences the results of a change process, empirical evidence suggests that the change process will equally depend on a second variable — the way in which the change itself is managed. Thus, the significance conferred by managers and promoters to the change project — i.e. their style of management — appears to be crucial.
Critique in the Name of What? Postmodernism and Critical Approaches to Organization
Authors: Parker Martin
Published: March 2007

This paper will relate some of the recent arguments about postmodernism and organization theory to the further development of a critical theory of organiza tions. I will argue that postmodernism is a dangerous, and potentially disabling 'perspective' for critical theorists to adopt and that any emancipatory project is not well served by giving up on notions of 'truth' and 'progress'. Instead, I suggest that 'critical modernism' allows for the relativity of truth claims whilst also providing a reason to write about organizations at all.
The Institutional Logic of Performance Appraisal
Authors: Townley Barbara
Published: March 2007

The focus of this paper is to examine the responses to institutional isomorph ism in one area of the public sector — universities. As an example, one particu lar organizational practice is examined — performance appraisal — and its implications for one group of professionals — academics. In doing so, some of the sources of variation in responses to institutional pressures are illustrated and the strategies of resistance actors engage in to resist such pressures. It is suggested that the concept of institutional logic is an important element in influencing responses to isomorphism, providing a repertoire of beliefs with which to contest concepts of legitimacy.
Implementing Strategic Decisions: Four Key Success Factors
Authors: Miller Susan
Published: March 2007

This paper reports an empirical study aimed at elucidating reasons for success or failure in the implementation of strategic decisions. Eleven decisions in six organizations were examined using a case-study approach. Findings highlight four factors that appear to be critical for the successful management of imple mentation : backing, clear aims and planning, and a conducive climate — as long as chance events do not get in the way. Perhaps surprisingly, other factors, such as having relevant experience, giving implementation priority, having abundant resources, an appropriate structure and implementing flexibly, appear to matter rather less.
mead, sartre: self, object, and reflection
Authors: Aboulafia Mitchell
Published: March 2007

Sartre seeks both to overcome solipsism and clarify how the individual becomes an object—with a seemingly fixed char acter—through his account of The Look in Being and Nothingness. While his description of how The Look of the other transforms one into an object may at first appear to be confirmed by experience, the account proves to be inade quate as a refutation of solipsism and in showing exactly how one becomes an object. On the other hand, G.H. Mead has a convincing approach to how the self comes into being as an object. In the first section of this paper I present and criticize Sartre's position, especially his explanation for how one can experience The Look when the other is not empirically present. The second section investigates Mead's approach to the genesis of the self as social object, and then shows how Mead's ideas can be employed to clarify inconsistencies in Sartre's account, highlighting why Sartre's description ap pears to be confirmed by experience.
Political Research in the Changing World System
Authors: Deutsch Karl W.
Published: March 2007

Humankind is undergoing greater changes than it ever has before. These are related primarily to quantitative and qualitative demographic changes; technological and military capabilities; the emergence of information-rich societies; the presence of a diversity of viable and self-confident social and economic systems; the disparity between human expectations and accomplishments; and efforts to mobilize the effective thought of man kind. From these changes follow some key problems for political research of which these eight claim priority: peace research; social accounting and particularly explorations of the emancipatory capabilities of countries; analysis of shifting costs of national and inter national actors; a more precise knowledge of the double nature of capital: its 'hardware' and its intangible (information) aspects; understanding the problems of time and timing; further development of the theory of communication and control; greater comprehension of the politics of self-transformation; and the systematic search for knowledge on whether and how political scientists can find points of change as well as its forms and methods. A political science that derives its theories from discoveries and from the analysis of im plications, that goes on to invent solutions and design procedures for practical appli cations can do much to help mankind.
Urban Policy and Political Legitimation
Authors: Dente Bruno , Regonini Gloria
Published: March 2007

