The ESRC has a long track record of funding research that has not only shaped public policies but also contributed to the effectiveness of businesses, voluntary bodies and other organisations. The recent development of nine priority research themes will undoubtedly lead to research that has an even greater and more immediate impact, as will our commitment to establish closer links with the users of our research. Divorce is the main factor behind lone parenthood. The Institute for Fiscal Studies found that there is a marked 'churning effect' at the bottom end of the income distribution, with a considerable proportion of people drifting in and out of poverty each year.
Poverty is only a pay cheque away.
Psychologists at the Maudsley Hospital in London developed a novel technique that persuaded sales representatives at Pearl Assurance not to blame themselves for failures and to adopt a more positive attitude. The initiative is estimated to have boosted Pearl's sales by 500,000 and should save it millions of pounds in the future thanks to a two-thirds reduction in staff turnover.