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Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to study the effectiveness of the risk management system in the European context, especially with regard to the risk management committee, the uncertainty of the environment and company performance. In summary, it evaluates European companies listed on the stock exchange in France, Germany and the United Kingdom to determine how risk management systems influence financial companies' performance. Design/methodology/approach -- To study the effectiveness of risk management systems and their influence on performance, the large companies selected in our sample are fairly representative of the European market, according to the Dutch indices of each country (SBF 120 in France, HDAX 110 in Germany and FTSE 100 in United Kingdom).The empirical evidence is based on an international quantitative analysis, using a data set involving 320 companies listed on the stock exchange over a ten-year period from 2005 to 2014. Findings -- The results indicate that the establishment of a risk management and control system by a company positively influences its management, and its performance level and value creation also improve. The results of this study demonstrate a significant strengthening of the role of the risk management committee in the three countries. The surveillance function is reinforced, and in particular, the internal control system is accentuated. Research limitations/implications -- This study has some limitations that can form leads for future research. One of these limitations is the sample size. The authors have represented the European context by three countries that certainly constitute great European powers, but have regulations different from other countries. The company size is also a possible research element. Indeed, risk management system varies between large, small and medium-sized enterprises, so it is important to study each type of company well. Originality/value -- This study identifies the risk management committee as a mechanism of control that is highly important in the company, and it proposes an international framework that comparatively and empirically evaluates how the risk management system used in large European companies can improve their financial performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – In this paper the authors aim to consider the impact of regulatory changes on work-life integration outcomes. Using the cases of France and the UK they seek to explore changes in objective and subjective measures of work-family conflict. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use data from the European Foundation's European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) to analyse trends in employees' working time and work-life integration outcomes. Findings – The authors observe an increase in reported satisfaction with work-life integration in the UK in contrast to a slight fall in France. The authors also find a reinforcement of the working time norms in France and something of a tentative re-emergence in the UK. However, against these trends evidence is also found of an enhanced flexibility in the scheduling of hours in both countries with French employees more at risk of changeable schedules. Practical implications – Downward trends in working time do not necessarily translate into satisfaction with work-life integration and may create their own tensions and conflicts for employees where there is reduced autonomy. While regulatory change may help shape the working time experiences of employees, the underlying tension between employee and employer-friendly flexibility highlights the challenges for working time regulation and work-life integration in different societal contexts. Originality/value – The paper makes a contribution to the analysis of work-life integration outcomes by examining both objective and subjective measures using comparable data. The authors underline the need to contextualise the regulation and experiences of work-life integration in different societal settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — It is known that the self-employed are generally more satisfied than salaried workers. The aim of this paper is to test whether this phenomenon is particularly found for the first-generation self-employed. Design/methodology/approach — French and British panel data are analysed, which include information on various measures of job satisfaction, and the respondent's parents' occupation. Job satisfaction regressions were run in which the first-and second-generation self-employed were distinguished between. Findings — The study finds that first-generation self-employed (those whose parents were not. self-employed) are more satisfied overall than are the second-generation self-employed. The findings are consistent between the British and French data. Research limitations/implications — While the results are the same in the two countries considered, further validation work should extend the analysis across countries. While the authors are fairly sure that the second-generation self-employed do worse, they cannot precisely distinguish between comparison to one's parents, constrained occupational choice, and selection effects due to lower barriers to self-employment entry. Originality/value — The authors believe that this is one of the first papers to distinguish between types of self-employed in terms of their higher satisfaction. The finding that parents' labour force status continues to have a significant impact on their children's job satisfaction argues for a more systematic consideration of intergenerational factors in the analysis of labour markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this research is to investigate the positive effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on loyalty to retailers through trust dimensions (competence, benevolence and integrity) taking into account socio-cultural factors (social norms and collectivism) across nations. Design/methodology/approach: The authors carried out three quantitative studies (N = 948) in three countries (France, Germany and the United Kingdom [UK]). They then used structural equation modelling to test the model and hypotheses. Findings: The results show contingent positive effects of CSR perception on customer