The article examines the administrative reform process at the local level in Italy. Its point of departure is the "institutional incrementalism" that has taken place in recent years through the proliferation of new agencies within the old structure of local government. It deals particularly with the establishment of neighborhood councils in a number of Italian cities and their more recent development in Bologna, Florence, and Milano. The general thesis is that the reform process is an adaptive reaction to the changing relation ship between the political administrative system and its citizens to maximize consensus and that the main function of the neighborhood councils has been to increase the legiti macy of the system by smoothing the policy process.
Is There a Fiscal Crisis in Western European Local Government?
Authors: Sharpe L.J.
Published: March 2007

Taking as a point of departure the recently discussed fiscal crisis of the state, the question of whether there is a similar crisis of local governments in industrial countries is addressed. The countries surveyed indicate that there is such a crisis in some countries but not in others. What comes out of a cross-national analysis of local governments is that fiscal strain emerges with the stagflation of 1973; that countries whose local governments have sources of revenue that are elastic with inflation (income tax) do not have a fiscal crisis; and those whose tax basis is inelastic, do.
The Historic Compromise and Consociational Democracy
Authors: Graziano Luigi
Published: March 2007

The article is an attempt to analyze the current strategy of the Italian Communist Party ("compromesso storico") in the light of consociation theory. It is divided into two parts. Part I explores the foundations and operational traits of consociational democracy as a system which has historically prevailed in countries characterized by strong bourgeois hegemony. Part II explores the applicability of the model to polarized systems. The main argument is that in countries like Italy, political convergence is likely to occur, if at all, through a struggle for hegemony and would result in a pattern of politics both more participatory and dynamic than classic consociational democracy.
Military Withdrawal From Politics in Nigeria
Authors: Dare L.O.
Published: March 2007

This article discusses the difficulties encountered by military men when they attempt to disengage from politics and relates these to the Nigerian experience. These difficulties have hindered the disengagement efforts of the various Nigerian military administrations until the Muhammed/Obasanjo regime. The success of the Muhammed/Obasanjo administra tion lies in three factors: the dogged determination of the regime to check antidisengage ment factions, the ability of the officers to use civilian-based institutions as legitimizing fronts for the desires of the officers, and the ability of the officers to maintain an outward position of neutrality. The posture of neutrality is, however, found to be hypocritical. The officers had their plans and, as long as they found civilians who could produce desired results, the military was content to remain in the background. When desired results were not guaranteed, the officers intervened openly and forcefully.
Do They Lie?
Authors: Diskin Abraham , Felsenthal Dan S.
Published: March 2007

Attempts to ascertain respondents' attitudes and behavior in respect to sensitive subject matters through classical interviewing methods carry a significant risk of obtaining insincere responses. By employing three alternative types of interviewing methods, that is, regular interview, ballot-box, and the randomized response technique, one finds that past voting behavior, future voting intentions and attitudes toward issues which determine party affiliation are considered by many Israeli voters as sensitive, hence, they tend to lie about them when interviewed in a regular manner more often than when interviewed by either of the other two methods. It is also shown that the degree of dependence between the respondents' attitudes toward certain sensitive political issues and their voting behavior is stronger when interviewed in a less obtrusive manner, for example, by resorting to the ballot-box method.
Universities and Interests of Employees
Authors: Schefold Dian
Published: March 2007

In the Federal Republic of Germany the transfer of knowledge depends on a disposition of the basic law: "Art and science, research and teaching are free." But this legal device is not respected. Transfer of skills and techniques is a matter of socioeconomic interests and political influence. Therefore it is important to study the factors that promote or disfavor the transfer, such as: the diversity of interests between researchers and those who coordinate the orientation of research in view of their own interests, the mechanisms for distributing the means, and the researchers participation in the system.
Problems of the International Transfer of Technology
Authors: Wolf Friedrich O.
Published: March 2007

The international transfer of technology is an important problem as much in practical politics as for political analysis. First because it is in the very midst of the North-South dialogue; then, because of its impact on the economic process of capital centralization at the international level. Within the European Communities, the Keynesian model is in crisis. Changes incorporated until now have not broken the vicious cycle of stagflation. Many researchers are asking for a real change. Different paths may be followed and many factors are involved.
Political Recruitment and Party Activists
Authors: Conley Marshall W. , Smith Patrick J.
Published: March 2007

