bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Women and Equal Opportunity: The Hong Kong Situation
Authors: Place Helen
Published: January 2008

For Chinese women to progress, attention must be paid to alleviating the burden of the dual role of parenting and work responsibilities. The current situation, with the working woman having to accept that cultural values still make child care her responsibility, means that Hong Kong businesses can still use women to fill their basic labour requirements — a cheap, readily available labour force content to stay in factory situations. Comprehensive equal pay legislation is still required and amendment to the tax laws so that married women are not considered as appendages to their husbands. The China‐British agreement for the future of Hong Kong after the 1997 territory lease expiry should open doors for women politically, since a major goal for the intervening years is preparation for administration by local Chinese.
Women Managers in Hong Kong: A Content Analysis of the Recruitment Advertisements
Authors: Ho Suk‐ching
Published: January 2008

Women in Hong Kong do not yet enjoy full freedom from differential treatment in access to employment in the managerial field, judging by analysis of the content of nearly 2,000 recruitment advertisements. However, the pace of social change, and change in cultural norms concerning the roles of women will accelerate and evolve towards giving women a better deal. As more women become visible in the management sphere, expectations regarding their future roles in the corporate world are heightened, thus demanding access to all levels of the organisation. The integration of women will mean society adapting to women's life cycles, enabling them to become good mothers, wives, and successful managers.
Equal Opportunities: How to Change and Which Change?
Authors: Chalude Monique
Published: January 2008

The issue of equal opportunities needs to be integrated into personnel management. In the absence of effective outside pressure or pressure from within, the establishment sees no reason to alter the status quo. Arguments of profitability and better use of women's potential may bring about this change. The process of change needed in the largest Belgian bank before an action programme in the sense of the introduction of specific measures could be implemented is described. The research project that led to the actions and the bank culture that needed to be changed are outlined as well as the phases of the study, the resultant change and results.
Women in Medicine ‐ Women's Developing Identity
Authors: Anderson Elizabeth
Published: January 2008

Women's identity in medicine has always been in existence within the home and community. Recognition of this needs to be developed. The changing and fluctuating position of women in medicine, from medicine as the prerogative of women to claims that women herbalists were witches, is discussed. Throughout history women's identity in medicine is complex and multidimensional and has never been static.
ROLE AMBIGUITY IN THE MALE/FEMALE PROTEGE RELATIONSHIP
Authors: Bushardt Stephen C. , Allen Billie
Published: January 2008

Mentorship is a valuable aid in developing professional competence and enhancing career objectives. The article examines male‐mentor/female‐protegee relationships from the angle of ambiguity between cultural mating roles and mentoring roles.
DEALING WITH SEXUAL HARRASSMENT: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Authors: Fenley Tony
Published: January 2008

The article looks at strategies employed in America for dealing with sexual harassment.
LEADING QUESTIONS FOR MEN: MEN'S LEADERSHIP, FEMINIST CHALLENGES, AND MEN'S RESPONSES
Authors: Hearn Jeff
Published: January 2008

This introductory article of the Special Issue on ‘Men, Masculinities and Leadership’ provides some necessary background information for the other articles in the issue. It outlines major social changes that have contributed to the disassociation of leadership and maleness, and the more general reappraisal of men's leadership. The major focus of the article is a review of literature on leadership seen in terms of it being the theories and practices of men. The article continues with discussions of the nature of feminism, and feminist challenges to men and leadership, and the crisis of men and masculinities; and concludes with men's responses to these changes, in men's groups, and mixed group and organisational contexts.
SOME NEW PERSPECTIVES ON HOW TO MAKE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES TRAINING EFFECTIVE
Authors: Simmons Michael
Published: January 2008

The legal requirements on all organisations to provide equality of opportunity to those groups of people in society who it has been shown suffer discrimination, has meant that many managers have had to begin to review their personnel policies on such matters as recruitment and promotion. During the last five years or so, a number of us who have been working with some of these managers and who have been interested in increasing the contribution that training can make to advancing equality of opportunity, have been developing a number of new perspectives on the issues that underlie inequality of opportunity, and this has led us towards the development of new approaches to training, new training designs and new training skills.
Equal Opportunities in Sheffield: Policies and Outcomes
Authors: Gibbon Pete
Published: January 2008

A report which is highly critical of Sheffield employers who claim to be “equal opportunity employers” has recently been published by Sheffield City Council's Department of Employment and Economic Development.
PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT:A DISTINCT FEMININE LEADERSHIP
Authors: Sharma Sarla
Published: January 2008

