bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Choices of Japanese Patients in the Face of Disagreement
Authors: Asai Atsushi , Kishino Minako , Fukui Tsuguya , Sakai Masahiko , Yokota Masako , Nakata Kazumi , Sasakabe Sumiko , Sawada Kiyomi , Kaiji Fumie
Published: March 2003

Background: Patients in different countries have different attitudes toward self‐determination and medical information. Little is known how much respect Japanese patients feel should be given for their wishes about medical care and for medical information, and what choices they would make in the face of disagreement.

Methods: Ambulatory patients in six clinics of internal medicine at a university hospital were surveyed using a self‐administered questionnaire.

Results: A total of 307 patients participated in our survey. Of the respondents, 47% would accept recommendations made by physicians, even if such recommendations were against their wishes; 25% would try to persuade their physician to change their recommendations; and 14% would leave their physician to find a new one.

Seventy‐six percent of the respondents thought that physicians should routinely ask patients if they would want to know about a diagnosis of cancer, while 5% disagreed; 59% responded that physicians should inform them of the actual diagnosis, even against the request of their family not to do so, while 24% would want their physician to abide by their family's request and 14% could not decide. One‐third of the respondents who initially said they would want to know the truth would yield to the desires of the family in a case of disagreement.

Interpretations: In the face of disagreement regarding medical care and disclosure, Japanese patients tend to respond in a diverse and unpredictable manner. Medical professionals should thus be prudent and ask their patients explicitly what they want regarding medical care and information.
Drawing a Line: Situating Moral Boundaries in Genetic Medicine
Authors: Scully Jackie Leigh
Published: March 2003

Bioethics traditionally focuses on establishing moral limits between different types of acts. However, boundaries are established by communities and individuals who differ in the constraints shaping their moral world. Phase boundaries, the sites of transition between two physical phases such as a liquid and a gas, provide a metaphor for ‘drawing a line’ in bioethics discourse. Phase boundaries occur where the physical constraints allow both phases to coexist in stable equilibrium. This relationship can also be considered in reverse, using the known position of the phase boundary to disclose the physical constraints. By analogy, instead of trying to locate the ‘correct’ moral boundary, the alternative perspective of ‘reverse ethics’ works from a commonly accepted boundary to examine the constraints of the moral world that are being used to establish it. Genetic interventions into the human body provide interesting examples of boundary establishment. In gene therapy, focusing on boundaries has resulted in a model of moral permissibility that ignores some alternative standpoints and increases the potential for conflict between them. Reverse ethics examines such conflicts in terms of the nature of the moral worlds that have come into contact with each other, taking seriously the diversity of factors governing the location of a boundary, in ways that might help shift some entrenched lines of conflict.
The Ethics of Life Expectancy
Authors: Small Robin
Published: March 2003

Some ethical dilemmas in health care, such as over the use of age as a criterion of patient selection, appeal to the notion of life expectancy. However, some features of this concept have not been discussed. Here I look in turn at two aspects: one positive — our expectation of further life — and the other negative — the loss of potential life brought about by death. The most common method of determining this loss, by counting only the period of time between death and some particular age, implies that those who die at ages not far from that one are regarded as losing very little potential life, while those who die at greater ages are regarded as losing none at all. This approach has methodological advantages but ethical disadvantages, in that it fails to correspond to our strong belief that anyone who dies is losing some period of life that he or she would otherwise have had. The normative role of life expectancy expressed in the ‘fair innings’ attitude arises from a particular historical situation: not the increase of life expectancy in modern societies, but a related narrowing in the distribution of projected life spans. Since life expectancy is really a representation of existing patterns of mortality, which in turn are determined by many influences, including the present allocation of health resources, it should not be taken as a prediction, and still less as a statement of entitlement.
Assessment: The Assessment of Pupils with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties
Authors: McNicholas Jim
Published: March 2003

Jim McNicholas, educational consultant, provides an overview of a detailed research enquiry into the practices of teacher assessment of pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) set against a background of curriculum theory and curriculum change. The overview approach (with its ‘instant practical application’) to a major study has not previously been reported in BJSE and the Editor would be grateful for your comments on its relevance to other studies.
How inclusive is the Literacy Hour?
Authors: Wearmouth Janice , Soler Janet
Published: March 2003

In this article, Janice Wearmouth and Janet Soler, both lecturers in the Faculty of Education and Language Studies at the Open University, explore the implications of recent Government initiatives for pupils who experience difficulties in literacy development. The authors focus, in particular, on their perceptions of the contradictions between the inclusive requirements of the National Curriculum and the prescriptive pedagogy of the National Literacy Strategy. The National Curriculum now requires teachers to respond to pupils' ‘diverse learning needs’; the National Literacy Strategy is founded upon an expectation that all pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 will be taught a daily Literacy Hour. This article explores the impact of these contrasting policies on classroom practice and concludes by drawing upon evidence of previously existing good practice in order to propose ways of resolving this dilemma.
Using multimedia to teach personal safety to children with severe learning difficulties
Authors: Lee Deborah , McGee Anna , Ungar Simon
Published: March 2003