Party organization workers, both during campaigns and between, are typically oriented toward two contexts—the national political scene and the immediate political milieu in which they work. The political complexion of this locale varies significantly, from "sure" to "doubtful" to "lost" territory, for the electoral fortunes of the party in question. Data from field research in both England and Canada are analyzed to indicate both distinctive and equivalent patterns of motivation, outlook, and activities in the two countries. Wilson's incentive typology is shown to apply differently to rival parties in both England and Canada.
Grass-Roots Party Activists in India
Authors: Prasad Nageshwar
Published: March 2007

India's political parties, while generally drawing their organizational personnel from the middle ranks of society, have been recruiting from other strata and segments of the social structure as well. In so doing, the parties help to integrate citizens and groups into the political system. Using data from interview surveys of party activists in Bihar in 1972-1973, this article contrasts the composition and activity patterns of Jan Sangh, Congress, the Samjukta Socialist Party and the Communist party of India constituency and district units, and clarifies the several roles of party activists, during and between election campaigns.
Urban Space and Freedom
Authors: Claval Paul
Published: March 2007

Freedom is, to a large extent, the product of spatial planning, the planning of density in particular. The high density that characterizes most urban centers enhances freedom inasmuch as it results in a wider range of choices of occupations and social roles, but it also, frequently, lessens freedom by reducing privacy and security. This article examines these and other tensions and contradictions between spatial organi zation and the freedom of the individual.
State Control Over the Labor Market in South Africa
Authors: Lemon Anthony
Published: March 2007

Probably no avowedly capitalist country conrols its labor market to the same degree as South Africa. Statutory job reservation by race has been eroded by economic forces, but customary discrimination remains widespread. State restrictions on freedom of movement continue to hinder Africans in particular from selling their labor freely. A brief historical review of this legislation is followed by consideration of the agricultural labor market in relation to current developments in white farming, and of the role and changing perspectives of the mining companies as employers. The implications of recent changes in government control over the labor market, and their effects on the source areas are examined.
Mobilization of Non-Participants During the Political Crisis in Poland, 1980-1981
Authors: Wiatr Jerzy J.
Published: March 2007

One of the most notable characteristics of the political life in Poland during the crisis of 1980-1981 was the political mobilization of previous non-activists-young people, workers, and peasants-as well as greater political involvement of previously nominally politicized citizens. Political mobilization was due to changes in the institutional framework, particularly the emergence of new forms of political expres sion, and increased interest in politics resulting from everyday consequences of economic crisis. Public opinion polls indicated a greater sense of political involve ment. Institutional consequences of political mobilization included democratization of existing structures, particularly of the Polish United Workers Party; formation of new political organizations; and intensification of political cleavages. Mobilization, combined with political radicalization, deepened the political crisis and contributed to the collapse of attempts to build a "contractual democracy."
Le Pluralisme Dans La Societe Helvétique
Authors: Urio Paolo
Published: March 2007

Divisée par ethnicité, réligion et bien-être économique, la Suisse résout ses problèmes par le biais d'une représentation juste et d'un système de négociation par consensus. Les groupes d'intérêts sont intégrés dans le processus décisionnel, les politiques tendent à être centralisées et technocratiques alors que le pouvoir sur la politique économique est fermenent entre les mains du monde des affaires. Les syndicats sont sous-répresentés et leur influence se limite aux questions sociales.
The Greens in Western Europe
Authors: Müller-Rommel Ferdinand
Published: March 2007

This study is an initial comparative exploration of the green party phenomenon. The principal objective of this article is to provide a general overview of the historical development, the electoral results, and the nature of the electorate of green parties in western Europe. A preliminary classification on green parties is offered, and it is demonstrated that the value orientation and ideological composition, as well as socio- demographic composition, of green parties' electorates differ across countries and party types.
The Rise and Decline of the Notion of State
Authors: Cassese Sabino
Published: March 2007

The evolution of the use of the concept of "state" from the sixteenth century to the present leads one to observe that the theory of the state has now lost normative and prescriptive value. Furthermore, the very notion of state has ceased to be a good analytical tool in that the function of government has evolved toward diffusion rather than concentration. The state is no longer the unifying force it once was. Other factors, language in particular, now perform the unification function previously performed by the state.
Mass News Media and International Law
Authors: Sussman Leonard R. , Sussman David W.
Published: March 2007