Throughout American industry, there is more evidence now than ever before of the need for change. Many analysts are pointing to the traditional leadership style used in the vast majority of American companies as a major obstacle to growth and improvement. Sixty‐eight per cent of college educated women reported job discrimination, especially at the upper corporate level, because of their sex (The New York Times, 1982). The relationship between what will be required for corporate survival and the innate talents of women managers has not been recognised enough by corporate leadership (Loden, 1985). It seems that women managers possessing certain distinct feminine talents and characteristics may be better prepared to cope with the challenges of the future than many traditional males. The skills they were encouraged to leave behind when they entered the world of management are finally being recognised as critical to their companies' long‐term health and viability.
Genetic Testing of Employees: New Technologies, New Challenges, and New Laws for Employers in the Nineties
Authors: Wyld David C. , Cappel Sam D. , Hallock Daniel E.
Published: January 2008

In their bookMegatrends 2000, John Naisbitt and Patricia Aburdene (1990) stated that one of the ten “megatrends for the 1990's would be the rise of “The Age of Biology.” One of the central forces behind this societal shift which is occurring right now, they say, is research into understanding human genetics and the rise of biotechnology. The scientific knowledge regarding human genetics and the technology to examine an individual's genetic makeup have grown at a rapid pace, especially in the last decade as a result of the Human Genome Project. This venture has been labelled alternatively as “mediocre science” (Roberts, 1990b: p. 804) and as “biology's Holy Grail,” (Nelkin and Tancredi, 1989: p. 14). It is indisputably a monumental scientific undertaking, likened to the drive to put a man on the moon in the sixties (“The Geography of Genes,” 1989). This knowledge and the resultant trends will likely prove to be important factors not only in our future economy, but also in the nature of how we understand ourselves.
Proportion of Men Employees in Organisations and the Experiences of Female Managers and Professionals
Authors: Burke Ronald J. , McKeen Carol A.
Published: January 2008

Organisations have historically been designed and managed by men (Morrison & Von Glinow, 1990). Even today, the number of women in the highest ranks of corporate management is still only about six per cent (Burke & McKeen, 1992). The presence of women at these senior levels may affect the experiences of managerial and professional women at lower organisational levels (Ely, 1991). In addition the presence of women at senior organisational levels may influence the behaviour of men, and the relationships of men and women, at lower levels as well (Kanter, 1977).
Sex Discrimination in Employment: Everyone's Problem
Authors: Sur Gina , Kleiner Brian H.
Published: January 2008

The differences between men and women have existed since the beginning of time. These differences, when integrated into cultural norms over time, serve as the basis for acceptable gender roles and behaviour. In today's American society, nowhere are these roles more apparent than in the workplace. Conse‐quently, gender‐related conflicts are commonplace in corporate American culture and ultimately affect everyone in some manner. This article explores some of the reasons for these conflicts, identifies the affected parties, and recommends strategies aimed at improving the overall situation.
HOW THE BEST COMPANIES ARE PREVENTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE
Authors: Colquitt Brent , Kleiner Brian H.
Published: January 2008

Sexual harassment is a major concern in today's work environment. Employee sexual harassment complaints have increased substantially year after year. This issue is at the forefront of today's most sensitive topics in American business. Progressive employers are taking steps towards preventing sexual harassment to increase morale and reduce legal costs.
Usage Patterns and Perceptions of the Internet: The Gender Gap
Authors: Teo Thompson S.H. , Lim Vivien K.G.
Published: January 2008

In the 1960s, the Pentagon commissioned several computer scientists to build a systems of decentralised communication network that could remain functional in the event of a nuclear war. The result is the Arpanet, which initially linked up four universities. Over time, this network grew rapidly to interconnect numerous universities, research centres and commercial organisations, and became the technological underpinnings of the Internet.
Equal Opportunities and the Boardroom: The Challenge of Corporatisation
Authors: McGregor Judy , Pajo Karl , Cleland Jacqui , Burke Ronald
Published: January 2008

The rise of corporatisation poses a new challenge for equal opportunities as women struggle to participate in corporate governance. Traditionally, the corporate model was confined to the private sector which is now strongly driven by a prevailing ideology of economic de‐regulation. A consequence of laissez faire economics is that the private sector is assuming greater responsibility for political and economic development as the state sheds power and loses its legitimacy for some functions. Market liberalism has also widened the ambit of the corporate model which is now increasingly applying to the public sector. For example, in New Zealand 56 crown companies have converted to the corporate model with compelling legislation which prioritises profitability over social responsibility (Taggart, 1993). Both private and public sector trends elevate the social and political significance of how corporates are governed and the question of women's participation in the process as directors of boards.
VALUING DIVERSITY: THE CASE OF PREGNANT WORKING WOMAN IN THE UNITED STATES
Authors: Thompson Cynthia A.
Published: January 2008