This paper presents a review of the use of computer technology as a medium to teach personal safety skills to young people with severe learning difficulties. The authors, working from the Psychology Department of Glasgow Caledonian University, present two main areas which they considered when designing teaching materials for these pupils. Firstly, pupils with severe learning difficulties may not understand the appropriate language for sexual issues. Materials based on the ability to speak, listen, read or write will not produce a deep level of understanding about the topic. Secondly, pupils with severe learning difficulties may find acting out a situation through role play difficult. The authors describe their use of computer technology as a possible solution to these areas and illustrate the personal experiences of educators following this novel use of multimedia.
Improving Learning Opportunities in Mainstream Secondary Schools and Colleges for Students on the Autistic Spectrum
Authors: Harrison Joyce
Published: March 2003

Joyce Harrison, an educational psychologist in Hampshire, argues that there are many more children with autistic spectrum disorders in mainstream schools than is realised, and suggests that recent research can be used to help class teachers to devise strategies to improve learning opportunities for their pupils.
Visual Elements and Container Metaphors for Multi‐Media
Authors: Howarth Mike
Published: March 2003

The paper describes the research behind three elements of an interactive product created from education radio resources. Firstly, a main menu interface that takes into account physical classroom conditions. Secondly, interactive learning interfaces that accommodate eye and vision requirements of children. Thirdly, a story interface design informed by the “container” metaphor and the 2D metaphors in radio script structures mapped in 3D using a “Radio Rooms” model.

The work was carried out as a Senior Radio Producer with BBC Education, on a project using educational radio materials to create interactive multimedia resources, part of a MPhil/PhD sponsored by the BBC.
The reliability and validity of an interactive arithmetic test
Authors: Hippisley Jonathan , Douglas Graham
Published: March 2003

A sample of 331 primary school children from seven primary schools, from Years 3 through 7, participated in this study to determine the reliability of a computer resident interactive arithmetic test, using both the method of a single sitting and that of parallel forms. Reliability coefficients up to .96 were calculated for scoring rates by the single sitting methods and up to .87 by the method of parallel forms. The study also attempted to determine the validity of the interactive test by comparing it with the arithmetic subtests of the Key Math Test (KMT, Connolly et al., 1971). Positive, but weak, correlations up to .65 were recorded, reflecting differences in the medium of administration and assessment methodology of the two tests.
Getting to grips with “interactivity”: helping teachers assess the educational value of CD‐ROMs
Authors: Aldrich Frances , Rogers Yvonne , Scaife Mike
Published: March 2003

Many commercial CD‐ROMs are now being marketed as suitable for home and school use, increasingly promoted as covering the National Curriculum. However, such promises are failing to be realised because many CD‐ROMS are poorly constructed, consisting simply of a mishmash of images, sounds and video that offer little more than light entertainment. The aim of this paper is to provide guidance on assessing the added value of educational CD‐ROMs compared with traditional materials by explicating more the notion of interactivity as it pertains to learning.
Making Values and Beliefs Explicit as a Tool for the Effective Development of Educational Multimedia Software—a Prototype
Authors: Shabajee Paul
Published: March 2003

This paper puts forward a prototype process for the development of educational multimedia materials, which can help educational multimedia software developers produce more coherent and effective learning resources by making explicit the value/belief system on which the project is founded. The prototype is presented as an object and stimulus for debate and discussion, around the many issues it raises.

The paper critically reviews some current models of educational multimedia software development with regard to the role of “values/beliefs” and discusses why there is a need for these factors to be taken into account. It particularly focuses on environmental issues and is more widely applicable to those subject areas which involve the teaching of “controversial issues”.