The Mass Media Declaration approved by acclamation by 161 countries in 1978 is the only official statement on journalism ever passed at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The operative sections of the Declaration invoke access for journalists to news sources, and freedom to report, while calling for a "wider and better balanced dissemination of information." The title and content of the Declaration also set forth "fundamental principles" intended to enlist journalists in "strengthening peace and international understanding" and opposition to racism and incitement to war. These objectives are regarded by some western critics as threatening content control of the mass media. Some Soviet and Third World activists claim that this bland document has the force of international law. We reject this objective as insupportable. But we point out that western journalists have generally failed to distinguish between Third World pleas for greater communications facilities and the presumed threat to limit the freedom of the news media. Western journalists thereby inadvertently lend credence to the criticism of their performance, and lubricate the drive to give the Declaration the force of law.
Political Science in the USSR
Authors: Brown Archie
Published: March 2007

This article presents an overview of the development of political science as a discipline in the Soviet Union over the last 20 years. Such an overall perspective is not easily accessible to political scientists who do not read Russian because only a small percentage of the work appears in translation. Furthermore, many scholars believe that restrictions on publication in the USSR make Soviet academic writing unworthy of perusal—a view I strongly refute here. Trends in growth and influence of Soviet political science have a bearing on the intellectual climate of the USSR and, to a certain extent, on the politics practiced there.
La communication politique intrafamiliale: socialisation politique des adolescents en Grèce
Authors: Pantelidou-Maloutas Maria
Published: March 2007

Cet article traite de la socialisation ouvertement politique des adolescents grecs qui s'opère au sein de la famille. En se référant à des données concernant 1045 jeunes de 12 à 15 ans on essaye de définir s'il existe un modèle de communication politique intrafamiliale diversifié selon le sexe, l'âge et la catégorie socio-professionnelle du père. L'importance relative du père et de la mère en tant que conseillers en matière politique est également étudiée, alors que certaines originalités du processus de socialisation politique des jeunes au sein de la culture politique grecque sont notées afin de pouvoir distinguer quelques traits significatifs en ce qui concerne l'évolution de cette dernière.
Values and Identities in Switzerland Regional Disparities and Socio-economic Cleavages
Authors: Meier-Dallach Hans-Peter , Nef Rolf
Published: March 2007

This paper interprets empirical data, measuring the socio- economic cleavages among the Swiss regions, feelings of deprivation, patterns of spatial identification and values underlying referenda behaviour in Switzerland. The results show no empirical evidence to support the thesis arguing that location in peripheral regions increases people's feelings of deprivation. The thesis that lower strata are more alienated than higher strata, irrespective of the region, is, however, supported by the data. The findings on patterns of identification are divergent: most people living in alpine peripheries are firmly rooted in their local communities; whereas lowland regions and agglomerations show higher degrees of individualistic orientations. The findings provide evidence that: (a) Swiss culture is not monolithic but shaped by industrial, post-industrial and even pre-industrial values (particularly in the alpine periphery)—referenda behaviour reveals value differences along the lines between hinterlands and centres; and (b) value changes in Switzerland occur gradually and not in a disruptive manner.
Power System Membership and Patterns of War
Authors: Geller Daniel S.
Published: March 2007

This study presents national-level findings pertaining to the basic stochastic patterns of war duration and severity, and determines the effects of power system membership on those patterns. The results have theoretical and empirical relevance to general contagion hypotheses of war and specific import to the negative addiction (or war-weariness) thesis. Among the principal findings are indications that irrespective of the characteristics of past or current war behavior, in the long run: (1) a nation that fights a war has more than a one-in-three probability of fighting for over two years and sustaining over 15,000 battle fatalities; (2) major powers are more likely to fight severe wars and less likely to fight moderate wars than are minor powers, whereas they are equally likely to fight small wars; (3) major powers and minor powers have roughly equiprobable chances of fighting wars at short, moderate, and long duration levels. It is concluded that power distinctions among nations have significant effects on long-term probability patterns of war severity but not on war duration. Regarding war-to-war linkages, the probable duration or severity of a nation's next war is unaffected by the duration or severity of its last war. In other words, there is no evidence indicating either a systematic increase or decrease in war-to-war cost-tolerance levels. Therefore, decisions on allocations of resources in current or future wars appear to be unaffected by the past: a nation's aggregate capability (i.e. power status)—not its antecedent experience—is a determinant of the scale of its wars.
Better Small and Beautiful than Big and Ugly?
Authors: Hueglin Thomas O.
Published: March 2007