In 1987, Claire Logan, a sales representative for a garment manufacturer in New York City, was looking forward to her first bonus after moving to a commission‐based pay schedule. She had brought in over US$5 million in sales for her employer, including a new $2 million account with a major department store, and was owed a $15,000 bonus. After receiving a partial payment of $5,000 from her employer, Logan discovered she was pregnant and informed her boss. Within days she found herself out of a job and short $10,000 of the bonus owed to her. Logan filed a complaint against her employer with New York City's Human Rights Commission and four years later settled her claim of discrimination for $45,000.
Some Current Issues in UK Bank Marketing
Authors: Watson Ian J.
Published: January 2008

In an earlier study the author examined the impact of marketing on the UK clearing banks, and the satisfaction of their senior management with the results. In this subsequent study he examines the views of branch management and compares their perceptions with those of senior management.
A Cross‐Cultural Study of Credit Card Usage Behaviours: Canadian and American Credit Card Users Contrasted
Authors: Kaynak Erdener , Yucelt Ugur
Published: January 2008

A number of insights are provided into the characteristics and attitudinal orientations of American and Canadian credit card users with indications that in both countries further growth in the development of credit cards is expected throughout the 1980s.
How Large Commercial Banks Manage Product Innovation
Authors: Axel Johne F. , Harborne P.
Published: January 2008

Those banks which are active and experienced product innovators use organisational systems significantly different and better suited to the task of developing new products than those of less active product innovator banks. The findings, based on interviews conducted in nine large commercial banks competing in the market for corporate banking services, show a key difference between the organisation arrangements of the two banking groups; active product innovators ensure that specialised personnel make regular, effective contact with the market while less active product innovators see development tasks as a special activity. Active product innovator banks have also progressed considerably in opening up traditionally tight operating structures in order to initiate product innovation.
Strategic Issues in the Development of Ancillary Services by Retail Banks
Authors: Barry Howcroft J. , Lavis John
Published: January 2008

Ancillary services as a generic product‐service group represent a key area for growth in the retail banking sector provided their introduction is low and concurrent with culture change within the sector. Ancillary services will absorb surplus staff for marketing purposes; the branch network will evolve towards a newer retailing‐based role, and the selling of integrated packages of services will retain customer contact and reinforce customer loyalty. These services can also boost fee earning and incremental profit, increasing market strength. Changing product design, training, infrastructure (branch design), and management control will aid the shift of the retailing structure towards ancillary services. However, these must not be seen to provide cosmetic solutions to banks' deeper problems, and the strategy should not provide a service far removed from existing operations.
Dividing and Conquering: Strategies for Segmentation
Authors: Wills Gordon
Published: January 2008

Market segmentation is a powerful and discriminating method of grouping customers categorically so that their needs may be properly addressed. Segmentation can be devised on a geographic, demographic, sociographic or psychographic basis, but a bank will only maintain its competitive edge if all customers are considered within the same perspective. Segments must be evenly balanced so as not to systematically create a vacuum in one market area; if a segment is justifiable in its uniqueness and profitabilitty then it achieves viability. Service benefits must be considered from the customer's perspective as well as the bank's own and, segmentation being a dynamic tool, it must be well thought out and executed with care.
Selling to the Corporate Customer
Authors: Day Abby
Published: January 2008

For bankers to feel comfortable in their relationships with large corporates, a precise understanding is needed of who, within that company, engages the relationship, and how it can be better managed. The corporate treasurer is the first and most impressive obstacle in selling financial services to an organisation but must be dealt with bearing in mind the diverse group of people making up the Decision Making Unit (DMU) that this person represents. The ensuing negotiation will be based on power (the bank illustrating why its proposals are superior to competitors'); time (the bank being aware of the client's deadlines); and information (understanding the degree of client needs, limitations, and willingness to make concessions). In a collaborative atmosphere, the corporate treasurer will be impressed that the bank's aim is to assist rather than exploit.
Services Used and Factors Considered Important in Selecting a Bank: An Investigation across Diverse Demographic Segments
Authors: Laroche Michel , Rosenblatt Jerry A. , Manning Terrill
Published: January 2008

Consumers perceive the following criteria as important in their selection and patronage of commercial banking facilities. Services relating to chequing accounts are of greater importance than those relating to savings accounts. Speed of service, locational convenience, competence and friendliness of bank personnel are also important. Significant differences in attitudes and opinions between the sexes, language, age, income and educational level groups are revealed. These results come from a study carried out in Montreal, which was chosen for its highly competitive banking environment. By tailoring their marketing strategies to stress the satisfaction of the above features, bank marketers may be better able to influence the target market segments dealt with.
Consumer Perceptions and Attitudes towards Savings and Investments
Authors: Goodfellow John H.
Published: January 2008