The basic process put forward involves three steps: 1) identifying and agreeing a prioritized list of the core values and beliefs on which the project is based 2) using these to inform the specification/design process 3) using them as part of the evaluation/quality control process. The process is illustrated using a small number of examples and the paper ends by looking forward to a full trial of the prototype and suggestions for further work.
Patterns of image comparison using compare and contrast feature in Urinalysis Tutor™
Authors: Kim Sara , Astion Michael
Published: March 2003

This study examined how students interacted with a computer‐based feature, Compare and Contrast, which facilitated image comparisons. Unlike previous research, which explored the use of images ordered and presented by investigators, this study examined emerging patterns of image comparison as students selected the presentation mode. Three main image‐viewing modes emerged including one successive mode and two simultaneous modes: (1) single image viewing in which only one image was viewed at a time; (2) paired viewing in which different pairs of images were displayed; and (3) anchored viewing in which a single image in one image panel served as an anchor against which multiple image comparisons were made using the second panel. Overall, anchored viewing was the most predominant image‐viewing mode used by the students (41%) compared to single viewing (22%) and paired viewing (11%). Students who viewed images in the anchored‐viewing mode attained the highest scores on the post‐test exam. Our study suggests that a computer instructional program with a user‐controlled interactivity feature can provide insights on how learners form different types of visual comparison strategies. Future experimental studies involving interface design that explicitly supports single, paired, and anchored viewing modes could confirm or challenge the results of our study and therefore, contribute to on‐going research on the effective mode of image presentation for visual concept acquisition.
Assessment of aerobic endurance: a comparison between CD‐ROM and laboratory‐based instruction
Authors: Kirkwood Margaret , Sharp Bob , De Vito Giuseppe , Nimmo Myra A
Published: March 2003

Traditional approaches to teaching exercise physiology are costly in terms of staff time and consumable expenses. Ethical considerations, large student numbers and availability of technical expertise magnify the delivery problems. In an attempt to overcome these problems, a CD‐ROM version of a basic course in exercise physiology was designed and delivered to a group of undergraduate sport and exercise science students. It simulated five tests of aerobic endurance which are traditionally taught using laboratory methods. A controlled experiment was conducted to compare the two delivery methods, as part of an independent, formative evaluation. Although there were equal knowledge gains and the CD‐ROM design and content were well rated by students who used it, this approach has engendered less student interaction, commitment to wider reading and in‐depth understanding. Tutorials and other approaches designed to promote more active learning are now being introduced to accompany the use of the CD‐ROM.
Development and evaluation of an interactive computer–assisted learning program—a novel approach to teaching gynaecological surgery
Authors: Jha Vikram , Widdowson Shelley , Duffy Sean
Published: March 2003

Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) is increasingly being recognised as an effective means of teaching and learning. In Gynaecology, the anatomy and surgical steps in vaginal surgery such as vaginal hysterectomy are confusing due to limited access and restricted view of the operative field. The objective of this pilot project was to develop an interactive CAL program on CD–ROM, combining video, illustrations and three–dimensional images to enhance understanding of vaginal hysterectomy in terms of the anatomy and steps of the surgical procedure.

Macromedia Director was used to develop the program. With Director, it is possible to combine text, graphics, animation, video and sound to create interactive material for the web, presentations or CD–ROMS. The CD–ROM takes you through the individual steps of a vaginal hysterectomy combining video clips with voice–over, illustrations and text. The three‐dimensional image was included to enhance understanding of the complex relationships between the uterus, bladder and rectum. There is an interactive self–assessment section with multiple–choice questions and an anatomy self–test. The CD–ROM has been evaluated as an educational tool by 12 undergraduate students and 16 trainees in Gynaecology. Most were satisfied with the program. A need for development of further similar educational software has been identified.

The CD–ROM has identified an innovative and useful approach to teaching operative surgery. The results from the evaluation have been positive in terms of the need for similar programs in future.
Collective Bargaining Coverage under Trade Unionism: A Sociological Investigation
Authors: Scheuer Steen
Published: March 2003

Does high union density lead to high collective bargaining coverage? Since collective bargaining is seen as the raison d'être of trade unions, this is often assumed to be the case; some observers think that union density is ‘a floor’ below which collective bargaining coverage is unlikely to fall. With its very high union density, Denmark is a case in point. This article investigates the collective bargaining coverage issue in the Danish case, based on an individual‐level employee survey with 1720 respondents. Collective bargaining coverage is shown to be much lower than union density, and some methodological issues in this connection are considered. In order to find some possible explanations for this surprising finding, the question of variance of collective bargaining coverage between groups of employees is discussed in the light of theories of service society and recent research results and theories. The impact of central variables is investigated through multivariate analysis, and it turns out that by far the most important variable predicting an employee's collective bargaining coverage is a variable mostly neglected in comparative analyses: occupational status. Salaried employees have a much lower collective bargaining coverage than manual workers in Denmark, and some possible reasons for this are given.
Union Recognition and Paid Holiday Entitlement
Authors: Green Francis
Published: March 2003

This paper investigates the impact of unions in Britain on employees' entitlements to paid holidays. Theory suggests that longer holidays may be negotiated through collective than through individual bargaining. Data from the UK Quarterly Labour Force Survey are used to estimate the ‘gap’ between the paid holiday entitlements of workers with and without recognized unions. The results indicate that unions have a substantial impact on paid holiday entitlement. This paper also shows that the European Union Directive on Working Time may affect the holidays of about one and a quarter million workers.
Decentralization and Pay Reform in Central Government: a Study of Three Countries
Authors: Elliott Robert F. , Bender Keith A.
Published: March 2003

