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Interactions in the healthcare system today involve an important new set of actors: evaluative health platforms (EHPs). These platforms are not neutral intermediaries, but active moderators of how patients express opinions, choose providers, and consume health-related information. This paper adds to our understanding of the varied and evolving commercial interests of EHPs and the implications these have for patient voice. We analyze 71 platforms in the USA, UK, and Germany and identify five ideal types: subscribers, analyzers, advertisers, regulators, and scammers. Each platform type enacts a unique competitive strategy through an evaluative infrastructure which constrains but also generates possibilities for patient voice. Based on our typology, we develop three contributions. First, we nuance universalizing claims about the consequences of platform capitalism by specifying the diverse strategies underpinning competition between EHPs in different countries, and showing how each strategy leads evaluative infrastructures to develop in ways that impact patient voice. Second, we show how patients can navigate the challenges of a complex EHP space by exercising their ability to choose between platforms. Finally, we outline the conditions platforms need to fulfil to become empowering. Overall, this study highlights the varied and complex relationship between platform business models and user voice, which exists not only in healthcare, but also in many other fields. • Typology of evaluative health platforms (EHPs) in the US, the UK, and Germany. • EHP business models and content moderation techniques vary considerably. • EHPs have a wide range of implications for patient voice. • More transparency and competition can help platforms increase patient empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristic features of 21st-century corporate capitalism – monopoly and financialization – are increasingly being recognized by public health scholars as undermining the foundations of human health. While the "vectors" through which this is occurring are well known – poverty, inequality, climate change among others – locating the root cause of this process in the nature and institutions of contemporary capitalism is relatively new. Researchers have been somewhat slow to study the relationship between contemporary capitalism and human health. In this paper, we focus on one of the leading causes of death in the United States; cancer, and empirically estimate the relationship between various measures of financialization and monopoly in the US healthcare system and cancer mortality. The measures we focus on are for the hospital industry, the health insurance industry, and the pharmaceutical industry. Using a fixed effects model with different specifications and control variables, our analysis is at the state level for the years 2012–2019. These variables include data on population demographic controls, social and economic factors, and health behavior and clinical care. We compare Medicaid expansion states with non-Medicaid expansion states to investigate variations in state-level funded health insurance coverage. The results show a statistically significant positive correlation between the HHI index in the individual healthcare market and cancer mortality and the opioid dispensing rate and cancer mortality. • We analyze how corporate capitalism is related to cancer mortality. • Recently, corporate capitalism has become more common in the healthcare industry. • We find a correlation between hospital net revenue, profit, and cancer mortality. • There is a link between the HHI index in insurance markets and cancer mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a list of titles of Working Papers on business and economy in the U.S. "Data Revisions and the Identification of Monetary Policy Shocks," by Dean Croushore and Charles L. Evans; "Non-Exclusive Contracts, Collateralized Trade, and a Theory of Exchange," by Yaron Leitner; "The Rise of the Skilled City," by Edward L. Glaeser and Albert Saiz.

Objectives: Those underage should not use tobacco products, including electronic nicotine delivery systems. A technologically-based solution developed by Juul Labs Inc to restrict underage access seeks to automate transactions, structurally mandate age-verification, and limit the quantity of JUUL products purchased per transaction. A pilot of this standards-based approach, referred to as RACS™ (Retail Access Control Standards), was conducted to assess efficacy. Methods: RACS was implemented at 171 stores within 3 retail chains selling tobacco products in 3 states. "Secret shopper" compliance audits, in which a mystery shopper attempted to purchase JUUL products, were conducted at participating stores before and after implementation of RACS, to test compliance with age-verification and product-quantity limits. Audit failure rates were compared pre- and post-RACS implementation to assess effectiveness. Comparisons were made overall, by chain, state, and failure type. Results: A total of 3990 audits were conducted. We found large, statistically significant reductions (p < .001) in failure rates for age-verification and compliance with product-quantity limits after implementing RACS, as compared to pre- RACS rates, declining to near zero. Conclusions: Utilizing enhanced access controls can be part of a comprehensive, evidence-based tobacco-control strategy to address underage use of all tobacco products, including JUUL. ACKNOWLEDGMENT & CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT: Funding for this study was provided by Juul Labs Inc. Through Pinney Associates, Saul Shiffman provides consulting services on tobacco harm reduction on an exclusive basis to Juul Labs Inc. In that role, he acted as internal editor and coordinator for the papers in this special issue. Erik Augustson is a full-time employee of Juul Labs Inc. As Senior Director of Behavioral Affairs at JLI, he oversaw the conduct of the behavioral research reported in this special issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature on business