Search

The main objective of this paper is to verify how the management measures applied to the social services have contributed to "value for money" improvement in the UK. This term can be understood as a combination of variables such as quality, a rational use of resources and convenience in the provision of services. Nottinghamshire County Council is one of the local public entities that has implemented policies focused on generating "value for money" in the field of the social services. It is worth highlighting the design of prevention plans, the implementation of the personal budgets system, outsourcing arrangements, cooperation between the Social Services and the National Health Service and citizen participation in public decisions. To this end, the authors conducted a qualitative analysis of the results from a set of interviews with municipal management officers of that county, carried out in 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The market niche created by Fair Trade (FT), based on principles of solidarity and cooperation, has been partially occupied by large multinational corporations. These companies deploy certification programmes and labels as means of insertion into the FT market. This paper provides an analysis and critique of six independent FT certification programmes identified in the Canadian marketplace. We also offer evidence from two corporate certification programmes in the same market that share the same sustainability concepts and deal in the same product: coffee. Through a neo-institutional perspective, we seek to shed light upon the confusion and ambiguity generated by the presence of multiple FT labels and certification programmes. Finally, we propose a taxonomy of the FT labels and certification programmes found in Canada as an indicator that may be useful for making purchasing decisions concerning FT products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a conceptual review of the term "sustainable development", bearing in mind its current applicability to social matters and public decision-making. Taking the well-known definition of sustainable development coined by the Brundtland Commission over twenty years ago, we consider the consequences of adopting weak and strong sustainability criteria for continued development and the importance of conserving so-called critical natural capital. We also examine the relationship between sustainable development and equity. We then present a concept of development that integrates the three areas of economic, social and environmental sustainability. Finally, we discuss the main forces that currently surround the problem of achieving sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a critical evaluation of the economic survival of labour-managed firms (LMF) compared to that of conventional companies, paying particular attention to their different forms of capital ownership. There are many arguments both ways; some argue that LMFs enjoy a higher likelihood of survival, since they offer greater employment stability and their workers enjoy more incentives as they are involved in the decision-making process. The counterarguments claim that LMFs are less efficient, due largely to the free-rider problem, serious agent-principal problems, a higher degree of risk aversion on the part of their worker-owners and degeneration due to rent-seeking behaviour, which reduces their likelihood of survival. The results of this evaluation point to the divergence between most of the predictions of economic theory and the successful development of LMFs in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]