Over the past decade central governments of the UK, Sweden and Australia have been engaged in significant reforms in the way they pay their employees. These reforms have generally taken the form of the decentralization of pay bargaining and the individualization of pay. This paper details the policies that have been implemented in central government in these countries and presents some preliminary results on the effects of these. While the actual implementation has varied quite substantially across the countries and the analysis of the outcomes must be regarded as preliminary, there is some evidence that the reforms have led to an increase in earnings dispersion.
Employers’ Unfair Advantage in the United States of America: Symposium on the Human Rights Watch Report on the State of Worker’s Freedom of Association in the United States, continued
Authors: Friedman Sheldon , Wood Stephen
Published: March 2003

Articles featured in the symposium:

Author’s reply to Wheeler–Getman–Brody papers by Lance Compa, School of Industrial and Labor Relations

The Wagner Act Model: A Toxic System beyond Repair by Roy J. Adams De Groote, School of Business, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario

Choosing an Interpretation of the Right to Freedom of Association by Sheldon Leader, Department of Law and the Centre for Human Rights, University of Essex
Earnings Inequality and Unions in Canada
Authors: Chaykowski Richard P. , Slotsve George A.
Published: March 2003

This paper reports research examining differences in the earnings distributions of unionized and non–unionized workers and the impact of union status on the likelihood of a worker being in each region of the earnings distribution. Average earnings of unionized workers are shown to be higher than those of non–union workers in the first four quintiles, but lower than average earnings of non–unionized workers in the top quintile. Union effects are greatest among workers situated in the lower and middle regions of the distribution, and benefit workers who are typically disadvantaged in the labour market.
Problems of Growth in a High Technology Firm: Moving between Conscious and Unconscious Accounts of Organizational Processes
Authors: Roberts John
Published: March 2003

This paper explores an infrequently discussed methodological divide within qualitative research; that between conscious and unconscious accounts of organizational processes. The paper makes use of an empirical case study of problems encountered in the growth of a high‐technology company. The conscious accounts of growth treat members of the firm as knowledgeable agents whose understandings are then drawn upon to generate an account of growth in terms of interrelated processes of power, meaning and legitimacy. These conscious accounts are then complemented through an exploration of unconscious dynamics in the personality of the entrepreneur, the work group and the `family' structure of the firm. It is argued that the key shift in moving between conscious and unconscious interpretation, involves the bracketing of the reality claims implicit in conscious rationalizations, and a re‐listening to research material as a largely unconscious projection of individuals' `inner worlds'. With unconscious interpretations, the character of language, its emotional content and in particular the sources of individual and group anxiety all realize a central importance. Despite the established divide in the literature between these two forms of interpretation, it is argued that the case suggests the value and necessity of their integration, particularly for the understanding of creativity.
Professional Temporary Agencies, Women and Professional Discretion: Implications for Organizations and Management
Authors: Albert Steven , Bradley Keith
Published: March 2003

There are a disproportionate number of professional women working through temporary agencies. We develop a theory wherein this gender skewness in temporary‐agency employment results from the differences in perceptions of control at work between men and women working through large traditional organizations. Our theory suggests that if control is perceived to be less for women than for men in large organizations, then women will tend to populate other work arrangements, like temporary agencies, in order to enhance their control. Propositions are tested via a unique data set comparing the responses of employees from both a London temporary accountancy agency and a large London accountancy firm. Our results are consistent with a lack of control driving professional women from large firms to temporary agencies, and neither rely on preference differences nor familial obligations.
Changes in Management Practice and the Post‐Acquisition Performance Achieved by Direct Investors in the UK
Authors: Child John , Pitkethly Robert , Faulkner David
Published: March 2003

Changes in the competitive performance of 201 UK firms acquired by foreign investors are examined. Performance improvement was found to be associated with the introduction of changes to management practice rather than with contextual factors such as acquirer nationality, size, date of acquisition, profitability of subsidiary at acquisition or sector. The changes having most impact were increased efforts to improve the market image of the acquired company, the development of new products and services, and moves towards involving and developing staff. There appears to be more than one path towards post‐acquisition performance improvement, with distinctions emerging between Anglo‐American, Japanese and, to a lesser extent, French approaches. The successful Anglo‐American approach involves a product innovation strategy, increased decentralization and improved training. High‐performing Japanese acquisitions tend to emphasize a price‐competitive strategy, to increase centralization and to adopt a longer‐term HRM policy. The French path towards good post‐acquisition performance includes increased cost control, more open communication and decentralization. The general conclusion of the investigation is that foreign acquisition can harness the assets and competencies of UK companies to good effect, but that there is more than one way of achieving this result.
A Simulation Study of Work‐in‐Process Inventory Drive Systems and their Effect on Operational Measurements
Authors: Taylor Lloyd J.
Published: March 2003

