bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Juggling Inputs, Outputs, and Outcomes in the Search for Policy Competence: Recent Experience in Australia
Authors: Campbell Colin
Published: December 2004

During the mid‐ to late 1980s, the Labor government in Australia under Prime Minister Bob Hawke distinguished itself by achieving a balance in its budgeting and management approaches. This allowed for focusing on inputs, outputs, and outcomes in tandem. The approach differed considerably from that pursued in New Zealand. There, an overemphasis on outputs introduced serious distortions to the relations between ministers and officials, which reformers in Wellington have subsequently taken strides toward correcting.

As often happens with reform movements, the Australian process reached a plateau by the early to mid‐1990s. Broadly, officials welcomed a change of government in 1996 with the expectation that the coalition under Prime Minister John Howard would give new impetus to innovative public management. Ironically, this coalition addressed the issues surrounding budgeting and management reform through an unreconstructed 1980s lens, highlighting outputs at the expense of balanced emphasis of inputs and outcomes as well. As suggested by the Labor government's success in the 1980s and the adjustments attempted by New Zealand governments in the 1990s, collective dynamics among and between members of cabinet and officials, respectively, are key to a balanced approach. These dynamics foster a sense of trusteeship whereby participants see that inputs, outputs, and outcomes form part of a seamless web centered on public interest. The analysis of the Coalition's performance so far suggests thhat its efforts at reform have proven retrogressive when evaluated by this standard.
The Form of the Matter: Heidegger, Ontology and Christian Ethics
Authors: Brock Brian
Published: December 2004

Martin Heidegger’s late thought on technology raises a potent set of observations regarding the relationship of technology and ontology. Oliver O’Donovan is shown to have similar concerns to Heidegger on this topic, concerns which he addresses from within a theological framework which places technological making within the guiding role of created order. Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics II/1 account of the perfections of God is applied to sharpen O’Donovan’s account of natural knowledge, clarifying the relation between natural and redeemed understandings of the normativity of the form of matter.
The Roman ‘Clarification’ of the Doctrine of the Filioque
Authors: Coffey David
Published: December 2004

This article offers an exposition of a recent Roman Catholic document on the disputed issue of the Filioque, and of some of the discussion that has followed it. Drawing on the Council of Florence in particular, it is here argued that there is a danger of a watering down of the developed Western trinitarian position encapsulated in the Filioque. A way of holding on to the fullness of that tradition, whilst taking seriously the need for a fuller recognition of the decisive Eastern insight concerning the monarchy of the Father, is offered.
An Evaluation of Financial Analysts' Earnings Forecasts for Hong Kong Firms
Authors: Jaggi Bikki , Jain Rohit
Published: December 2004

This study evaluates the accuracy and potential bias of analyst forecasts for Hong Kong firms published in the Estimate Directory and compares analyst forecasts to model forecasts. It also examines the association of forecast accuracy with various firm characteristics. The findings of the study show that on an overall basis analyst forecasts for Hong Kong firms are more accurate than model forecasts. Analyst forecasts for Earnings Per Share (EPS) are generally biased towards overstatement. The analysis of the association between forecast accuracy and company characteristics suggests that analyst forecasts for larger firms are comparatively more accurate than for smaller firms. As expected, the results also show that analyst forecasts with shorter time horizons are more accurate than forecasts with longer time horizons. The variability in firms' earnings, beta (market risk) or industry classification have no significant impact on the accuracy of analyst forecasts.
Corporate Accounting Disclosure in ASEAN
Authors: Craig Russell , Diga Joselito
Published: December 2004

This article analyses corporate annual report disclosure practices in five ASEAN countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. The purpose is twofold. First, to ascertain the extent, pattern and nature of corporate disclosure in ASEAN. Second, to reveal whether existing disclosure requirements would be conducive to accounting harmonisation in the ASEAN region. Data sources are the annual reports of 145 public companies listed on ASEAN stock exchanges, and disclosure requirements in companies legislation and stock market regulations. A disclosure checklist and a model are used to analyse disclosure practices. The results reinforce and extend extant international studies of disclosure practices. They are thought likely to benefit those seeking to operate public companies in ASEAN and those contemplating accounting harmonisation in ASEAN.
Derivatives Usage in Risk Management by US and German Non‐Financial Firms: A Comparative Survey
Authors: Bodnar Gordon M. , Gebhardt Günther
Published: December 2004