An insight into the motivations of personal savers is offered here, and five different types are identified. It is seen that there is often no clear‐cut line between “savings” and “investments”, and only an impressionistic inter‐pretation of the findings is possible. However, this gives valuable new insights for a more detailed investigation into personal saving behaviour. The framework and context of the UK personal saving/investment market is outlined.
Internal and External Marketing: Effects on Consumer Satisfaction in Banks in Thailand
Authors: Tansuhaj Patriya , Wong John , McCullough Jim
Published: January 2008

Concepts of internal marketing and external marketing in the context of service firms are here discussed and examined for their effects on consumer satisfaction. These concepts in the context of foreign and domestic banks in Thailand are focused upon. The results show differences between banks and a strong relationship between internal marketing and consumer satisfaction. The effective practice of internal marketing appears to influence the effectiveness of external marketing programmes influencing customer satisfaction.
Adoption Patterns of New Banking Technology in Southeast Asia
Authors: Swinyard William R. , Ger Ghee Leow
Published: January 2008

ATM cardholders and nonholders in the Republic of Singapore have been researched. Cardholders and nonholders are contrasted in their demographic, attitudinal and social characteristics and in their experience with technical products. The findings indicate considerable differences between cardholders and nonholders on most measures. Further, the profile of ATM cardholders appears to be consistent with Rogers' (1983) generalisation of the early adopters of innovations.
Commercial Banking in Canada: A Study of the Selection Criteria and Service Expectations of Treasury Officers
Authors: Rosenblatt Jerry , Laroche Michel , Hochstein Alan , McTavish Ronald , Sheahan Maureen
Published: January 2008

Four hundred and twenty‐three Canadian financial officers were asked to participate in a national survey of bank selection criteria. One hundred and seventy questionnaires were returned, representing a response rate of 40 per cent. The survey results indicate that Schedule A banks (large, well established) are still used as the primary financial intermediary by 95 per cent of the companies represented in this study. Corporate treasurers, treasury managers, VPs of finance and chief financial officers are responsible for choosing financial intermediaries in 72 per cent of the firms surveyed. Aside from interest rate considerations, efficiency of service, reliability of service, responsiveness of contact person, service delivery and speed of response are the most highly rated decision criteria used by financial officers in their choice of financial intermediaries. Of special interest is the rapid growth in the use of Schedule B banks (small, newly developed) and near banks (trust companies, savings and loan associations). Key factors in this decision seem to hinge upon lower borrowing rates and higher interest rates on deposits as well as better overall customer service. In spite of the trend of banks towards “one‐stop‐banking centres”, financial officers tend to disagree that they would consider one location for their banking, trust and other financial needs.
Technology Acceptance in Canadian Retail Banking: A Study of Consumer Motivations and Use of ATMs
Authors: Marshall Judith J. , Heslop Louise A.
Published: January 2008

In this article the authors report the results of a study of use of automated teller machines (ATMs) in Canada. A total of 255 users and non‐users were interviewed regarding their use of ATMs, shopping motivations, attitudes towards and familiarity with technology, age, education and employment status. Discriminant analysis revealed that convenience shopping orientation, attitudes towards ATM technology, social shopping orientation, familiarity with other new technologies and education were very good predictors of ATM use and non‐use. Implications for developing ATM marketing strategy are given.
INFLATION, EMPLOYMENT AND INCOMES POLICIES
Authors: Zaidi Mahmood A.
Published: January 2008

1. INTRODUCTION The recent proliferation of literature on the problems inherent in inflation, unemployment and incomes policy does not lag far behind the rate of inflation that initially prompted it. Before we get into the discussion of incomes and prices policies, it will be advisable to (a) present some evidence on the wage‐price‐unemployment behaviour in selected industrialised countries and (b) discuss theoretical and empirical results which have led to the conclusion that monetary and fiscal policies will not be adequate to meet the current inflationary problems. The first should provide substance to the claim that inflation has increased over time and has now become a more critical problem; the second should throw some light on the nature of current controversy on inflation and why mixed economies should need to supplement monetary and fiscal policies by other policies to provide themselves with a better trade‐off between inflation and unemployment. Accordingly, we will (1) describe recent wage‐price‐unemployment experience in selected industrialised countries, (2) discuss theoretical and empirical issues involved in the study of wage‐price‐unemployment behaviour, and (3) present the rationale advanced for an incomes policy, and discuss the past experiences of countries which have experimented with incomes policies and conclude with the suggestion that incomes policy and manpower policy be considered as complementary.
GOVERNMENT VOCATIONAL TRAINING SCHEMES IN GREAT BRITAIN
Authors: Pettman Barrie O. , Showler Brian
Published: January 2008

