bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Aracruz Celulose: best practices icon but still at risk
Authors: Osland Asbjorn , Osland Joyce S. 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this case study is to illustrate the global risks facing an award‐winning company known for best practices in sustainability and HRM that, nevertheless, is challenged by a contentious land dispute with indigenous communities and numerous stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachThis is a case study based primarily on secondary sources, such as reports and web sites of the company and its stakeholders.FindingsAracruz Celulose SA, a Brazilian pulp company founded by a Norwegian, owns legal title to land claimed by indigenous communities. As a result, they face a complex array of additional stakeholders with contradictory perspectives: local and international non‐governmental organizations, various Brazilian and Norwegian Government entities, the World Bank, and investors. The company runs the risk of losing land and assets, reputation, and investors. There are few simple solutions to the dilemma of unresolved property rights and agrarian reform problematic in much of Latin America. Even Aracruz's hoped – for court ruling may not guarantee an end to conflict without a creative solution.Research limitations/implicationsThe controversy is ongoing and the outcomes are not yet determined. Based on one case, limited generalizations can be made.Originality/valueNumerous best practices in the operational areas under a company's control cannot completely protect firms from risks related to larger societal dilemmas and the need to negotiate win‐win solutions with stakeholders.
Contextualising new modes of governance in activation policies
Authors: Borghi Vando , van Berkel Rik 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThe first part of the paper aimed to interpret the changes addressed by the concepts of governance and activation in their context, in order to grasp the larger picture of the societal transformation underlying them: the starting point is the assumption that new modes of governance in activation policies are a fruitful entry point for effectively understanding deep waves of change of contemporary society. The second part aims to briefly introduce the papers included in this issue.Design/methodology/approachThe paper insists on a perspective according to which there are two main dimension characterising the context of addressed transformations: the paradoxical torsion of the historical process of individualisation in the new spirit of capitalism; the profound redesign of the institutional programme, implying a new horizon for the instances of publicness.FindingsDifferent and contradictory trends are pointed out in the actual pursuing of objectives of governance and activation, as far as the process of individualisation and the redesign of publicness are concerned. The impossibility of finding an abstract and universal evaluation of these transformations and the necessity of situated empirical inquiries are stressed.Originality/valueThe paper demonstrates the relevance of deepening the normative underlying dimensions (with regard to individualisation and publicness) of social processes for a better understanding of concrete transformations (specifically: operational and substantive changes introduced by new modes of governance in activation policies).
The “double dynamics” of activation
Authors: Newman Janet 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThis paper aims to explore activation policy as a condensate for new forms of governance in respect of welfare institutions and in relation to welfare subjects. It asks how far apparently similar concepts – contractualisation, individuation, personalisation – can be applied to the governance of institutions and the governance of persons.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on a model of different governance regimes to trace different dynamics at stake in the shift to activation policy.FindingsTensions in the dynamics of the transformation of welfare governance around notions of activation are highlighted. It is also argued that different reconfigurations of power are at stake in the governance of institutions and the governance of persons. Finally tensions between notions of active, activist and activation conceptions of citizenship are traced.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper challenges a govermentality perspective in which managerial discourses are assumed to have similar consequences for institutions and for persons, so drawing attention to the importance of context.Practical implicationsLimited valueOriginality/valueThis paper makes an original contribution to the field by tracing a number of different dynamics at stake in activation policy rather than assuming a coherent shift from earlier forms of welfare regime.
The government of activation policies by EU institutions
Authors: Serrano Pascual Amparo , Crespo Suárez Eduardo 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThis contribution, using EU institutions' legitimacy‐seeking procedures as an analytical framework, aims to discuss the political traps of EU governance processes taking place in EU bodies in pursuit of a new institutionalisation of the Lisbon strategy.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is in the form of a discursive analysis.FindingsThe discursive analysis shows the hegemony of two disciplines and approaches: economy and psychology. These will be shown to be interconnected, as they have together contributed to the depoliticisation of responses to current economic demands and social reforms and to the repoliticisation of individuals (contribution to an identity production policy). This “multi‐level governance process” which characterises the regulation of the EES by EU institutions might be transformed into a project of multi‐level governance without political government.Originality/valueThe paper looks at the process of seeking responses to the labour market crisis within Europe.