Regionalism appears as the authentic response to the obsolescence of nation-state politics under conditions of global economic interdependence and crisis. While postmaterialist value change may have served as a first common denominator for the mobilization of peripheral protest, the real cause lies in the incompatibility of the capitalist accumulation process with regional development. Failed modernization and relative regional deprivation have fomented a new marginality and anti-centralist identity. Peripheral regions no longer aim at (re)integration, but instead at autonomization. However, given the paucity of peripheral opportunity structures, they have to steer a shrewd course between exit (autonomization from) and voice (participation in nation-state politics). A general theory of fragmentation ought to explore further the role and potential of regionalism in the transformation of capitalist society.
Nationalism and Pluralism and the Process of Political Development in Eastern Europe
Authors: Korbonski Andrzej
Published: March 2007

This paper examines the interaction of nationalism, pluralism and political development in six countries of Eastern Europe from the end of World War II up to the 1980s. To make the analysis more manageable, nationalism is conceptualized as national political culture and pluralism is identified by the presence of interest groups. Both these concepts, of course, play a major role in the process of all political development. The paper's main question concerns the ability of the countries under discussion to weather the developmental crises that have descended upon the region in the current decade.

Of the six East European countries examined, only Hungary has succeeded reasonably well in its task of crisis management. Furthermore, it is both the national political cultures and the groups in the respective countries examined that have been largely responsible for the varying degrees of political development. Finally, on the strength of the experience in the 1980s, it is assumed that both these factors will play an even more important role in the region in the years to come.
The Judicialization of Politics in Germany
Authors: Landfried Christine
Published: March 2007

Judicialization of politics means that more and more political questions are decided by courts and thereby political alternatives are reduced. In Germany it is the Federal Constitutional Court that is most involved in this process of judicialization. Members of Parliament contribute to this development by litigating far too often a lawsuit before the Constitutional Court and by carrying too far the consideration of legal arguments in legislation. Judges of the Constitutional Court contribute to the judicialization by sometimes exceeding their competences and by becoming involved in power politics. As the Constitutional Court has only a limited democratic legitimacy, it is detrimental to a democracy when such a court frequently decides on policy-making.
The Judicialization of Politics in Israel
Authors: Edelman Martin
Published: March 2007

The judicialization of politics has probably proceeded further in Israel than in any other democratic country. In the strong sense of the definition propounded by Torbjörn Vallinder (1992: 1), the civil judiciary in Israel, particularly the Supreme Court justices sitting as members of the High Court of Justice, are exercising power at the expense of politi cians and administrators. The justices now claim the authority even to review the internal workings of the theoretically sovereign Knesset (parlia ment). This situation represents a marked change from the norms of 46 years ago when the state came into existence. Then, power and authority were concentrated in the elected agencies, the Knesset and, particularly, the Government. Rampant partisanship, arbitrary and self-interested policies, and, worst of all, an inability to deal with crucial problems beset ting Israeli society, corroded that authority and, ultimately, the power of the elected leadership. The default of Israel's democratically elected leadership has led to the judicialization of politics.
Assessing Professionalization: A Comparison of College Baseball and Basketball Coaches
Authors: Weaver Robert R. , Gordon Michael
Published: March 2007

This study explores variation in concern about professionalization among NCAA Division I baseball and basketball coaches. Questionnaires were sent to 100 baseball and 100 basketball coaches randomly selected from this population, 129 (65%) of whom responded. Basketball coaches were more inclined to show concern about professionalization than were baseball coaches. Also, older, more experienced baseball coaches showed more concern about professionalization than younger, less experienced coaches; this relationship did not hold for a subsample of basketball coaches, and we offer reasons for this. Finally, coaches who place greater off-field demands on athletes are more likely to show concern about professionalization. Based on this evidence, we conclude that, far from reflecting differences in personalities of coaches, the variation in coaches' concern about professionalization suggests underlying differences in the structure of recruiting in the two sports and their evolution toward the professional model.
Rethinking Socialization and Sport
Authors: Nixon Howard L.
Published: March 2007