This simulation study compares three operational measures of performance through the exploration of three work‐in‐process (WIP) inventory drive systems and their associated inventory buffer characteristics. The three drive systems under study are a push, a pull and a hybrid push‐pull system. While these systems have many aspects in common, their buffer management systems do not. The data analysis was based on information gathered from three computer‐simulated flow shop assembly lines all operating in the same environment. Hypotheses concerning the operational performance measurements were established, independent variables were controlled and manipulated and a conclusion was drawn as to which system would afford the operation optimum results. While inventory has traditionally been considered and is currently being shown as an asset from an accounting point of view, it is obvious from the findings of this study, that excess WIP inventory, above the minimal requirements for production, may have a negative effect on the operational measurements evaluated.
Management Support for Portfolio Companies of Venture Capital Firms: An Empirical Study of German Venture Capital Investments
Authors: Schefczyk Michael , Gerpott Torsten J.
Published: March 2003

To date, there is a dearth of research on strategic antecedents and consequences of management support activities which German venture capital firms (VCFs) provide for the portfolio companies (PCs) they have invested in. This article provides insights regarding such support practices, their main determinants and impacts on the economic performance of PCs. Hypotheses were derived regarding usage of various types of management support, typical functional foci of management support and the influence of VCF and PC characteristics on management support practice. Hypotheses also cover relationships between type, intensity, and frequency of management support and PC performance. Data for 103 PCs of 12 German VCFs indicate the VCFs can improve the performance of their PCs by providing consultative management support, including active involvement in key functional decisions.
Structural Change in the Probability of Part‐Time Participation by Married Women
Authors: Miller Carole F.
Published: March 2003

Results from an ordered probit model are provided at two points in time for the probability of participation. The findings indicate a structural change between 1976 and 1986 in the determinants of whether married women choose non‐participation, full‐time or part‐time participation. In 1976 more education and experience shifted women out of non‐participation and into full‐time and part‐time participation. By 1986 more education and experience shifted women out of non‐participation and part‐time work into full‐time work.
Comparative Statics Predictions for Changes in Uncertainty in the Portfolio and Savings Problems
Authors: Choi Gyemyung , Kim Iltae , Snow Arthur
Published: March 2003

The paper investigates comparative statics effects of changes in uncertainty for a general family of problems that encompasses both the portfolio and saving decisions. Conditions are derived on preferences that are necessary and sufficient for unambiguous comparative statics predictions. The paper consolidates and completes the statement of restrictions on attitudes toward risk–bearing needed for determinate predictions in the portfolio and saving problems.
A Logical Framework for Coalitional Effectivity in Dynamic Procedures
Authors: Pauly Marc
Published: March 2003

Effectivity frames are introduced as a model of what groups of agents can achieve by coordinated action in dynamic processes such as extensive games with or without simultaneous moves. Local effectivity is distinguished from different kinds of global and terminal effectivity, respectively what groups of players can maintain throughout and what they can achieve eventually. Examples are provided of how effectivity frames can be used as a tool (1) to model complex multi‐agent processes such as voting procedures, (2) to investigate the interplay between local and global properties of these dynamic procedures, and (3) to examine whether a particular effectivity function can be implemented or realized by a dynamic procedure of a specific type. Finally, a modal logic for local and global coalitional effectivity is presented, and it is shown how, for example, a realization question can be translated into this logical framework yielding a satisfiability problem.
The Good, the Poor and the Wealthy: who Responds Most to College Financial Aid?
Authors: Singell Jnr. Larry D. , Stone Joe A.
Published: March 2003

Financial aid programmes for students in the United States focus increasingly on academic merit, rather than financial need. There is little empirical evidence, however, on the distributional effects of merit–based aid – who benefits or responds most. We develop a bivariate probit model of the enrolment process estimated using data for a large public university over several years. Results show that merit–based aid increases enrolment for all students, but that financially–able students respond disproportionately, even with academic merit held constant. Thus, increased emphasis on merit in financial aid may exacerbate the trend toward greater income inequality in the US, even among students of equal academic merit.
Business Sponsorship in British Schools
Authors: Large Sarah
Published: March 2003