Governing the activation of older workers in the European Union
Authors: Carmel Emma , Hamblin Kate , Papadopoulos Theo 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThis paper seeks to evaluate the EU's “active ageing” agenda as a governance strategy for the activation of older workers, and its impact on the regulation both of those who make, and those who are the objects of, policy. This case study is used to reflect more broadly on the implications of governance strategies for the regulation of social subjects in the European Union (EU).Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts a model of governance comprising two dimensions, namely formal policy (policy aims) and operational policy (policy means). This model is used to explain how and to what effect, discourses and institutions interact in EU governance to produce particular forms of social subject regulation; in this case, activation.FindingsFor the operational dimension, the paper explores how contradictions and tensions within and between employment, pensions and social inclusion policies are reflected in, and the products of, a re‐allocation of responsibilities between the EU, member states, social partners, and individuals. For the formal dimension, it explains how employment for older workers is constructed as having a different meaning to the employment of other workers, and how EU discourse on active ageing disguises crucial inequalities between groups of older workers, both pre‐ and post‐retirement.Research implications/limitationsThe paper concludes that active ageing policy in the EU institutes a new category of social subject, apparently eliding the former distinction between employment and retirement, namely the “activated retiree”.Originality/valueThe paper demonstrates the efficacy of the two‐dimensional approach to the empirical analysis of governance strategies and identifies how key tensions in the production of EU social policies directly impact on the regulation of social subject categories in the EU.
The impact of contractualism in social policies
Authors: Bonvin Jean‐Michel , Moachon Eric 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThis article's purpose is to analyse the current transformations of public action in two main respects: on the one side the relationships between individuals and institutions and their recent evolutions, on the other, the new contractual or market‐like ways of designing and implementing public action. This twofold transformation and the extent to which it represents a deep‐seated revolution or a more limited recalibration of the public realm are to be investigated against the case of Swiss active labour market policies.Design/methodology/approachThis issue is examined through the design of a theoretical and normative typology, which is then applied to the case of active labour market policies in Switzerland, based on an in‐depth empirical investigation (more than 50 interviews with field actors).FindingsThe emergence of new modes of governance coincides with the promotion of market solutions to unemployment, thus leading to a conception of welfare and its individual beneficiaries as subordinate to labour market requirements.Research limitations/implicationsThe empirical part of this paper focuses on one specific case, the Swiss ALMPs. Further research is needed for a more general assessment of the issue.Originality/valueOne key element of the approach is the link made between substantial and procedural issues related to recent evolutions in the field of social integration policies. In the authors' view substantial and organisational aspects of the political process should be studied jointly.
Individualised service provision in an era of activation and new governance
Authors: Borghi Vando , van Berkel Rik 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThis article aims to discuss the individualisation trend in the provision of social services, focusing on activation services specifically.Design/methodology/approachThe individualisation trend in the provision of activation services is analysed against the background of public sector as well as social sector as well as social policy reforms: the introduction of new modes of governance and the rise of the active welfare state respectively.FindingsConcrete manifestations of individualised service provision are often based on various interpretations of individualisation and reflect different meanings of citizens’ participation, and refer to different modes – or rather, mixes of different modes – of governance. The general argument of the article is illustrated and elaborated by analysing three national case studies of individualised service provision in the context of activation: the UK, The Netherlands and Finland.Originality/valueThe trend that is analysed in the article – individualised service provision – is very clearly present in welfare state reforms, but has thus far not received much attention in academic literature.