This paper is a comparative study of the responses to the 1995 Wharton School survey of derivative usage among US non‐financial firms and a 1997 companion survey on German non‐financial firms. It is not a mere comparison of the results of both studies but a comparative study, drawing a comparable subsample of firms from the US study to match the sample of German firms on both size and industry composition. We find that German firms are more likely to use derivatives than US firms, with 78 percent of German firms using derivatives compared to 57 percent of US firms. Aside from this higher overall usage, the general pattern of usage across industry and size groupings is comparable across the two countries. In both countries, foreign currency derivative usage is most common, followed closely by interest rate derivatives, with commodity derivatives a distant third. In contrast to the similarities, firms in the two countries differ notably on issues such as the primary goal of hedging, their choice of instruments, and the influence of their market view when taking derivative positions. These differences appear to be driven by the greater importance of financial accounting statements in Germany than the US and stricter German corporate policies of control over derivative activities within the firm.
The Case for Cameral Accounting
Authors: Monsen Norvald
Published: December 2004

Cameral accounting was developed as early as the 16th century onwards in order to contribute to increased control of public money. Such a control demand does not seem to be of minor importance at the threshold of a new millennium as it was several centuries ago, and therefore Ludwig Mülhaupt in the excerpt above states that ‘Unfortunately there are very few researchers and practitioners who are interested in developing the cameral bookkeeping method, which is strongly to be regretted with a view to the importance of these questions.’ Most of the literature dealing with cameral accounting is published in German, and it seems to be known only to a small extent beyond the German speaking countries. The purpose of this article is therefore to present this historically important accounting model to a larger audience, allowing us to draw upon the experiences of cameral accounting in our continuous attempts to control public money, including the current international debate about the introduction of commercial (accrual) accounting in the public sector.
Commerce, Culture, Continuity: Hans Steinhoff's ‘Mittelfilm’ Production of Stefan Zweig's Angst (1928)
Authors: Claus Horst
Published: December 2004

Having been responsible for Der alte und der junge König, Robert Koch, and Ohm Krüger, Hans Steinhoff is generally regarded as one of the key directors of films produced during the Third Reich, and his output has been analysed extensively in the context of Joseph Goebbels's propaganda machinery. This approach ignores the fact that, prior to 1933, he was an established director of popular commercial films made with a medium‐size budget for audiences in the German provinces. Using Steinhoff's screen version of Angst as point of reference, this paper examines the wider production conditions and commercial considerations behind the transformation of Stefan Zweig's famous short story into a product of mass entertainment for the cinema, and suggests that similar thoughts also governed the making of Hitlerjunge Quex (which – though he never joined the NSDAP – significantly contributed to Steinhoff's reputation as an ‘arch Nazi’ and holder of the ‘Goldenes Parteiabzeichen’).
‘Ich Triumphiere Sozusagen’: The Publication History of Victor Klemperer's ‘Zion‐Kapitel’ in LTI (1947–1957)
Authors: Watt Roderick H.
Published: December 2004

The publication in 1999 of Victor Klemperer's diaries for the years 1945–1959 provides a fascinating insight into the way in which he sought to accommodate his personal and academic position in East Germany to the demands of a social and political system to which he had only reluctantly committed himself in the view that it was the lesser of two evils when compared with what he believed to be the threatening re‐emergence of Fascism in West Germany. In particular, the publication history of the notorious ‘Zion‐Kapitel’ of his most famous book, LTI. Notizbuch eines Philologen, is one of several case studies illustrating how Klemperer learned to cultivate and maintain his personal and professional profile as an academic in the German Democratic Republic by adapting to and, where necessary, exploiting the exigencies of a foreign and domestic policy effectively dictated by the USSR. Klemperer's determination to distinguish between anti‐Zionism and anti‐Semitism is also of particular relevance today.
Religious Echoes of the Errant Text: Darker Shades of Derrida's Pathless Way
Authors: Almond Ian
Published: December 2004

I employ these words, I admit, with a glance towards the operations of childbearing–but also with a glance towards those who, in a society from which I do not exclude myself, turn their eyes away when faced by the as yet unnameable which is proclaiming itself and which can do so …only under the species of the nonspecies, in the formless, mute, infant and terrifying form of monstrosity.