Is it ethical for a school to accept sponsorship from business, and if so under what conditions? Indeed, given the poor provision of many UK local schools for their pupils is it ethical to refuse business sponsorship? Where does responsibility lie? “To attract and persuade is not an appropriate behaviour in dealing with inexperienced parties.” The author completed her MBA at London Business School in July 1997 and is currently setting up a new family business, The Organic Food Company Ltd.
Information Ethics across Information Cultures
Authors: Chepaitis Elia
Published: March 2003

Information cultures consist of the values, beliefs and behaviour relating to information ownership and management, while information ethics applies to the moral application of data. The author’s experience of Russia and its information culture provides a striking case study of the disastrous social and business consequences of an absence of information ethics. This paper was delivered in its original form at the First World Congress of Business, Economics and Ethics of the International Society of Business, Economics and Ethics (ISBEE), held in Reitaku University, Tokyo, in July 1996. The author is Associate Professor of Information Systems in the School of Business, Fairfield University, Fairfield, Connecticut 06430–5195.
Monitoring Employee Internet Usage
Authors: Gorman John
Published: March 2003

Do employers know where their employees are going when they are provided with Internet and World Wide Web access? Should they know? Or is that a breach of privacy issue? Exploring this sensitive area is a former consultant for a software company, who is completing his MBA at London Business School.
The Choice of Criteria in Ethical Investment
Authors: Mackenzie Craig
Published: March 2003

How do ethical investment funds choose their ethical criteria? How intelligent is this process from an ethical point of view? This paper reports on his field work carried out as part of the Bath University ‘Morals and Money’ Project. After completing this research, Dr. Craig Mackenzie left academia to become ethics development officer at Friends Provident. He can be contacted at 15 Old Bailey, London, EC4M 7AP; c.mackenzie@stewardship.co.uk
From Business Ethics to the Vocation of Business Leaders to Humanize the World of Business
Authors: Verstraeten Johan
Published: March 2003

This article is the integral text of an inaugural lecture as professor extraordinary for business ethics at the Catholic University of Brabant at Tilburg, the Netherlands. The author is professor of ethics at the Catholic University of Leuven (K.U.Leuven) and an Associate Editor of this Review.
Care for Quality
Authors: Siebens Herman
Published: March 2003

Quality care is more than a technical issue. It has a place among the core values of a company, and is thus an ethical issue as well as being a means and a benchmark for good management. The author is chairman of the Flemish Network for Business Ethics, Europastraat 31, 2850 Boom, Belgium. Tel: 00 31 3 844 00 89.
Social responsibility in the marketplace: asymmetric information in food labelling
Authors: Pearce Richard
Published: March 2003

This paper takes as its focus the adoption by the Co‐operative Wholesale Society of what appears to be a socially responsible stance on food labelling practice and policy through the publication of a public report and a proposed code of practice.

The central issue in the debate surrounding labelling is the question of ‘asymmetric information’ (when one party knows more about a product than the other). In order to function, markets need perfect information. The existence of asymmetric information gives rise to ‘market failure’ which prevents the ‘free market’ from functioning according to the laissez faire model. It can be argued that regulation will overcome this problem. However, this paper counters this argument on several grounds. In the first part of the paper labelling is examined as a textual construction, and ethical dimensions are revealed through an awareness of discourse and signification, which gives rise to a view of packaging as a version of reality partially built through connotation and association.

The second part of the paper examines political and regulatory concerns. Marketing and economic theories are discussed in terms of their impact upon ethical issues in food labelling. Sense is made of various arguments about the policy and practice of food regulation – particularly in the wake of the James Report calling for the establishment of a Food Standards Agency. Tactics for resisting regulation are also examined. The paper analyses the role and motivation of the CWS in taking these steps.

Consideration is given to the issue of where responsibility for information giving and public health education might lie, and what phenomena act as barriers to increased public awareness and action on dietary matters. Finally the debate over food labelling is used as an example of why it is problematic (and possibly unethical) to promote the free market model as the only sensible alternative to other modes of economic organisation.
The Politics of Resisting and Reforming Systematic Extortion by Tax Auditors‐inspectors
Authors: Nielsen Richard , Ballas Apostolos
Published: March 2003

The problem this paper addresses is network based, systematic tax extortion. Four key extortion system elements are considered which expose corruption links between political, administrative and judicial bodies. Based on action‐learning theory, a number of intervention methods for resisting and reforming systematic tax extortion are considered. The strengths and limitations of the methods are considered in the context of a number of case studies. Since the problem of tax extortion is more network based and systematic than it is isolated and individual, any successful method of intervention must target network processes rather than isolated individual behaviours. What appears particularly promising is a social movement‐based combination and sequence of methods that includes dialogue among reformers about system‐level problems, win‐win alliances with instrumental allies, and win‐lose methods against selected opponents to extortion reform.
The role of ethics in fraud prevention: a practitioner’s perspective
Authors: Krummeck Steve
Published: March 2003