loyalty. They underscore indirect effects of CSR on loyalty through the mediation of specific dimensions of trust (competence, benevolence and integrity). The authors also identify significant moderations such that the effects of social norms on CSR and loyalty are stronger in France/Germany than in the UK. The effects of collectivism on CSR and loyalty are stronger in France than in Germany and the UK. Practical implications: Retailers can rely on CSR and trust to increase loyalty directly. When communicating CSR activities, retailers have to account for cultural differences in their main markets and adopt adjusted strategies to convince consumers about their CSR efforts. Retailers should understand the social norms of their customers in order to determine the effectiveness of disclosing CSR initiatives. Originality/value: Using a cross-cultural perspective, this article extends and enriches knowledge on the relationship between CSR, social norms and loyalty in retailing in different cultural settings. It also underscores the role of trust in building loyalty across nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the ways in which the European Union (EU) is influencing policy making in EU member states. It covers the historical development of the UK, France and Germany. There is evidence to suggest politics and economic policy making in these countries are now similar particularly in the areas of adopting anti inflationist strategies and opening up markets. However, some differences remain particularly regarding the flexibility of labour markets in the various member states. Design/methodology/approach — The paper draws on the various components of integration theory and incorporates also a business history approach. Findings — The main findings indicate that the EU is gradually having more influence over member states, newer areas of development include social policy, immigration and an increasing neoliberalist approach towards opening new markets. However, countries are still given some flexibility, for example, there are still a number of countries not yet willing to join the Euro currency. Originality/value — The paper illustrates the important role of the EU in formulating policy for member states in today's increasingly competitive business environment Business needs to be fully aware of these implications in order to become more successful while operating in the expanding European market [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the issue of uprating the minimum wage. It argues that this issue is nearly as important as the level of the minimum wage, but one that has been relatively neglected. It also maintains that Britain lacks an adequate uprating mechanism and outlines some consequences of this and argues that increases in the United Kingdom have had an erratic pattern that may be related to the electoral cycle. Drawing upon experience in the United States, the article argues that the lack of an adequate mechanism may lead to avoidable and intense political lobbying, greater instability and uncertainty for low paying firms, and unfairness to those on or near minimum wages, who are then held captive to the vagaries of the political process to maintain the value of their incomes. Considers the possible form of any uprating mechanism with an overview of the U.S. and French experience. The article argues that any uprating mechanism must not only maintain the value of the minimum wage in relation to inflation but also to those of more highly paid workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article compares the major features of pension provision in the UK and in France. It considers why the UK population appears to be at best indifferent to their system of provision, when overall it is financially secure, whereas the French system, which is faced with increasing costs, receives wide support. The significant differences in provision, apart from the method of funding, are in the level of coverage and the extent of member involvement. The article concludes that, if the UK system took some steps in this direction, perhaps employees would begin to perceive pension provision as the valuable benefit it is, and more employers would be encouraged to introduce, or retain, defined benefit occupational pension schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This article presents an estimation of the incidence and the impact on wages of employer provided training in two countries with different legal systems concerning this type of vocational training, France and Britain. A selectivity bias correction method is used to estimate the real impact of training on wages. This shows that, if the selection in training processes are quite similar in the two countries according to the statistically observable characteristics, this is not the case according to statistically non observable characteristics. Our results show that the "less efficient" workers (level of education, seniority, experience, firm size . . . being equal) are more likely to be trained by their employers in France, which does not seem to be the case in Britain. We explain this result by the fact that the two countries have a different legal system concerning employer provided training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on a study that examines the French and British traditions of management training and education. It also highlights the traditions shaped organizational approaches to human resource development (HRD). In increasingly competitive environments organizations are turning to their people as a means of creating or sustaining competitive advantage. This trend is placing a greater focus on the role of HRD within organizations. In addition, the increasing internationalization of markets has meant organizations are no longer operating within the confines of one national context. There is a large body of evidence that suggests that organizational differences in human resource practices, including training and development, are related to variations in national legislation and cultural frameworks of a country. The article concludes that Concludes that French and British organizations focus differently on training and development. States that these are clearly a reflection of the legislative and cultural environment in which the organization is operating.