The question of writing could be opened only if the book was closed. The joyous wandering of the graphein then became wandering without return.
Petitioning as popular politics in early sixteenth–century England
Authors: Hoyle R. W.
Published: December 2004

This article offers the thesis that petitioning by collective groups, whether occupational, regionally constituted, or simply the body of people called the commons, was an important form of political communication in the early sixteenth century which, although poorly documented and consequently overlooked by historians, allows us an entry into the world of popular politics. The article offers illustrations of the way in which petitions were employed within the city of York, by groups such as weavers or by the commons of East Anglia in 1549 and 1553. The right to petition could not be denied, but mass petitioning was viewed with apprehension by government. Nonetheless, petitioning may be seen as a conservative form of behaviour when compared to calls for insurrection.
A Note on Job Mobility Among Workers with Disabilities
Authors: Baldwin Marjorie L. , Schumacher Edward J.
Published: December 2004

This article uses data from the 1990 and 1993 panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation to analyze relationships between disability status and job mobility. We identify individuals who experienced voluntary or involuntary job separations over a 20‐month period and examine the effect of disability status on rates of job change and wage growth following a job change. The results show that disabled workers are more likely to experience involuntary job changes than are nondisabled workers, but there is little difference in the wage effects of job changes by disability status.
Being Different Can Hurt: Effects of Deviation from Physical Norms on Lawyers’ Salaries
Authors: Saporta I. , Halpern J.J.
Published: December 2004

A recent federal appeals court ruling barred employment bias against obese people. A reconsideration of the association between being overweight and salary is therefore in order. This article examines the effect of being overweight and thin on lawyers’ salaries as reported in the 1984 National Lawyer Survey. Using regression models derived from the clinical nutrition literature as well as models based on the lawyers in the sample themselves,we find an effect of being overweight on salary for men and not for women attorneys. There is also an effect of being thin on men’s but not on women’s salaries. Importantly, the influence of thinness means that the effect of weight on salary is not linear. We suggest that the relationship between salaries and appearance may result from social perceptions of people deviating from an “ideal” physique.
Centralisation of Collective Bargaining in a Decade of Decentralisation: The Case of the Engineering Construction Industry
Authors: Korczynski Marek
Published: December 2004

This article examines the sole recent case of the comprehensive centralisation of bargaining. This ‘exceptional’ case allows new light to be cast on existing trends in multi‐employer bargaining. The analysis suggests the importance of the state and unions as interlocutors in the political process of the determination of employer ‘interests’.
Labour Relations in Taiwan: A Cross–Cultural Perspective
Authors: Yeh‐Yun Lin Carol
Published: December 2004

Labour relations in Taiwan have transformed since 1987. In this study, management concepts regarding unions, compensation, grievances, safety and health are compared among local Taiwanese, American, and Japanese firms in Taiwan. Data are obtained from a questionnaire survey and follow–up interviews. Implications of the research results are also discussed.
US Multinationals: changing the framework of Irish industrial relations?
Authors: Turner T. , D’Art D. , Gunnigle P.
Published: December 2004

Traditionally it has been argued that the practices of multinationals conform to the industrial relations practices of the host country. Recent arguments claim that a new orthodoxy prevails which originates in the multi‐national's country of origin. The authors find little evidence for a new orthodoxy in Irish industrial relations
Subcontracting and occupational health and safety in the residential building industry
Authors: Mayhew Claire , Quinlan Michael
Published: December 2004

This article examines the relationship between subcontracting and occupational health and safety in the Australian and UK residential building industry. It is argued that poorer OHS is an important consequence of subcontracting. This finding has implications for theories of injury causation and analysing the impact of outsourcing on industrial relations.
British employers and the Social Chapter: some survey evidence
Authors: Sapsford David , Johnes Geraint , Armstrong Harvey , De Kervenoael Ronanl
Published: December 2004

This note reports the results of a survey of firms operating in Britain concerning the impact on their costs and operations of the Social Action Programme. We find that the realised and anticipated adverse impacts of the legislation are rather limited, although both do appear to be greater for firms which are relatively large, skill intensive, and which have a substantial amount of trade with other EU countries. In particular, the survey results provide little evidence to suggest that the imposition of a minimum wage of £3.50 per hour would have a substantial adverse impact on employment. Evidence does, however, suggest that firms which pay relatively low wages are likely to be affected more than others by the legislation.
Are Three Cracks in the Danish Model of Industrial Relations?
Authors: Gill Colin , Kundsen Herman , Lind Jens
Published: December 2004

The Danish system of industrial relations bears a lot of similarity to the traditional Scandinavian model of industrial relations. In this article the authors argue that whilst the Danish model has weathered the forces of change remarkably well up to now, a number of recent developments have started to produce ‘cracks’ in the model.
Workplace Union Resilience in the Merseyside Fire Brigade
Authors: Darlington Ralph
Published: December 2004

Here the author provides evidence from empirical case study research into the changing nature of workplace industrial relations and trade union organisation within the Merseyside Fire Brigade over the last 10–15 years. He documents the main processes of development within an historical context assessing workplace unionism during the 1980s, the recent challenge posed by managerial restructuring in the early 1990s, and the wider implications for debates about the ‘state’ of workplace unionism in Britain today.
Marksist Management: Sophisticated Human Relations in a High Street Retail Store
Authors: Turnbull Peter , Wass Victoria
Published: December 2004