The role of social distance in sharecropping efficiency
Authors: Bhandari Ravi 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the role of culture in general, and social distance in particular, in influencing the choice and efficiency of various contractual modes in developing country agriculture. It aims to focus on sharecropping, but the model of social distance can be applied to any contract, mainly those in close‐knit village societies.Design/methodology/approachPrincipal components analysis (PCA) is used in the study to develop a social distance index for all sharecroppers, which is included as an independent variable in land productivity ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions.FindingsFindings indicate social distance is a key determinant in sharecropping efficiency for marginal tenant farmers in rural Nepal. Specifically, social distance is found to be a significant factor in explaining land productivity differentials between owned land and sharecropped land.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research hopes to see whether social distance is also a significant factor in the efficiency and choice of bonded labor contracts. It intends to use simple OLS regressions for sharecroppers and bonded laborers separately in which: input use and land productivity are separate dependent variables, and the various factors or proxies of social distance are independent variables to test for their particular impact; each type of contract is the dependent variable to see the extent to which social distance affects the choice of tenancy; and social distance is the dependent variable so one can see the specific impact of different proxies. Given the small sample (although representative), the strong results in this paper are limited.Practical implicationsFrom a policy standpoint, the results suggest that a relatively egalitarian agrarian structure, insofar as it results in lower social distances among parties to land and labor contracts, would have a positive impact on productivity. Therefore, the object of agrarian reforms should not be to alter or constrain the form of contracts (for example by banning sharecropping) but rather to improve the social relations among contracting parties.Originality/valueThis paper is original and provides value in three ways: a conceptually and theoretically innovative model that explains sharecropping efficiency independent of standard explanations of market imperfections, transaction costs, and risk; in developing a new measure of social distance that allows the data to determine the weights of the independent variables in constructing social distance; and to see the need to more importantly study the changing social relations on which contracts are based and are often only one element of.
Social capital and the brokerage system: the formation of debt bondage in South India
Authors: Bhukuth Augendra , Ballet Jérôme , Guérin Isabelle 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThe concept of social capital has known unrelenting success over recent years. However, some ambiguities continue to surround the topic. Several authors have spelled out the link between social capital and trust, but there has been limited empirical analysis focusing on the creation of trust and the ensuing link with social capital. The purport of this article is to carry out such an analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe article presents some results of a research led in the brick kiln industry in the State of Tamil Nadu, India. The research was based on a qualitative and quantitative survey. The study analyses the dependency relationship between labourers/middlemen.FindingsThe article shows that all the actors involved in the brick kiln industry are linked to one another by the middlemen.Originality/valueThe study brings forward the role of trust in the make‐up of networks and the negative effects that its absence leads to in the structure of networks.
Impact of political changes on industrial efficiency: a case of Ukraine
Authors: Goncharuk Anatoliy G. 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThe paper aims to devote itself to the researching of the changes in firm efficiency in consumer goods industry under the political changes and tightening of competition. This study has for an objective the estimation of the consequences of changes in policy on firm efficiency and the development the ways of improving of the efficiency of both separate firms and the whole industries.Design/methodology/approachThe industrial efficiency is measured by data envelopment analysis (DEA). The change of efficiency by reason of political events during 2004/2005 is evaluated by the Malmquist total factor productivity index. Some firm attributes are examined for their impact on efficiency. They are firm size, regional location and property category. The results are based on a sample of 336 Ukrainian firms of consumer goods industry.FindingsSharp socio‐oriented reforms that promoted the rise of public welfare, led to many negative economic trends. But the impact of political changes on industrial efficiency was multivalued. The political changes had positive influence on efficiency of beverages and food industry and negative on light industry efficiency. The manufacture of food, textiles, wearing apparel and leather products is among the lowest efficient industrial activities in Ukraine and need to be improved. The empirical results reveal the influence of firm size, regional location and property category on firm efficiency.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited by three main consumer goods industries and by relatively short data set. The former explains that they are the most socio‐oriented industries and kindle researcher interest under the changes of socio‐economic policy. To the latter belong high requirements to the data and necessity to avoid the data errors in DEA. Therefore the input‐output data, reliability of those are proved by the audit reports, are considered here.Practical implicationsThe paper examines the impact of sharp political changes on industrial efficiency. Through the results of the analysis the recommendations for the decision making for the purpose of efficiency‐improving in the consumer goods industry of Ukraine were formulated.Originality/valueThis is the first paper that adopts DEA for measuring of efficiency in consumer goods industries of Ukraine under political changes.
Export‐led growth hypothesis: evidence from Papua New Guinea and Fiji
Authors: Narayan Paresh Kumar , Narayan Seema , Chand Prasad Biman , Prasad Arti 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the export‐led growth hypothesis for Fiji and Papua New Guinea (PNG).Design/methodology/approachThe paper investigates the export‐led growth hypothesis for Fiji and PNG who have been facing dismal economic growth performances over the last couple of decades.FindingsFindings of the study suggest that for Fiji there is evidence of export‐led growth in the long‐run, while for PNG there is evidence of export‐led growth in the short‐run.Originality/valueThe findings of this paper have important messages for policy makers given that export sectors in both countries investigated are underdeveloped due mainly to a sustained period of political instability.