The study of socialization in sport sociology has been heavily influenced by structural-functional perspectives. Recently, Ralph Turner proposed a theoretical framework, based on a "much-circumscribed functionalism," for integrating diverse and historically important approaches to the individual in society. This framework is proposed here as a point of departure for the integration and advancement of sport socialization analysis and research. After a brief review of recent contributions to the study of socialization in sport sociology and sociology in general, the major elements and insights of Turner's theoretical integration are discussed. From Turner's work and other recent theoretical contributions to the study of socializing processes in sport and society, it can be concluded that these processes should be conceptualized as ongoing and "recursive." Furthermore, it is proposed that to understand the relationship between the individual and society in socialization processes, it is necessary to understand how individuals contend, as active agents, with the social and cultural constraints of the immediate situations, enduring social structures, and larger sociocultural contexts in which they act and interact.
Resisting the Canon: Feminist Cultural Studies, Sport, and Technologies of the Body
Authors: Cole Cheryl L.
Published: March 2007

In this paper, I argue that contemporary critical theories as well as shifts in culture have produced a crisis in sport studies by displacing and challenging the "object of knowledge" as it has been traditionally understood by the field. From a feminist standpoint, I initiate one response to this "crisis" by proposing a theoretical apparatus generated at the intersection of socialist-feminist theory, British cultural studies, and the work of Michel Foucault - feminist cultural studies. Following an overview of these positions, I examine several issues raised by this framework in an effort to decipher the relation between technologies of gender, "sport," and everyday bodybuilding and their tendencies to normalize bodies and identities that work to undermine the development of a community and oppositional politics. I consider the matrix of bodily-surveillance technologies legitimated through sport, how they have been used to probe "suspicious" bodies for impurities, and their implications for women in age dominated by new reproductive technologies and the "logic of epidemic." Finally, I briefly discuss the consequences of the Human Genome project (in terms of gender and race) and the issues it poses in terms of its neo-eugenic potential. In conclusion, I suggest a series of questions that might serve as the structuring impulse for the study of sport, understood as a discursive category and a dispersed set of knowledges and practices that structure our everyday lived experiences (bodies/identities, pleasures, and struggles).
School Boards' and Administrators' Use of Evaluation Information
Authors: Newman Dianna L. , Brown Robert D. , Rivers Linda S. , Glock Richard F.
Published: March 2007

this study investigated the effect that several key contextual variables had on the information needs and uses by a national sample of school boards and administrators. The factors included (I) the quality of the decision to be made, (2) the amount of personal conflict involved, (3) the content of the program, and (4) whether respondents were board members or administrators. Responses to questions about simulated evaluation vignettes indicated that these factors affected the need for more time and information. and from whom people would want to obtain more information. A wareness of these influencers should help school evaluators assist decision makers.
Evaluation and Outcome Research in Community Mental Health Centers
Authors: Aaronson Neil K. , Wilner Daniel M.
Published: March 2007

This article reviews procedural and methodological characteristics of 121 outcome studies published by community mental health centers during the decade 1969-1979. These studies were compared with 2906 studies conducted at other mental health treatment sites. Attention is focused on the adequacy of description of sample characteristics, mental health condition treated and treatment or intervention employed, sophistication of study design, and quality of outcome measures. The findings suggest that CMHC studies are less precise and less rigorous than studies at other sites, although there appears to be consistent improvement in research quality over time. The findings raise the question of whether CMHCs generally should conduct high-level outcome research, aside from essential internal program monitoring. A feasible alternative may befor such research to be carried out at a few centers of mental health research excellence and for such findings to be disseminated to the mental health community at large.
A Review of Nonparametric Alternatives To Analysis of Covariance
Authors: Olejnik Stephen F. , Algina James
Published: March 2007