Large non‐union firms such as IBM, Hewlett‐Packard and Marks & Spencer are frequently cited as ‘role models’ for ‘soft HRM’. The key elements of sophisticated human relations practised by these firms are well‐known, but there is little evidence of employees’ perceptions or experience of this particular management style. Data from a high street retail store which follows the Marksist version of sophisticated human relations reveals a significant gap between aspirations (rhetoric) and outcomes (reality).
Between Regime Fragmentation and Realignment: Irish Industrial Relations in the 1990s
Authors: Roche William K.
Published: December 2004

The future of European industrial relations systems has been discussed in the literature in terms of either ‘inter‐regime competition’, or progressive ‘intra‐regime fragmentation’. Within the context of this debate the article examines developments in Irish industrial relations during the 1990s. The impact of fragmentation on attempts to realign Irish industrial relations practices and institutions in support of a ‘high road’ national competitive and industrial strategy is examined.
Of believers, atheists and agnostics: practitioner views on HRM
Authors: Grant David , Oswick Cliff
Published: December 2004

Using empirical evidence, this article identifies those personnel/HRM practitioners who are convinced of HRM’s existence (‘believers‘), those who are convinced of its non‐existence (‘atheists‘) and those who are unsure (‘agnostics‘). It also reveals a significant and positive relationship between membership of the Institute of Personnel and Development and practitioner belief in HRM.
Phases and dynamics in the development of EU industrial relations regulation
Authors: Strøby Jensen Carsten , Steen Madsen Jørgen , Due Jesper
Published: December 2004

In this article the authors discuss whether it is possible to identify the existence of a European IR‐system. They try to identify important phases and dynamics in the emergence of what is termed the European IR‐model. It is argued that traditional IR‐theory should be combined with theories which allow more extensive consideration of politological and institutional phenomena when analysing IR developments at pan‐European level.
The TUC’s Organising Academy: an assessment
Authors: Heery Edmund , Simms Melanie , Delbridge Rick , Salmon John , Simpson Dave
Published: December 2004

In 1998 the British Trades Union Congress established an Organising Academy to train a new generation of paid union organisers. This article reviews the first two years of the Academy and offers an initial evaluation. It seeks to gauge whether the initiative has prompted innovation in organision policy in unions and led to successful organising outcomes.
Employee representation on health and safety and European Works Councils
Authors: Walters David
Published: December 2004

Three hundred and eighty‐six voluntary agreements on European Works Councils are examined for material that might support their role in transnational consultation on health and safety in Europe. A significant percentage do indeed support the potential development of consultation on health and safety at this level, both substantively and with representation on health and safety at enterprise level. However the support is uneven and in a number of areas it is relatively weak.
Employee buyouts and employee involvement: a case study investigation of employee attitudes
Authors: Trewhitt Lisa
Published: December 2004

This article investigates the association between employee share ownership (ESO) and employee involvement (EI) in an employee‐owned firm.Based on data from the firm’s employers and employees, the article concludes that the mere presence of share ownership is no guarantee on increased involvement for employees, highlighting instead the significance of other variables.
Pursuing centralised bargaining in an era of decentralisation? A progressive union goal in Korea from a comparative perspective
Authors: Jeong Jooyeon
Published: December 2004

During the last decade, progressive Korean unions have attempted to transform the organisation and bargaining of enterprise unionism into an industrial unionism. This vitalised development in collective bargaining contrasts with trends prevailing in many advanced nations. This paper, on the basis of case studies, examines factors shaping bargaining structures in the context of Korean industrial relations. A theoretical framework regarding factors shaping bargaining structures, one formed in comparative industrial relations studies of advanced nations, proves useful in examining the subject. This finding implies that the attempt of progressive unions will face formidable obstacles.
Reviewing the Working Time Directive: rationale, implementation and case law
Authors: Adnett Nick , Hardy Stephen
Published: December 2004

In November 1993 the Social Affairs Council of the EU adopted the Directive on the Organisation of Working Time. The EU Commission is committed to a review of the operation of this Directive in 2003. In this paper we re‐examine the economic rationale for such regulations, assess the different legal arrangements for the implementation of the Directive and summarise recent case law. In conclusion, we suggest that the forthcoming review is likely to provide an important indicator of any EU reassessment of economic and social priorities.
Globalised management and local labour: the case of the white‐goods industry in Turkey
Authors: Nichols Theo , Sugur Nadir , Demir Erol
Published: December 2004