In this practitioner’s perspective on the role of ethics in fraud prevention, I outline the situation that compelled Nedcor Bank in South Africa to establish their own fraud investigation and prevention unit. A brief discussion of the role, functions and achievement of the fraud unit follow this. Then the various components of the bank’s fraud detection and prevention strategies are described. These include the nurturing of a commitment to zero tolerance towards fraud amongst the entire staff, the communication strategy, control mechanisms, and culture change within the bank. These respective dimensions are then examined to reveal the role that ethical values and considerations play with regard to each of them. It is concluded that ethics does not only provide the foundation for the entire strategy, but also forms an integral part of each strategic dimension.
Fraud and deception: a response to Gedeon Rossouw
Authors: Werhane Patricia
Published: March 2003

This response addresses the question: how can ethical values play a role in combating fraud? Three points are made. Firstly, ethical values are both self‐ and other‐related. Secondly, changing the prevalence of fraudulent behaviours requires not only a reduction in opportunity for fraud but also a change in mindset of the perpetrators. Thirdly, that change in mindset involves the recognition that there are personal and organizational advantages to be gained by not contributing to or abetting fraudulent behaviour. This latter point is illustrated with reference to the experience of Unilever where sustainable development is seen as contributing to the creation of long‐term shareholder value.
Book review
Authors: Guptara Prabhu
Published: March 2003

Books reviewed:

Partha Dasgupta and Ismail Serageldin (eds), Social Capital: a Multifaceted Perspective.

Georges Enderle (eds), International Business Ethics: Challenges and Approaches
Ethical aspects of e‐business: the use of codes of conduct
Authors: Healy Mike , Iles Jennifer
Published: March 2003

This paper examines the establishment and enforcement of codes of conduct governing the use of Internet technology as a means of providing a basis of trust in the e‐business context. The discussion draws on the findings of a survey of 80 UK organisations, and considers the relationship between factors such as organisation size, type, use of IT, the length of time with an Internet connection and the use of a code of conduct, as well as the specific areas of Internet technology covered by codes of conduct. The paper also investigates the extent of disciplinary cases associated with the misuse of Internet technology, as well as the ownership and responsibility for implementing codes of conduct. The survey results suggest that the use of codes of conduct varies significantly from organisation to organisation, and that those who initiate such codes are not those seen as being responsible for implementing them. The results also indicate that a growing number of employees are disciplined for misuse of facilities offered by Internet technology.
Management and acting ‘beyond the call of duty’
Authors: Argandoña Antonio
Published: March 2003

This paper presents a real‐life case, taken from political history and related by Vaclav Havel, President of the Czech Republic. It tells of the way in which three times in that country’s history its leaders opted for a ‘more realistic’ strategy (i.e. giving way when faced with a serious problem: invasion or insurrection) rather than a ‘more ethical’ strategy (i.e. resisting, knowing the high cost in human lives that this would entail). The case enables the relationship between heroism (the adoption of a ‘more ethical’ solution), management and leadership to be analysed. Particular emphasis is placed on the study of the morality of the ‘more ethical’ decision, on the evaluation of the obligation (or otherwise) of putting it into practice, and on the relationship between such ‘more ethical’ conduct and leadership in the firm.
Transatlantic business ethics
Authors: Zsolnai Laszlo
Published: March 2003

The Business Ethics Center of the Budapest University of Economic Sciences organized a Transatlantic Business Ethics Summit on September 15–17, 2000 in Budapest, Hungary. The Summit was sponsored by the Community of European Management Schools (CEMS) and Procter & Gamble.

The main function of the Summit was to provide a forum for leading American and European scholars to explore the background theories and value bases of business ethics from the perspective of the 21st century. The participants reflected on the state of the art of business ethics as it has been practised in the USA and Europe; however, the future of business ethics as a discipline was the main focus of the Summit. Since business ethics is closely related to business and capitalism, some considerations of the 21st century economic, political, and social reality were presented too. The paper is based on and composed from the abstracts provided by the participants of the Transatlantic Business Ethics Summit. The abstract booklet can be obtained from Laszlo Zsolnai, the Convenor of the Summit.
CSR – should it be the preserve of the usual suspects?
Authors: Pryce Vicky
Published: March 2003

CSR is now an important issue for all companies, large and small. Companies are under pressure to behave responsibly from their consumers, in their purchasing activities, from the government and regulators, from the investment community and from potential employees.
Economic rationality and ethical behaviour: ethical business between venality and sacrifice
Authors: Le Menestrel Marc
Published: March 2003