Industrial training in Great Britain has been analysed in an article in the previous issue of this journal. Here we would like to concentrate on the training of the individual and the Government's role in assisting this training over the period 1917 to 1973.
PROSPECTS FOR EQUAL PAY INBRITAIN:Retail Distribution and the Equal Pay Act 1970
Authors: Robinson Olive , Wallace John
Published: January 2008

Equal Pay—Objectives and Achievement Equal pay for women has a history of policy declarations dating back in Great Britain to the resolution of the Trades Union Congress in 1888: “That in the opinion of this Congress it is desirable, in the interests of both men and women, that in trades where women do the same work as men, they shall receive the same pay.” On an international level the International Labour Organisation included the concept of “equal remuneration for work of equal value” in its constitution adopted in 1919, reiterating the principle in Convention 100 in 1951, which was not however ratified by this country until 1971, one year after the passage of the Equal Pay Act. The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 states that “everyone, without distinction, has the right to equal pay for equal work”, with a more precise definition in its 1967 Declation on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, “that all appropriate measures shall be taken to ensure to women,… the right to equal remuneration with men and to equality of treatment in respect of work of equal value”. In contrast, under Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome member states of the European Economic Community are required to “ensure and subsequently maintain the application of the principle that men and women should receive equal pay for equal work”.
Did the UK Trend towards Equality really come to an end by 1957?
Authors: Roberti Paulo
Published: January 2008

In the long and endless debate on changes in the distribution of income, agreement appears to have been reached on the view that inequality decreased before and soon after World War II, but that the trend towards greater equality did not continue during the 1960s. While perhaps this inference can be supported by the income size data we have, it is worth looking more closely at the evidence which can be derived from existing statistics on income distribution. The object of this article is to review and describe the post‐war changes in the distribution of pre‐tax income in the United Kingdom. As I will show, there is room for different conclusions. However, if it is with the worse off that we should be concerned, no support comes from the data for the thesis that income inequality decreased in the 1950s but not in the 1960s. Rather, the opposite appears to be true.
Economic Aspects of Low Income Housing Policy in the Urban Economy
Authors: Wilkinson R.K.
Published: January 2008

Of the many problems which confront urban policy makers and planners at the present time, that of housing the lower income groups is one of the most general and the most pressing. The term “lower income groups” is used advisedly and not merely as a euphemism for “the poor” who live in “slums”. Housing quality covers a wide spectrum from the most luxurious to the most spartan and while on the whole it is closely related to the current income of the household, the association is not perfect. The level of income is of vital importance in achieving a given level of quality but the contraction of incomes towards the end of the lifespan of a household is not necessarily associated with a lowering of housing quality. Equally, the slum is a multi‐dimensional concept which though easy to recognise is difficult to define. Not all housing occupied by low paid workers are slums and not all slum‐dwellers are poor. The term “slum” often denotes a type of neighbourhood in which flourishes a sub‐culture containing its own socio‐economic stratification. The solution of low income housing problems is obviously closely bound up with the question of slums but neither begins nor ends with it. The purpose of this paper is to examine the causes of the housing market manifestations of the problems of urban blight or congestion from the economic point of view (i.e. to consider the operation of the market mechanism in allocating resources) and to suggest an approach to the formulation of policy which will achieve an economically efficient distribution of housing resources.
Work Without Pay: Work Incentives and Patterns in a Salaryless Environment
Authors: Macarov D.
Published: January 2008

In most Western, industrialised countries the relationship between work and welfare is close, but asymmetric. The effect of employment policy on welfare recipients or welfare systems is usually a minor consideration when determining the former; whereas the effect which welfare policies are expected to have on work patterns is often the controlling consideration when welfare rates and conditions are decided. In fact, one of the most influential factors in the establishment of social welfare policies is the presumed effect of such policies on incentives to work. Almost all social welfare programmes throughout the world have written into them a “wage stop” which guarantees that recipients of grants—sometimes even of social insurance payments—will not receive as much income from such programmes as they could receive from working. So pervasive and deep is this fear of a work disincentive that even those who cannot work, such as the aged, the handicapped, and children; and those whom public policy says should not be required to work, like the mothers of infants, are usually limited as to the amount which they can receive from welfare payments, regardless of need, to somewhat less than the amount which they would receive if they were able to work. In Israel, for example, social welfare grants are fixed at 40% of the average wage; in France, old age pensions will rise by 1975 from even lower rates to 25% of the annual wage at age 60, and 50% at age 65 [International Labour Review, 1972], whereas unemployment insurance benefit, which was 35–40% until 1974, rose to only 70% of the average annual wage [Oechslin, 1972]. In the United States, “… In 1968, the average weekly unemployment insurance benefit was about one‐third of the weekly wage in employment that was covered under the programme” [Handler, 1972]. By thus making it impossible for many persons to acquire through welfare what they theoretically could (but actually could not) acquire from work, the fear of work disincentives, operating through the wage stop, is one of the factors guaranteeing the existence and continuation of poverty.
The Location of Government Training Centres
Authors: Hughes James J.
Published: January 2008