This paper is concerned with the situation where goods are produced by workers in underdeveloped countries, in this case, consumer durables, under the direction of managements which have access to modern management techniques. In particular, it considers the significance of new management methods, especially Total Quality Management, for workers employed in white‐goods manufacture in Turkey.
The dynamics of positive action in UK trade unions: the case of women and black members
Authors: Kirton Gill , Greene Anne‐marie
Published: December 2004

This paper considers positive action strategies amongst UK trade unions, aimed at increasing membership and levels of participation and representation among women and black workers. It provides an overview of women’s, black members’ and race structures within large Trades Union Congress unions and a detailed case study of one large UK trade union. We find that there are salient differences in the way that unions approach issues of gender equality, compared with the approach adopted towards race equality. The paper explores possible explanations, justifications and implications of these differences.
Applying human rights standards to employment rights in the USA: The Human Rights Watch Report 2000
Authors: Gross James A.
Published: December 2004

This essay reviews the international human rights standards that the Human Rights Watch Report uses as standards for judgment, summarises with some commentary the Report’s major findings and recommendations, comments more fully on certain findings and recommendations, and, in conclusion, raises several issues that need to be addressed given the state of freedom of association and other related human rights in the USA.
Just vote no! Union–busting in the European fast–food industry: the case of McDonald’s
Authors: Royle Tony
Published: December 2004

This paper examines the problem of effectively regulating the labour relations practices of multinational corporations. It focuses on the activities of the McDonald’s Corporation in a number of European countries. The findings suggest that public and private codes of conduct have a very limited effect and that determined and well–resourced corporations can not only undermine regional forms of regulation—such as that provided by the European Union—but also, and to a considerable extent, national–level regulation. This is particularly evident in the area of independent trade union representation. Although its aim of avoiding collective bargaining and union recognition wherever possible is only partially successful, McDonald’s appears to have developed a number of highly effective strategies for limiting the presence of trade unions at restaurant level, particularly in avoiding or undermining statutory works councils and union representation rights.
Monetary Policy Implementation: Past, Present and Future – Will Electronic Money Lead to the Eventual Demise of Central Banking?
Authors: Freedman
Published: December 2004

This paper examines the ways in which central banks influence the very short‐term interest rate in regimes with and without reserve requirements. It then examines the implications for monetary policy implementation of the spread of electronic money and the potential for other mechanisms to compete with settlement arrangements at central banks. It concludes that it is extremely unlikely that electronic money will displace bank notes or the settlement services that are offered by central banks in the foreseeable future. Moreover, even in the extremely unlikely case that the spread of stored‐value cards leads to the elimination of bank notes and that the development of network money permits alternative settlement services to be offered that effectively competes with central bank services, central banks would very likely be able to continue to influence the very short‐term rate of interest. They would therefore be able to maintain their influence over aggregate demand and inflation even in such circumstances.
An Investigation into the Relationship between Neuroticism, Extraversion and Cognitive Test Performance in Selection
Authors: Dobson Paul
Published: December 2004

This research reports an investigation into the relationship between neuroticism, extraversion and cognitive test performance in a real selection situation. Strong support is found for the proposition that neuroticism is associated with lower performance on numerical reasoning tests in stressful situations and that the obtained scores provide a significant under‐estimate of the neurotic's true ability in such circumstances. The state‐trait model of anxiety and the concept of cognitive interference appear to provide an adequate explanation of the findings. The implications of these findings for the assessment of cognitive ability in selection are discussed.
A Review and Extension of Current Models of Dynamic Criteria
Authors: Steele‐Johnson Debra , Osburn Hobart G. , Pieper Kalen F.
Published: December 2004

An important issue in personnel selection and test validation has been the nature of performance criteria and more specifically the existence of dynamic criteria. There is a continuing debate regarding the extent to which performance and validity coefficients remain stable over time. We examine research within work, laboratory, and academic settings and evaluate existing models of dynamic criteria. Building on previous models, we propose an integrative model of dynamic criteria that identifies important issues for ability and performance constructs and discusses how variables related to the task, job, and organization can affect the temporal stability of criterion performance and the ability‐performance relationship.
Utility Analysis: Current Trends and Future Directions
Authors: Cabrera Elizabeth F. , Raju Nambury S.
Published: December 2004

Utility analysis procedures offer organizational decision‐makers useful information regarding the relative values of different interventions. Years of research have resulted in a number of practically viable utility models and extensions. There is a continued need for research to examine the accuracy of utility estimates and to further compare the different models. A more recent research concern is that of low levels of acceptance of utility analysis results by practitioners. Many researchers are turning their attention to ways in which this acceptance may be increased. This article reviews different utility models as well as a number of important extensions. It then discusses current utility analysis issues, such as the aforementioned acceptance problem and the introduction of a multi‐attribute utility model. The article concludes with suggestions for future utility analysis research.
Innovations in Integrity‐Based Personnel Selection: Building a Technology‐Friendly Assessment
Authors: Jones John W. , Brasher Eric E. , Huff Joseph W.
Published: December 2004