information literacy primarily focuses on business students. This paper instead explores business information literacy for students in liberal arts colleges: aside from career preparation, are there reasons to teach them to grapple critically with business information? This paper brings together survey findings, concepts from critical information theory, and the "Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education" developed by the Association of Colleges and Research Libraries to bear on this question. It argues that business information is a powerful genre for teaching core concepts central to both information literacy and liberal arts: critical inquiry, authority, access, incentives, rhetorical practices, and more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 is the most devastating pandemic that affected humanity and the world economy. This paper aimed to study the time-varying connectedness between the COVID-19 vaccination, infection rate (INFR), and the case fatality ratio (CFR) in the United States and the stock market returns. We used COVID-19 daily confirmed number of infections, deaths, and vaccinations and the daily US stock market index return. A wavelet coherence approach was used to assess the co-movement of the US stock market with the COVID-19 vaccination, INFR, and the CFR. The COVID-19 vaccination, INFR, and CFR have a positive and significant influence on S&P 500 returns at the majority of business cycle frequencies with an in-phase relation. The wavelet coherence analysis uncovers strong and significant connectedness between COVID-19 vaccination rate and S&P 500 return. From an economic perspective, the US government should continue its intervention with their vaccination strategy, as it is beneficial for fighting the pandemic. This may lead to the recovery of the stock market as well as to the whole economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the case study approach, this paper examines the formation of a pan-Asian American ethnic agency between leaders of corporate employee resource groups and Asian American subgroup ethnic agencies. Themes found consist of 1) formation of the partnership to raise funds for a natural disaster; 2) moving forward as a united pan-Asian American nonprofit organization; and 3) challenges ahead that include utilization of funds and power 4t agency community members. A better-resourced organization can facilitate increased chances of success as well as access to its services by the community in which it serves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nineteenth and early twentieth century American governments—local, state, and national—profoundly shaped diffusion of novel mathematical instruments. The federal government ran an office that judged what inventions were patentable and a legal system for those who defended or challenged patent rights. Governments at all levels employed inventors. Sometimes new laws required extensive calculations promoting invention and sale of computing instruments. Governments were customers for mathematical instruments ranging from teaching apparatus to adding and calculating machines to harmonic analyzers to tabulating machines. They not only bought goods, but set standards for what they would purchase. Government buyers also offered testimonials to businesses. From the 1890s, ant.itrust legislation led to some federal government oversight of corporations. Historians usually rely on documents to tell this story. This paper begins from objects—a few known only from patent descriptions, but most surviving in museum collections. This perspective complements rich existing accounts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical accounts of the business response to basic income proposals imply that employer attitudes have been mixed. In the 1970s and 1980s, when an array of basic income schemes was proposed, some groups were supportive and others were opposed. This paper shows that, in a number of high-profile proposals in Canada and the US, behind the apparent dissensus among business groups lays a consensus stance against universalistic and unconditional guaranteed income schemes. The disagreement among business groups comes down to either (1) a basic misunderstanding of proposal details, or (2) the fact that the policy itself can take on a wide range of concrete forms. To the extent that business has exhibited support for guaranteed income policies, the actual policies in question tended to be "two-tiered" rather than unitary, selective rather than universal, and miserly rather than generous. The income maintenance policies that garnered some support among business groups would all include explicit or implicit work requirements for "able-bodied" adults. By contrast, generous, unconditional guaranteed income policies that reduce workers' market dependence-namely, those that basic income advocates find desirable-found no audience in business circles. I close by exploring the mechanisms underlying the impact of basic income on bargaining relationships in the labour market and comment on the promises and pitfalls of a social policy that continues to be highly malleable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate voluntary pledges to improve the health of Americans have not been held to either explicit measurable outcomes or a framework for independent evaluation. The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF), whose members include 16 of the nation's leading consumer packaged goods (CPG) food and beverage manufacturers, voluntarily pledged to collectively sell 1 trillion fewer calories in the U.S. marketplace by 2012 (against a 2007 baseline), and sell 1.5 trillion fewer calories by 2015. This paper presents the findings of an independent evaluation of the 2012 HWCF marketplace pledge, conducted in 2013. The 16 HWCF companies collectively sold approximately 6.4 trillion fewer calories (-10.6%) in 2012 than in the baseline year of 2007. Taking into account population changes over the 5-year period of 2007-2012, CPG caloric sales from brands included in the HWCF pledge declined by an average of 78 kcal/capita/day. CPG