Between 1963 and 1971 the number of places available at Government Training Centres (GTCs) increased by over 400 per cent, so that by 1971 there were 52 centres with 11,000 places capable of retraining about 20,000 persons annually. Early in 1972 the Conservative Government announced plans for a further large expansion in the manpower training and retraining programme. The long term aim of that government was to provide retraining opportunities for about 100,000 annually, but as an interim measure it hoped to provide such opportunities for 60–70,000 people by 1975. The government intended that about half of these opportunities—i.e. 30,000—would be catered for by the GTCs, of which there would be 64 by 1975, with a total of 17,000 training places.
The American Anti‐Discrimination Legislation and its Impact on the Utilisation of Blacks and Women
Authors: Jain Harish C. , Pettman Barrie O.
Published: January 2008

Since the mid‐fifties, employment discrimination against minority groups and women has been a matter of considerable social and political concern in America. Numerous studies have found the prevalence of discrimination in the workplace towards blacks, females, and other minority groups. This had led the Congress to enact innovative anti‐discrimination legislation which has now reached universal coverage. The agencies administering this legislation have recently been given wide powers of enforcement. Moreover, the courts have interpreted the law in such a way that the guidelines favouring the increased utilisation of minority groups issued by these agencies have been upheld. This has had a dramatic impact on employer hiring and promotion procedures and practices.
The Regional Location of Training Centres in Britain: A Cost‐Benefit Approach
Authors: Ziderman Adrian
Published: January 2008

It is just over fifty years since the British government instigated the scheme that was to lead to the setting up of Government Training Centres (GTCs) shortly afterwards.
National Defence and Social Welfare Budget Trends in Ten Nations of Postwar Western Europe
Authors: Pluta Joseph E.
Published: January 2008

For the past two decades, economists, political scientists, and other public policy analysts have repeatedly lamented the lack of attention afforded the expenditure side of fiscal policy. Such concern has prompted numerous studies which have examined in great detail budgets of individual countries. Despite this renewed interest, surprisingly little has appeared in the area of comparative expenditure development. Cross‐country comparisons have traditionally employed cross‐section analyses while ignoring, except in rare instances, comparisons of time series data.
Some Socio‐Economic Perspectives on the Quality of Working Life
Authors: Newton Keith
Published: January 2008

While concern for the quality of working life (QWL) is by no means new it is nevertheless true that there has been an enormous amount of research, experimentation and commentary in this field in recent years. A particular confluence of forces—ever‐accelerating technological change; rapidly‐shifting attitudes, life‐styles, and social institutions; and the paradox in many countries of a customary prosperity threatened by doubts as to future economic performance—is at least in part responsible for the burgeoning interest in the field. But important also is its multidisciplinary nature, which has afforded to social scientists of varied orientations the opportunity to participate in a new intellectual growth industry.
Observation and Assessment Centres for Children
Authors: Knapp Martin R.J. , Curtis Sarah , Giziakis Ernestini
Published: January 2008

The present range and character of child‐care services in Britain have evolved erratically over a long period of time. Structured by a succession of Acts of Parliament, shaped and re‐shaped by the changing pattern of social values, needs and expectations, current provision is both complex and comprehensive. Statutory and voluntary bodies now provide preventive services, shelter and treatment for both the deprived and the delinquent, for the able‐bodied and the handicapped, for infants and for adolescents. Often this care will be provided in the child's own home or in a foster home, but at any one time roughly 40 per cent of the 120,000 children and young persons that are today the responsibility of local authorities will be resident in a children's home.
The Application of Entropy to the Measurement of Social and Economic Freedom
Authors: Dennis  , Gabor André
Published: January 2008

This study was inspired by the concept of entropy as applied to the measurement of the extent of information in the communication theory of Wiener and Shannon. Like its precursor, entropy in statistical mechanics, it is a convenient measure of the uncertainty or unpredictability of a system or of a process containing an element of contingency. By keeping in mind the fact that in human circles unpredictability is often allowed to pass under the sacred name of liberty, it is possible to perceive an opening for mathematics into a domain which was until now inaccessible to the mathematician. It was four years ago that we made a first attempt to enter that field in our “Essay on the Mathematical Theory of Freedom”, presented to the Royal Statistical Society of London.
Research Note: Stoppage of Work Incidence in the United Kingdom, 1913 –1977
Authors: Creigh S.S.
Published: January 2008