We are currently observing a paradigm shift in the composition of personnel selection inventories from lengthy paper‐and‐pencil administration and scoring to innovative applications of information technology. These technological advances have been driven primarily by strong demands from human resource professionals for enhancements in speed, effectiveness, and cost containment. In response, an existing pre‐employment selection assessment was modified to make it more concise, economical, and ‘technology‐friendly’. The resulting integrity‐based assessment system, the Applicant Potential Inventory or API (London House 1997), has been administered and scored using a wide variety of technologies, including telephone, personal computer, fax, and the Internet. This article describes the initial development of the API and reviews nine field studies conducted to examine its reliability, validity, fairness, and financial impact.
On the Virtues of Staying ‘Inside of the Box’: Does Organizational Citizenship Behavior Detract from Performance in Taylorist Jobs?
Authors: Hunt Steven T.
Published: December 2004

In the past several years, increasing emphasis has been placed on the role of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) as an important aspect of job performance. OCB is defined as employee behavior that contributes to organizational performance, but that is not formally specified as an aspect of the job. While OCB is likely to be an important element in the performance of most jobs, it is suggested that there are a sizeable number of jobs where OCB is neither desired nor encouraged. These jobs are described as being ‘Taylorist’ in recognition of Frederick Taylor’s work advocating strict employee adherence to pre‐specified job procedures. Several features are described that distinguish Taylorist jobs where OCB is likely to be harmful rather than beneficial. Implications that Taylorist jobs have with regard to employee selection are also discussed, and two empirical studies are described that illustrate how Taylorist jobs differ from jobs were OCB is more valued in terms of the relationships found between employee characteristics and job performance. Specifically, it appears that several candidate characteristics that one would theoretically expect to be negatively associated with OCB are positively associated with performance and tenure in Taylorist jobs.
New roles and training models for managers in the printing and communications industry in the Netherlands
Authors: Nijhof Wim J. , Streumer Jan N.
Published: December 2004

The communications industry has been subject to radical changes in this decade. Managers working in this branch of industry need to adapt their management style to changing conditions. This study was carried out for the branch training and education institute in The Netherlands (STIVAKO) to provide directions for their future training and education supply. Using a variety of research instruments (literature research, interviews, survey and expert conference) a new flexible curriculum structure has been developed.
Job/work environment factors influencing training transfer within a human service agency: some indicative support for Baldwin and Ford’s transfer climate construct
Authors: Clarke Nicholas
Published: December 2004

Despite significant progress in the field of training transfer research over the past two decades very little empirical research in the area has been conducted within human service organisations. As a result, our knowledge of the extent to which those factors posited within the training literature to influence the transfer of training are necessarily those found in these particular work settings very much remains in its infancy. This article presents findings from qualitative research that was undertaken as part of a wider training evaluation strategy to investigate (1) those factors which influenced the transfer of training within a UK social services department; and (2) how these factors compared or differed from those suggested within the literature as influencing training transfer. The findings suggest a range of specific factors as they pertain to both the nature of the jobs and the workplace within such work settings as mediating training transfer. However, a number of these were closely associated with the dimensions of social support and opportunity to use as posited within Baldwin and Ford’s (1988) transfer of training model, suggesting that the model is potentially generalisable to human service agencies.
Health Care in Asia and the Pacific: Increasing the focus on social health insurance
Authors: Ron Aviva
Published: December 2004

This paper focuses on health insurance reform within the broader frameworks of both social security and health services system development. In most countries in Asia and the Pacific, it is indeed the reform of the health services system, through policy changes in health care financing, that has led to an increased focus on health insurance. The underlying issue in this reform is the shift in responsibility that has taken place in most countries in the region over recent years. In the past, governments were responsible for financing health care for their populations. This shifted to defining, legislating and implementing an appropriate health care financing mechanism, presenting several challenges: to reach universal health insurance coverage through new initiatives for new populations, mainly the informal sector accounting for the majority of the population in almost all these countries; to apply provider payment systems that enable control over costs and the volume of utilization; and to strengthen primary health care as a foundation for rational utilization and more resources for prevention, including prevention of chronic diseases among the ageing population. This approach will require an active partnership between health insurance schemes and government that should reflect the new division of responsibilities to guarantee access to high‐quality health care for all.
Social governance: Corporate governance in institutions of social security, welfare and healthcare
Authors: Verdeyen Vanessa , Buggenhout Bea Van
Published: December 2004