caloric sales from non-HWCF national brands during the same period declined by 11 kcal/capita/day, and there were similar declines in calories from private label products. Thus, the total reduction in CPG caloric sales between 2007 and 2012 was 99 kcal/capita/day. This independent evaluation is the first to evaluate food industry compliance with its calorie reduction pledges and to assess how sales from the CPG food and beverage sector are changing. An accompanying paper investigates the extent to which the HWCF pledge affected household-level changes in CPG calories purchased, controlling for important economic and sociodemographic factors affecting household food purchases over this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Since 2008, the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine has performed job analyses on its member Diplomates by collecting relevant data, including demographics and income profiles as well as practice patterns and environment. These data have significantly contributed to the profession's application to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics requesting that "Acupuncturists" be assigned an independent Standard of Occupational Classification. As a result of the applications submitted in 2008 and 2016, a new code for Acupuncturists, SOC - 29-1291, will be included in the next edition of the BLS Occupational Handbook, which will be published in 2018. In addition to the demographic and clinical practice characteristics data identified by the periodic NCCAOM job analyses, the NCCAOM began collecting similar data from NCCAOM Diplomates during their 4-year recertification cycle. METHODS: Data collected from recertifying Diplomates (n=1047) collectively for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 were analyzed for trends and to provide a benchmark for the profession. Upon completion of their recertification application, Diplomates were asked to voluntarily complete a 28-item survey questionnaire. RESULTS: The outcomes of these surveys demonstrated that the acupuncture and Oriental medicine workforce is 70% female, averaging 52 years of age and approximately 13 years of experience. Responding Diplomates were from 49 states and two territories, including a small sample from other countries. Initial evaluation and treatment fees averaged $112 among the respondents, with an average return visit costing $78. Roughly 45% of the respondents worked more than 32 hours per week and 26.1% worked less than 20 hours per week. The average Diplomate treated 24 patients per week. The median income of Diplomates was reported to be between $40,000 and $60,000 per year. DISCUSSION: This descriptive research paper summarizes selected demographic, economic and practice setting characteristics for NCCAOM Diplomates each year, between 2014 and 2016, at the time of recertification. While the demographic profile of the Diplomates remained consistent (70% women, an average of 13 years in practice, and the majority in solo practice), there were some subtle changes that occurred between 2014 and 2016. One change indicated a greater number of practitioners working in other practice settings besides solo practice, such as hospital-based practice. Although the median annual income is in the range of $40,000 to $60,000, there were fewer Diplomates making less than $20,000/year and more earning greater than $100,000/year between 2014 and 2016. CONCLUSION: There are a variety of business models employed among Diplomates across the country. These vary by location, employment status, and pay structures. Further information on the success and failure of acupuncture practices should be researched and distributed to students and practitioners to assist in supporting the acupuncture and Oriental medicine community. Additionally, government agencies, such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, require nationwide data for policy decision-making and to publish annual reports as well as update their publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper surveys the recent changes in Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement measures following the enactment of the landmark Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). The paper, the first in a two-part series, focuses on the Commission’s use of the new or expanded powers provided by SOX in cases involving financial fraud and mismanagement by large public companies. In particular, the paper illustrates recent uses of large civil penalties, payments under the Fair Funds provision, expanded equitable remedies, and the plaement of so-called extraordinary payments to executives in escrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the protohistoric period in the southeastern United States began some thirty years ago and has continued until the present. Although the protohistoric period can be defined in various ways, I have chosen to look at the period 1513-1670 A D. Scholars are beginning to understand the complexity of this period of dramatic cultural change, but we still have serious gaps in our knowledge. This paper reviews our current understanding, while pointing out major lacunae. This paper will briefly examine the archaeological evidence for European exploration, trade, disease, Native American population movements, and political change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The opening of the Thai tobacco market, following action brought by the US Trade Representative under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, is seen as a key case study of the tensions between trade and health policy. Interpretations of the dispute cast it, either as an example of how trade agreements undermine national policy-making, or how governments can adopt effective public health protections compliant with international trade rules. As a UK-based company, British American Tobacco has been regarded as peripheral to this dispute. This paper argues that its close monitoring of the illegal trade during this period, the role of smuggling in the company's global business strategy, and its management of the relative supply and pricing of legal and illegal products after market opening provide a fuller understanding of the interests and roles of transnational tobacco companies and the government in this dispute. The findings have important policy implications, notably the role of effective governance in countries facing pressure to open their tobacco sectors, need to better understand corporate-level activities within an increasingly globalised tobacco industry, and need to address the intertwined legal and illegal trade in implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