Managerial turnover in US retail organizations
Authors: Peterson Shari L. 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify factors influencing retail managerial turnover.Design/methodology/approachThe Organizational Model of Employee Persistence provided the theoretical framework for this longitudinal study. Responses to the Organizational Survey of Managerial Integration were obtained from 528 managers in three randomly‐selected retail organizations.FindingsBy identifying and facilitating organizational behaviors that lead to a more integrative work climate, retail organizations might reduce costs associated with turnover. Managers' perceptions of integration (connectedness or engagement with the organization) based on their organizational experiences and relationships significantly explained turnover.Research implications/implicationsThe 54 specific items that comprise the construct, integration, can be used as baseline data. Other implications for research include further critique of the model and testing both within the USA and internationally; re‐examination of the factor structure of the instrument; adaptation to non‐managerial populations and to non‐retail settings; and structural equations modeling to determine directionality of the variables.Practical implicationsOrganizations might pay closer attention to the career development needs of their managers through formal and informal opportunities for career development. In addition, organizations might address issues associated with worklife balance.Originality/valueThis study introduces a new model of employee turnover and the concept of integration to the turnover literature. The findings underscore the importance of management development in creating and sustaining an organizational climate conducive to retaining managerial employees.
Donald J. Urquhart and the integration of science with librarianship: Part 2
Authors: Bensman Stephen J. 
Published: August 2007

PurposeTo analyze the historical significance of Donald J. Urquhart, who established the National Lending Library for Science and Technology (NLL) which later was merged into the British Library Lending Division (BLLD), now called the British Library Document Supply Centre (BLDSC). His significance will be considered from the perspective of the development of science as a whole as well as library and information science in particular.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents a short history of the probabilistic revolution, particularly as it developed in Britain in the form of biometric statistics due to Darwin's theory of evolution. It focuses on the overthrow of the normal paradigm, according to which frequency distributions in nature and society conform to the normal law of error. The paper discusses the importance of the Poisson distribution and its utilization in the construction of stochastic models that better describe reality. Here the focus is on the compound Poisson distribution in the form of the negative binomial distribution (NBD). The paper then shows how Urquhart extended the probabilistic revolution to librarianship by using the Poisson as the probabilistic model in his analyses of the 1956 external loans made by the Science Museum Library (SML) as well as in his management of the scientific and technical (sci/tech) journal collection of the NLL. Due to this, Urquhart can be considered as playing a pivotal role in the creation of bibliometrics or the statistical bases of modern library and information science. The paper relates how Urquhart's son and daughter‐in‐law, John A. and Norma C. Urquhart, completed Urquhart's probabilistic breakthrough by advancing for the first time the NBD as the model for library use in a study done at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, connecting bibliometrics with biometrics. It concludes with a discussion of Urquhart's Law and its probabilistic implications for the use of sci/tech journals in a library system.FindingsBy being the first librarian to apply probability to the analysis of sci/tech journal use, Urquhart was instrumental in the creation of modern library and information science. His findings force a probabilistic re‐conceptualization of sci/tech journal use in a library system that has great implications for the transition of sci/tech journals from locally held paper copies to shared electronic databases.Originality/valueThis is the second part of an article describing the seminal contribution of Donald Urquhart to the development of document supply in the UK and internationally.
FIZ AutoDoc – a comprehensive solution for access to documents via corporate intranets and web portals
Authors: Rahali Ahmed , Bausenwein Thomas 
Published: August 2007

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to explain in detail the service for document supply offered by FIZ Karlsruhe, the options available for its customisation and the interfaces that facilitate its integration into corporate intranets and web portals.Design/methodology/approachThe service offered by FIZ Karlsruhe is described in detail.FindingsFIZ AutoDoc is a comprehensive solution for document access and supply.Originality/valueThe paper provides a detailed description of a system that is distinguished by its flexibility in the modern and complex document supply environment.