Five distribution-free alternatives to parametric analysis of covariance are presented and demonstrated using a specific data example. The results of simulation studies investigating these procedures regarding their respective Type I error rate under a null condition and their statistical power are also reviewed. The results indicate that the nonparametric procedures have appropriate Type I error rates only for those situations in which para metric A NCO VA is robust to violations of data assumptions. In terms of statistical power, nonparametric alternatives to parametric ANCOVA provide a considerable power advan tage only for situations in which extreme violations of assumptions have occurred and the linear relationship between measures is weak.
Diversion and Net Widening
Authors: Blomberg Thomas G. , Heald Gary R. , Ezell Mark
Published: March 2007

Among the rationales used in promoting juvenile diversion is cost savings. This rationale is based on the assumption that diversion handling is less expensive than formal justice processing and that diversion reduces the number of cases handled by the formal system. To date, the few available results concerning diversion's cost savings are fragmented and inconclusive. Although diversion handling has been found to be less costly, it has also been shown that diversion increases the overall number of youth subject to court supervision and control. Diversion's capacity to "widen the net " has been ignored in previous cost studies. This article assesses the feasible cost savings associated with statewide imple mentation of diversionary arbitration programs in Florida and includes consideration of the programs' capacities to wide the client net.
Computer Simulation for Program Evaluation
Authors: Trochim William M.K. , Davis James E.
Published: March 2007

Computer simulations in evaluation research are useful for (1) improving student understanding of basic research principles and analytic techniques; (2) investigating the effects of problems that arise in the implementation of research; and (3) exploring the accuracy and utility of novel analytic techniques applied to problematic data structures. This article describes these uses of microcomputer simulations for the context of human service program evaluation. Simple mathematical models are described for the three most commonly used human service outcome evaluation designs: the pretest-posttest random ized experiment, the pretest posttest nonequivalent groups design; and the regression- discontinuity design. The models are translated into a single microcomputer program that can be used to conduct the simulations. Examples of the use of this program on an IBM PC microcomputer are provided to illustrate the three uses of the simulations described. The article concludes by arguing that simulations need to utilize experimental design principles when rigorous, definitive results are desired, but that simulations may have great potential value as an exploratory or teaching tool in human service research.
Patterns of Program Evaluation Practice Among Members of the Evaluation Research Society and Evaluation Network
Authors: Shadish William R. , Epstein Roberta
Published: March 2007

Using stratified random sampling of the membership directories of the Evaluation Network and the Evaluation Research Society, we surveyed the practices of program evaluators. Those practices factored into four patterns—academic evaluation, stakeholder service evaluation, decision-driven evaluation, and outcome evaluation. The patterns were differentially related to such factors as disciplinary background, organizational setting, and evaluation theory.
Research and Managerial Strategies for Integrating Evaluation Research Into Agency Decision Making
Authors: Moran T. Kenneth
Published: March 2007

This article discusses the strategies employed in integrating evaluation research into the management of an organization. The project employs a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to develop information on the processes, procedures, and behavior of the agency. The project is guided by the belief that if evaluation research is to become an integral part of management, the methods and results must be easily understood by the managers. This article also discusses the methodological and managerial problems encountered in integrating evaluation research into the policymaking of new public agencies.
Relationships Between Drug Treatment Careers and Outcomes
Authors: Hser Yih-Ing , Grella Christine , Chou Chih-Ping , Anglin M. Douglas
Published: March 2007

A structural equation modeling approach was used to examine the relationships among charac teristics of drug use and treatment careers, length of stay in a current treatment episode, and subsequent drug use among 2,807 clients participating in the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study (DATOS). The model was tested separately for four major modalities. Length of stay in DATOS treatment was significantly related to reduced cocaine use (but not heroin use) during the follow-up period among clients in outpatient drug-free and residential programs and to reduced heroin use (but not cocaine use) among clients in methadone maintenance. Importantly, longer treatment careers were significantly associated with increased length of stay in DATOS outpatient drug-free programs and were associated with reduced heroin use among clients treated in all modalities except for residential programs, demonstrating cumulative treatment effects. These findings support the notion that treatment effects may accumulate across multiple treatment episodes.