While there has been significant historical interest in President Kennedy’s approach to Africa, historians have not considered in-depth how American economic aid to Africa became tied to the expansion of US business involvement on the subcontinent. A close examination of these issues reveals that the Kennedy administration saw the US Agency for International Development (USAID)’s economic aid programs as a critical mechanism for the resolution of America’s balance of export payments problems, and that Kennedy administration officials worked assiduously to bring American corporate interests to bear on questions of African economic development. This essay argues that the Kennedy administration promoted and fostered an environment that encouraged increased American business investment in Africa. This contention emerges from an analysis of the evolution of Kennedy’s views on Africa, including his support for African nationalist aspirations and for economic development and education, and their impact on administration policy. We examine sources from the Kennedy administration and from the papers of G. Mennen Williams, Kennedy’s Undersecretary of State for Africa and in so doing, we argue that the Kennedy administration fostered an approach to sub-Saharan African economic development that forged a robust relationship between government aid and American business investment. The Kennedy administration’s embrace of the principles of free enterprise heralded a major shift in US relations with Africa. This point is further underscored by our examination of the significant growth of US-headquartered multinational corporations’ investments in Africa during and immediately following Kennedy’s presidency. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Business in the urban informal economy can be seen as a challenging terrain with enormous hurdles for women entrepreneurs. This paper explores major barriers that obstruct smooth development of women entrepreneurship in Uganda’s urban informal economy. The study provides some useful academic insights and offers some practical suggestions for improving policy for women entrepreneurs. The value of this research lies in providing significant insights related to the initiation of policies and programs for entrepreneurship development, but also in increasing women’s involvement in the urban informal economy through a better understanding of the gender-based barriers to entrepreneurship. It is hoped that the study will influence business development in the urban informal economies of Uganda in particular, and Africa in general. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores some aspects of the textuality of historical narrative as a mode of organizing the past, drawing its inspiration from the work of Hayden White. The paper is unusual in that it takes as its central text for analysis a piece of historical narrative constructed `naively' by the author prior to the writing of the current paper. This text, which attempts to account for the varying development of the discipline of Business History in Britain and the United States, is explored for its narrative implications and implicit story-lines. The reactions of a number of readers of the original text are also examined, and an attempt is made to account for these in terms of the types of story each reader understands the text to be telling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary on Madeira's paper complicates the relationships between commodification, consumption, abortion, and assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) she draws in two ways. First, I examine under what conditions the commodification of ARTs, gametes, and surrogacy lead to patients becoming consumers. Second, I show that there are some stark difference between applying commodification critiques to ART versus abortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dialogue about the future of health care in the US has been impeded by flawed conceptions about medicine and business. The present paper re-examines some of the underlying assumptions about both medicine and business, and uses more nuanced readings of both terms to frame debates about the ACA and the emerging health care environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to reflect on some policy possibilities and outcomes for three countries of interest suggested in Porter's The Competitive Advantage of Nations. Design/methodology/approach -- This research was both exploratory and qualitative in nature and utilized an in-depth case study approach of three major international economies reflecting previous observations in The Competitive Advantage of Nations. Personal contemporaneous observations of individuals in the countries of interest were complemented by current secondary information. The three countries selected for analysis, South Korea, Sweden and the USA, reflected different stages of development at the time The Competitive Advantage of Nations was published and certainly different progress since then. Findings -- The Competitive Advantage of Nations advocated new, constructive and actionable roles for government and business. These observations can now be tested after a reasonable time of development. In terms of development, Korea would appear to be the star of the group; Sweden has made strong progress in comparison with other members of the European Union. Although there are areas of strength, the USA recently has lost much of the edge it had at the time of the Advantage's publication. Research limitations/implications -- Because