Corporate governance is a concept that attracted the attention of jurists and economists in the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. It has become widespread in Belgian company law since the 1990s. Lately, corporate governance elements have popped up in other fields as well. When applied to social institutions, this model is referred to by the term “social governance”. The corporate governance concept can be very valuable in the social area. After all, the debate on corporate governance is much more fundamental than the debate on the relationship between shareholders and management and between minority and majority shareholders. The essence of corporate governance can be found in the pursuit of a situation of “checks and balances”, which gives the stakeholders the possibility of complementing and controlling each other. We analyse the existing social governance elements in social security and welfare law. We conclude that the implementation of a social governance model should have a positive influence on the policy and practice of social institutions.
Satisfaction with democracy: A note on a frequently used indicator in comparative politics
Authors: LINDE JONAS , EKMAN JOAKIM
Published: December 2004

Abstract.This article offers a critical investigation of one indicator of support for democracy frequently used by comparativists. Departing from a theoretical multidimensional model of political support, and drawing on large‐scale public opinion surveys, we argue that the survey item ‘satisfaction with the way democracy works’ is not an indicator of support for the principles of democracy. Rather, it is an item that taps the level of support for the way the democratic regime works in practice. At the same time, we show that this item is far from a perfect indicator of support for the performance of a democratic regime, since it is highly sensitive to different institutional contexts. By demonstrating empirically some of the problems involved when trying to asses the levels of support for democracy in post‐communist Europe, we argue for a more cautious approach when analysing problems of legitimacy in processes of democratic consolidation. We also advocate the need for multiple indicators when analysing political support.
Testing Deliberative Democracy: The 1999 Australian Republic Referendum
Authors: Uhr John
Published: December 2004

THIS ARTICLE EXAMINES AUSTRALIAN REFERENDUM PRACTICE WITH the aim of contributing to the growing international debate over concepts of deliberative democracy, defined in terms of democratic regimes structured to maximize community deliberation in public decision-making. Theories of deliberative democracy go beyond earlier approaches to participatory democracy by specifying in greater detail the nature of the deliberative process in which citizens should be able to participate and of the importance of institutions of civil society to an effective deliberative process. The focus on ideals of public deliberation ref lects the ambition of deliberative democrats (the ‘deliberati’ if you will) to ground political decision-making in norms of shared public reason. Where earlier approaches to participatory democracy investigatedrightsto political participation, current approaches to deliberative democracy also investigateresponsibilitiesof political participants – particularly responsibilities to comply with norms of rational political deliberation.
Luxembourg, Helsinki and Beyond: Towards an Interpretation of Recent Turkey‐EU Relations
Authors: Öniş Ziya
Published: December 2004

The European Union has undergone four successive rounds of enlargement since its inception in 1957. Currently, the EU finds itself in the midst of a new wave of enlargement, in the context of a simultaneous process of ‘deepening’ and ‘widening’. The enlargement process in progress, aims to incorporate the former communist countries on the eastern periphery of the Community. It is rather ironic, however, that Turkey, one of the earliest applicants for membership of the Community, is not included among the group of states, notably the four Visegrad countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) which enjoy a serious prospect of being admitted into the Community in the near future. This constitutes a paradoxical development in the sense that the claims of these countries for full EU membership are very recent, dating back to their liberation from communist rule in the aftermath of the revolutions of 1989.
Consenting Adults: The Principle of Consent and Northern Ireland's Constitutional Future
Authors: Ginty Roger Mac , Wilford Rick , Dowds Lizanne , Robinson Gillian
Published: December 2004

‘If A Majority Of People In Northern Ireland Ever Voted To become part of a United Ireland what would you do?’ At first sight the question may seem plucked from the realms of constitutional fantasy. A united Ireland seems an unlikely prospect, at least in anything but the long term. Even proponents of unity predict a 15–20 year wait. Yet the 1998 Good Friday Agreement empowers the people of Northern Ireland to decide their own constitutional future. As a result questions on Northern Ireland's future constitutional status, and public reactions to possible changes in that status, are relevant to current political debate.

It is important to note that the principle of consent is not a new constitutional invention. It has had a long association with Northern Ireland. It is argued that the peace process and the 1998 Good Friday Agreement have refocused attention on the long-standing consent principle. While consent was part of the constitutional furniture it was often overlooked during the Troubles.