This paper argues that economic rationality and ethical behavior cannot be reduced one to the other, thus casting doubt on the validity of assertions such as ‘profit is ethical’ or ‘ethics pays’. In order to express ethical dilemmas in a way which opposes economic interest with ethical concerns, we propose a model of rational behavior that combines these two irreducible dimensions in an open but not arbitrary manner. Behaviors that are neither ethical nor profitable are considered irrational (non‐arbitrariness). However, behaviors that are profitable but unethical, and behaviors that are ethical but not profitable, are all treated as rational (openness). Combining ethical concerns with economic interest, ethical business is in turn seen as an optimal form of rationality between venality and sacrifice. Because everyone prefers to communicate that they act ethically, ethical business remains ambiguous until some economic interest is actually sacrificed. We argue, however, that ethical business has an interest in demonstrating its consistency between communication and behavior by a transparent attitude. On the other hand, venal behaviors must remain confidential to hide the corresponding lack of consistency. This discursive approach based on transparency and confidentiality helps to further distinguish between ethical and unethical business behaviors.
The Enron story: you can fool some of the people some of the time …
Authors: Tonge Alyson , Greer Lesley , Lawton Alan
Published: March 2003

This article unravels the complex set of financial dealings that are at the heart of the Enron story and follows the story through the highs and lows of Enron share prices. The key players are identified and their roles described. Apart from the financial and accounting issues, the Enron story also raises a wide range of ethical issues including corporate governance, organisational culture and ethical leadership and scrutiny. These are discussed in the article. It might be argued that Enron could never have got away with some of its practices if it had been operating in Europe. The article concludes that this view may be naïve, particularly in the light of recent media disclosures of the UK Labour government's continuing flirtation with business donations. The Enron story raises serious considerations in a whole host of financial, economic, political and ethical areas. As the Enron story continues to unfold, an article of this type can only begin to scratch the surface of some of these issues and to lay them out for further investigation.
Ethical decision–making: a multidimensional construct
Authors: Beu Danielle S. , Buckley M. Ronald , Harvey Michael G.
Published: March 2003

Poor ethical decision–making costs industry billions of dollars a year and damages the images of corporations. Thus, by answering the question ‘Why do individuals behave as they do when confronted with ethical issues?’ ethical theory can provide businesses with a means to create a more ethical climate and a more successful operation. This study tested the Ethical Decision–Making Model with accountability (Beu & Buckley 2001), which uses theory that suggests that ethical behavior is influenced by the individual, the issue, social relationships (accountability), and the organization in which the employee is embedded (Brass, Butterfield & Skaggs 1988; Frink & Klimoski 1998). The results showed that individuals’ thought processes (cognitive moral development), personalities (locus of control, hostility and aggression, Machiavellianism), and gender influence how they respond to ethical dilemmas, as well as the salience of the moral issue (moral intensity) and the environmental context (work/school).
The Performance of Europe‐wide Businesses: Has the Single Market Led to Scale Economies?
Authors: Clayton Tony
Published: March 2003

This article follows up earlier research which had found that in the 1970s and 1980s the incentives to invest in Europe‐wide businesses had often been lacking or even negative: for example, the most profitable Europe‐wide businesses were less likely to be European market leaders and were likely to have lower market shares than their principal competitors; they were less likely to be innovative, having entered the market as follower rather than leader. The author finds evidence that this started to change even before the single market and that the change has continued. The key success factors for profit in European business are coming closer into line with the success factors for growth – innovation, quality and intellectual property.
Entrepreneurship in Europe
Authors: Hauser Hermann
Published: March 2003

This article focuses on the changes in attitude and venture capital provision that the author believes are necessary to rekindle the spirit of entrepreneurship in Europe. The article goes on to discuss technology clusters and the role of stock markets. It then describes the way the Cambridge‐based Amadeus venture capital company sets about the venture capital process. It concludes with a plea for entrepreneurship centres to be set up in each university and for some changes in government policy.
Business Perspectives on German and British Regulation: Telecoms, Energy and Rail
Authors: Coen David , Héritier Adrienne
Published: March 2003

Regulation of network industries is very different in Germany and the UK, not least because privatisation started earlier in the UK and has gone much further. This paper uses research among regulatory officials and senior executives in both incumbent and new entrant firms to compare and contrast the changing strategic relationships between regulators and firms in the two countries. It also discusses interaction between national regulatory processes and EU regulatory processes. The authors conclude that whilst the passage of time after privatisation/liberalisation is likely to reduce the amount of conflict and recourse to law, national and cultural differences will continue to dominate.
lastminute.com: B2C e‐commerce
Authors: Anderson Jamie , J Earl Michael
Published: March 2003

This case study describes the evolution of lastminute.com, from an initial business idea to one of the best‐known European internet companies. It then discusses the insights it offers on e‐commerce business models, strategies and management.