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Purpose - This paper aims to investigate the potential impacts that differences between UK and US copyright laws for sound recordings have on musicians. It also highlights the needs for continued standardisation of international copyright laws (particularly those for sound recordings), copyright law education for creators, and a need for musicians to re-think future artistic and managerial decisions. Design/methodology/approach - In this critical analysis of current academic literature and legislation, significant differences between the domestic copyright laws of the UK and USA have been identified. The impacts of these differences on musicians are discussed and conclusions drawn. Findings - Findings suggest that there are several significant differences between the UK and US copyright laws for sound recordings, which do impact on musicians in both countries. However, determining the degree of impact is dependent on several contributing factors: the nationality of the musician; the level of success of the musician; the creative roles adopted by the musician; and the ambition of the musician. Research limitations/implications - Research scope was limited to the domestic copyright laws of the UK and USA only; and, specifically, the copyright laws for sound recordings. Findings were generalised for all musicians, regardless of type or genre. Originality/value - This paper is one of the first to investigate the impact of differences in domestic copyright laws on musicians, and identifies several strategy issues that must be considered by musicians when making future artistic and managerial decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The process of public sector reform in the United Kingdom continues to provoke debate. Even among advocates of the reform process there is a concern that improvements in public service provision have not been as marked as originally intended, and that the process has produced a variety of unintended consequences. The purpose of this paper is to explore possible explanations for these unintended consequences, and discuss possible practical solutions for policy makers and service commissioners. Design/methodology/approach - In this conceptual paper focus is in particular Upon attempting to explain managerial behaviour from insights offered by two well-established managerial theories - stakeholder theory and resource dependency theory. Insights from these theories are used to explain the possible causes of the unintended consequences of the reform process. The discussion is illustrated and set in context by reference to a continuum of service delivery modes from monopoly provision through to full competition. Findings - Theory suggests that managers inevitably prioritise the interests of what they identify as their key stakeholders, and particularly those providing critical resources. In the case of public services this means that the interests of government, as the commissioner and funder of services, are prioritised rather than the end-users of services. Examples of how this distorts the objectives of government are highlighted. It is argued that understanding this aspect of managerial decision-making and stakeholder prioritising opens up the potential to resolve the problem. Originality/value - This is the first paper to address the question of managerial behaviour from these theoretical perspectives in the area of the public sector reform process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The internet is initially hailed as the future of recruitment and is expected to replace other media as the preferred recruitment method, but the adoption of online recruitment has not been as comprehensively predicted. In addition, empirical research regarding online recruitment from an organisational perspective is sparse. This paper aims to examine the reasons behind an organisation's decision to use online recruitment, and reports on the development of a model of the factors affecting the adoption of this recruitment method. Design/methodology/approach - The paper uses in-depth interviews and a survey of human resource (HR) managers with recruitment responsibility. The factors that affect the adoption of online recruitment are explored, and related to Rogers's diffusion of innovation theory (DIT) and Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Findings - Factors related to the adoption of corporate web sites and commercial jobs boards are found to be different, with positive beliefs/relative advantage, subjective norms and negative beliefs emerging in the case of corporate web sites and positive beliefs/relative advantage and compatibility for jobs boards. These results provide some fit with both Ajzen's and Rogers' factors. Originality/value - This paper addresses an important area that is under-researched academically and provides a basis for further research into how organisations may adopt online recruitment successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The article seeks to explain the rapid increase in the use of agency ‘temps’ by employers during the 1990s. It tests the thesis of profound change in employers' labour use decisions. Design/methodology/approach – The data was from in-depth interviews with human resource/line managers in 12 work organisations in the UK responsible for decisions on use of temporary agency labour. Organisations were chosen to include a variety of industrial sectors, sizes and locations. Findings – Although there were common trends in organisations, including declining numbers of permanent jobs and waves of restructuring, organisations varied in their approach: it was not always profound change. The paper finds four distinct types of agency labour use and developed a 2 × 2 typology, depending on whether employers were acting strategically or reactively, and whether they were using temps for supplementation, or more far-reaching substitution, for permanent workers. Research limitations/implications – Research is based on UK data and is a ‘snapshot’ of the situation. However, the typology can be used to analyse temporary agency labour usage in other settings and time periods. Practical implications – The findings could be used by human resource managers to assist them in making decisions on use of agency workers. Originality/value – The paper makes associations between external and internal contexts within which organisations operate and how these affect decisions on temporary agency labour usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate differences in decision-making processes between UK and non-UK managers in the defence manufacturing industry. Design/methodology/approach - A pilot study was conducted with a small number of firms in Yorkshire, UK. A large-scale survey was conducted of 250 firms in the UK. The response rate was 60 per cent. Findings - Decision making is kept team-orientated in larger firms with decision making autonomy in place for each team. The research demonstrates that leading firms drive best practice and best practice research disseminates globally through industry-academic collaboration. Practical implications - Alliances with leading firms will lead to the evolution of team-based, programme structured decision making in UK-non-UK strategic alliances. Originality/value - Global managers learn from the experiences of team-based programme structured decision makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- Research neglects the role that specific locations play in the decision process to accept international work. This paper aims to explore the career drivers of individuals working as expatriates in London (UK) and to focus on the relationships with specific location attributes. Design/methodology/approach -- A total of 11 qualitative in-depth interviews and 348 quantitative questionnaire responses are used to explore the importance of intelligent career considerations for working as an expatriate in London. Findings -- A range of location-specific factors and intelligent career considerations is identified and quantitatively assessed. The study depicts the links of perceived career factors and location-specific drivers. Originality/value -- Applying the intelligent careers framework, the research goes beyond the normally used broad national factors to explore career capital drivers that motivate individuals to go to a specific city location. In exploring the relatively neglected areas of knowing-whom and knowing-why it sheds light on international relocation decision making. These insights inform further academic research and help to shape expatriation policies and practices of organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although formal techniques of locational analysis have been available for over 50 years, most retailers traditionally made no use of them, relying instead on intuition guided by experience and "common sense". However, the simultaneous advent in the last 15 years of low cost computing and the increasing availability of retail related data of all types has given retailers the opportunity to take a much more rational approach to decision making. This paper examines the extent to which retailers have taken advantage of the potential released by these developments, and adopted more "scientific" rules based methodologies. The analysis is based on an extensive questionnaire survey of UK retailers conducted in 1998 which encompassed organisations operating altogether more than 50,000 outlets across eight sectors. The survey sought to identify the use made both of particular types of techniques, and of Geographical Information Systems, which act as a platform for them. It was complemented by a series of in-depth interviews with location specialists in a number of major retail organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]