A number of time‐series regression analyses of British strike activity have appeared in recent years. These analyses are the lineal descendants of the “strike cycle” models which have a long history in the United States, although most of the British literature springs from the more sophisticated bargaining models which began to appear in the 1960s.
The Structure of Unemployment in Britain
Authors: Pond Chris
Published: January 2008

The recent increase in unemployment has been accompanied by much discussion of the structure of unemployment. Many have occupied themselves by trying to allocate the increase between the conventional categories of frictional, structural and cyclical and in trying to separate the voluntary and involuntary components of the problem. Others have investigated the nature of the problem in terms of job turnover or duration, while a number have busied themselves with the issue of whether the published unemployment figures are an accurate measure of the pressure of demand or of social distress.
The Social Economics of Karl Polanyi
Authors: Ron Stanfield J.
Published: January 2008

Karl Polanyi (1886–1964) was educated in Hungary, worked in exile in Vienna in the 1920s, and after 1933 alternated his residence between England and the USA. His early career was in law and philosophy, then international relations. From 1940 to his death, he concentrated on universal economic history, a broadly defined area encompassing fields that are more conventionally known as economic anthropology, economic history, and comparative economic systems. This work aimed ultimately at the creation of a new and more universal economic theory, founded on the interaction of economy and society, i.e., social economics.
Some Socio‐Economic Determinants of Alcohol Consumption: A Research Note
Authors: Duncan Kitchin Paul
Published: January 2008

This article builds on a paper by McGuinness which examined the effects on UK alcohol consumption per head of time, real income per head, the real price of alcohol, the level of alcohol advertising and the numbers of retail alcohol outlets. This paper adds deaths, unemployment and inflation as explanatory variables.
Toward Qualitative Economic Analysis
Authors: Vikor Desider
Published: January 2008

As Professor Ischboldin looks back, after decades of creative work, reflecting on his accomplishments and surveying the landscape of economics, I suspect he feels that his optimistic approach to economics was, after all, justified. Of course, a genetic economist is supposed to be always optimistic, even when the tide is running against him. And since the end of World War II the general trend has not always been too favourable for genetic economists. In the wake of the last revolution in our dismal science a regime of formalism was firmly established and cold technical elegance became the characteristic of the professional élite. Their mathematical sophistication, however, was not enough to prevent a crisis of major proportions, and, as we can witness these days, the forces of criticism cannot any longer be disregarded.
The Kibbutz: An Applied Socio‐economic Experiment
Authors: Chary Joseph
Published: January 2008

The Kibbutz in Israel is a collective settlement in which all means of production and consumption are communally owned. Nevertheless, it should be underscored that there remains much individuality both within the individual Kibbutz and between the settlements. In fact, each collective settlement tends to take on a particular character according to the nature of the members that make up that settlement. The life of the Kibbutz materialises from below (that is, arises from the membership) rather than by resolution or edict from above. In this respect, the Kibbutz is a socio‐economic experiment that takes place in life‐reality, or the everyday experience of living.
The Theory of Bargaining and Strike Activity
Authors: Sapsford David
Published: January 2008

According to officially published statistics, there began in the UK during 1979 some 2,080 stoppages of work due to industrial disputes, involving 4.584 million workers and resulting in 29.474 million working days lost (Department of Employment Gazette, 1980, p. 874). The purpose of this article is to summarise some of the main developments which have occurred over recent years in the economic analysis of strike activity and to illustrate some of the insights provided byeconomictheories of the collective bargaining process and its breakdown. We begin with a brief survey of the literature which provides a discussion of its major findings and of the limitations of existing studies. In subsequent sections, some basic theoretical concepts are introduced and after a brief discussion of some important elements of bargaining theory these are used in the construction of an alternative model of the breakdown of the collective bargaining process and the occurrence of strikes. In the penultimate section, this alternative model is tested against UK data and in the final section the main findings are summarised.
The Resource Costs of Global Poverty
Authors: Ferraro Vincent , Doherty Elizabeth , Cassani Barbara
Published: January 2008