This article re-examines consent in the light of the peace process. It draws on evidence from the 1998 and 1999/2000Northern Ireland Life and Timessurveys, as well as a number of in-depth interviews with senior politicians and policy-makers involved in the peace process and the negotiations on a political settlement. First it considers the changing significance of the consent principle to Northern Ireland's constitutional status, arguing that the principle has assumed a renewed immediacy. Secondly, the article reports the findings of the two most recentNorthern Ireland Life and Timessurveys in relation to constitutional preferences. While public attitudes towards a unitary Ireland or continued Union within the United Kingdom have been surveyed regularly, as far as the authors are aware no previous survey has asked whether people would accept or oppose constitutional change if it was supported by a majority of Northern Ireland's citizens. In other words, no survey has gauged the level of public acceptance of the consent principle. The key question is: would unionists be prepared to come quietly if a majority of Northern Ireland's citizens voted to accept a united Ireland?
Hailing with an Invisible Hand: A ‘Cosy’ Political Dispute amid the Rise of Neoliberal Politics in Modern Ireland
Authors: Taylor George
Published: December 2004

As Christmas 2000 Approached In Dublin There Appeared Little prospect that its citizens would avoid the annual rigmarole associated with securing a safe passage home after an evening out. Anaesthetized by now to forecasts of an integrated transport system the envy of Europe, this was a public that had become weary. As for getting a taxi home, there are few it seems who by now could not recount to you their own little horror story: two-hour vigils at a taxi rank in the rain had become firmly ensconced within the mythology of the Celtic Tiger. And yet, as with so many other anecdotes of this period, they would have to vie for our attention in a conversation space crowded with incredulous descriptions of Dublin's morning gridlock, its escalating house prices or political and financial embezzlement.
Crisis Management in Transitional Democracies: The Baltic Experience
Authors: Stern Eric , Sundelius Bengt , Nohrstedt Daniel , Hansén Dan , Newlove Lindy , Hart Paul 't
Published: December 2004

In this article we open the black box of governance in the new democracies by examining episodes where these governments are confronted with urgent threats that require swift and decisive state responses. This provides a unique insight into how political and administrative decision-making actually takes place. It enables us to analyse and evaluate the performance of the new institutions at times when it matters most. Specifically, we discuss how three of these new democracies, the Baltic states, have dealt with risks and crises in vital societal and political domains such as health and safety, public order, economic management and foreign policy. All belong to the core of the classic state functions.
Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy with Hippocampal Sclerosis
Authors:   Compiled by Heinz‐Gregor Wieser for the ILAE Commission on Neurosurgery of Epilepsy
Published: December 2004

Summary: Experts discussed the definition, natural history, pathologic features, pathogenesis, electroclinical, neurophysiological, neuropsychological, structural and functional imaging findings, as well as surgical outcome in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE‐HS). After a long‐lasting consensus process the ILAE Commission Neurosurgery of epilepsy accepted the resulting conclusions as state‐of‐the art report on MTLE‐HS. The majority of contributors considered MTLE‐HS to represent a sufficient cluster of signs and symptoms to make up a syndromic diagnostic entity.
Early‐ and Late‐onset Complications of the Ketogenic Diet for Intractable Epilepsy
Authors: Kang Hoon Chul , Chung Da Eun , Kim Dong Wook , Kim Heung Dong
Published: December 2004

Summary: Purpose:This study was undertaken to evaluate the exact limitations of the ketogenic diet (KD) and to collect data on the prevention and management of its risks.

Methods:Patients (129) who were on the KD from July 1995 to October 2001 at our epilepsy center were assessed in the study. Early‐onset (within 4 weeks of the commencement of the KD until stabilization) and late‐onset complications (occurring after 4 weeks) were reviewed.

Results:The most common early‐onset complication was dehydration, especially in patients who started the KD with initial fasting. Gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances, such as nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation, also were frequently noted, sometimes associated with gastritis and fat intolerance. Other early‐onset complications, in order of frequency, were hypertriglyceridemia, transient hyperuricemia, hypercholesterolemia, various infectious diseases, symptomatic hypoglycemia, hypoproteinemia, hypomagnesemia, repetitive hyponatremia, low concentrations of high‐density lipoprotein, lipoid pneumonia due to aspiration, hepatitis, acute pancreatitis, and persistent metabolic acidosis. Late‐onset complications also included osteopenia, renal stones, cardiomyopathy, secondary hypocarnitinemia, and iron‐deficiency anemia. Most early‐ and late‐onset complications were transient and successfully managed by careful follow‐up and conservative strategies. However, 22 (17.1%) patients ceased the KD because of various kinds of serious complications, and four (3.1%) patients died during the KD, two of sepsis, one of cardiomyopathy, and one of lipoid pneumonia.

Conclusions:Most complications of the KD are transient and can be managed easily with various conservative treatments. However, life‐threatening complications should be monitored closely during follow‐up.