It has been generally assumed that, although there may be material costs to the entire world which result from any attempt to eliminate global poverty through development, the only costs associated with the continued existence of poverty are human ones, costs which are borne primarily by the poor themselves. This article is a review of the literature on development and resource use; its primary purpose is to investigate the extent to which analysts have tested this assumption—that is, the extent to which they have addressed the issue of the material costs engendered by the perpetuation of global poverty. Its conclusion is that no systematic analysis of this assumption has been conducted. However, there is a recognition of the resource costs of global poverty implicit in much of the literature on development and on resource use, and there is sufficient evidence to indicate that more detailed study of the relationship is warranted, since it is clear that the continued acceptance of global poverty entails significant costs for every member of the global community.
Economic Planning in a Mixed Economy: The Indian Experience
Authors: Uppal J.S.
Published: January 2008

Economic planning, which as a concept emerged as a socialistic idea, is now considered an important aspect of all national economies with varying political and ideological persuasions and at different stages of socio‐economic development. There are as many types and forms of economic planning as the number of countries, because each country formulates a plan according to its political and economic environments and goals of the national economy. In a general sense, the term economic planning can be defined as formulation of control and regulation of economic activity by public agency with a view to achieving well‐defined objective(s). Since the key questions implicit in this definition such as formulation of economic policies, regulation and control of economic activity and goals and objectives of the national economy, are closely related to the political structure of a society, the techniques and patterns of economic planning thus become intricately woven with its political system.
Delay as a Rationing Device
Authors: Bowles Roger A.
Published: January 2008

Whenever goods and services are supplied at a price that lies below the market‐clearing level, excess demand occurs and some way has to be found of rationing the limited available supply amongst prospective customers. Problems of this kind may occur in any market in which price does not continuously adjust to the relative pressures of supply and demand. The phenomenon occurs in both private markets and in the government sector in both capitalist and non‐capitalist economies. A wide array of devices may take the place of price adjustment: adjustment of stocks or inventories; the emergence of black markets; discrimination amongst customers by sellers by reference to a wide variety of characteristics (such as whether they are regular customers or whether they are of a particular sex or colour or whatever); the application of some other rule such as first‐come‐first‐served and so forth. The object of this article is to focus on just one means of rationing limited supplies, namely that of using waiting time to reduce demand. To give a definite shape to discussion we impose the further limitation of confining ourselves to goods and services that are provided by public agencies of one kind or other, and to the provision of health care in particular.
The Household Income Distribution of Disabled People in the UK
Authors: Brittan Yvonne
Published: January 2008

The United Nation's resolution proclaiming 1981 the International Year of Disabled People set out principal aims for the “Year”: to stimulate awareness of the needs, abilities and aspirations of the disabled; to encourage the participation, equality and integration of disabled people in society; to help the prevention of disability and to make more positive attitudes towards disabled people. The disabled, however, should have taken heed of what had happened to children since their International Year, 1979, and should, perhaps, have decided against the institutionalising and internationalising of their plight. In the UK, the Year of the Child was followed by savage cuts in the field of education, children's homes, pre‐school and nursery care, and child benefits were not up‐rated in line with the cost of living. Similar things have been happening to disabled people: benefits have not been increased to keep pace with inflation, invalidity pension has become taxable, budgets for aids and appliances have been severed, in some areas the home help service has been cut and elsewhere its cost has increased beyond the means of many of the disabled and the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Civil Liability and Compensation for Personal Injury (the Pearson Commission) have been abandoned. Even the new supplementary benefit scheme as it applies to the disabled fails to provide a sufficient income as of right and indeed some disabled people are worse off financially under the new regulation than the old. Notwithstanding the fact that public expenditure cuts have been made in all sectors, not just those affecting the disabled, there is no doubt that while the launching of an International Year of the Disabled may have been a fine, well‐meaning gesture, in real terms little has been done to improve the financial position of disabled people in the UK.
The Economic Theory of Conspicuous Consumption
Authors: Mason R.S.
Published: January 2008

General economic theories of consumer demand work well in describing market behaviour with respect to most purchases and the explanation of consumer choice between competing commodities is clearly acceptable for the great majority of scarce goods. However, these theories do not easily accommodate the many non‐economic factors associated with preference formation and with the shaping of consumer attitudes and values. They also pay little or no attention to the dynamic process of choice, purchasing and consumption; in effect, they treat purchasing, consumption and satisfaction as synonyms.
National Commission on Unemployment Compensation: A Critique
Authors: Becker Joseph. M.
Published: January 2008

The National Commission on Unemployment Compensation (NCUC) represents the only full‐fledged review of unemployment insurance since the enactment of this all‐important social programme in 1935. Assuming a body of commissioners deeply versed in unemployment insurance, considering also that the commission was to have two full years and adequate funds with which to work, there was an expectation that the commission would be the most significant event in the programme's history. Now that the commission has completed its task, it is time to review the results of its work and assess its worth.