this research was built on case studies, one has the reservations common with that approach. On the other hand, case studies are acknowledged as useful in the identification of important variables in situations in which there is little control over events in a real-world context. Practical implications -- Countries must go their own way and find their own paths to success. In some ways, directions are suggested by Schumpeter (1942/1975) and in others, by Porter (1990/1996). Chance appears to have played a role in development in each instance, but government, seen as a fifth determinant possibility by Porter, heavily affected outcomes in each instance. Originality/value -- Although relying heavily on Porter, results add insight into the development of economies over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Since their introduction in 2007, electronic cigarette (‘e-cigarette’) awareness and use has grown rapidly. Little is known about variation in e-cigarette availability across areas with different levels of tobacco taxes and smoke-free air policies. This paper looks at US retail availability of e-cigarettes and factors at the store, neighbourhood and policy levels associated with it. Methods In-person store audit data collected in 2012 came from two national samples of tobacco retailers in the contiguous US. Study 1 collected data from a nationally representative sample of tobacco retailers (n=2165). Study 2 collected data from tobacco retailers located in school enrolment zones for nationally representative samples of 8th, 10th and 12th grade public school students (n=2526). Results In 2012, e-cigarette retail availability was 34% in study 1 and 31% in study 2. Tobacco, pharmacy and gas/convenience stores were more likely to sell e-cigarettes than beer/wine/liquor stores. Retail availability of e-cigarettes was more likely in neighbourhoods with higher median household income (study 1), and lower percent of African-American (studies 1 and 2) and Hispanic residents (study 2). Price of traditional cigarettes was inversely related to e-cigarette availability. Stores in states with an American Lung Association Smoke-Free Air grade of F (study 1) or D (study 2) compared with A had increased likelihood of having e-cigarettes. Conclusions Currently, e-cigarette availability appears more likely in areas with weak tax and smoke-free air policies. Given the substantial availability of e-cigarettes at tobacco retailers nationwide, states and localities should monitor the sales and marketing of e-cigarettes at point of sale (POS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains how the current architecture of the pharmaceutical markets has created a misalignment of financial incentives and public health that is a central cause of harmful practices. It explores three possible solutions to address that misalignment: taxes, increased financial penalties, and drug pricing based on value. Each proposal could help to partly realign financial incentives and public health. However, because of the limits of each proposal, there is no easy solution to fixing the problem of financial incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate and commercial values are inducing some healthcare organizations to prescribe a customer service model that reframes the provision of nursing care. In this paper it is argued that such a model is incommensurable with nursing conceived as a moral practice and ultimately places nurses at risk. Based upon understanding from ongoing research on compassion fatigue, it is proposed that compassion fatigue as currently experienced by nurses may not arise predominantly from too great a demand for compassion, but rather from barriers to enacting compassionate care. These barriers are often systemic. The paradigm shift in which healthcare environments are viewed as marketplaces rather than moral communities has the potential to radically affect the evolution of nursing as a discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fifty states will play a critical role in implementing the Affordable Care Act, and California is one of the states at the forefront of reform. The act can provide coverage to millions of currently uninsured Californians and offers important benefits in terms of more-affordable coverage, improved access to services, and better health outcomes. As the paper by Peter Long and Jonathan Gruber in this issue of Health Affairs notes, the ultimate effects of health reform in California will be influenced by the policy and program decisions that state lawmakers and administrators make during the next three years. Key issues include revamping cumbersome eligibility determination and enrollment processes that could prevent rapid enrollment in expanded public health insurance-but also affording that expansion in the face of large state budget deficits. California policy makers need to move thoughtfully and strategically to ensure that the potential of federal health reform becomes a reality for state residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to today’s wave of corporate investigations and prosecutions, prosecutors have sought to require significant changes in corporate culture, compliance and controls and, as importantly, to monitor those changes for a reasonable time. The result is the corporate deferred prosecution agreement and its adjunct, the Independent Monitor. This paper first will review the development of deferred prosecution agreements and the factors which may determine which companies receive such treatment; secondly, it will analyse the Independent Monitor’s role, both the common terms of reference and certain unique terms relevant to specific cases; and thirdly, it will suggest the outlines of an Independent Monitor’s workplan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many constituencies external to higher education have begun promoting greater accountability. This view advocates a closer focus on the bottom line and that universities should utilise a more business-like model. One major outgrowth of this paradigm shift has been the seemingly recent emergence of outsourcing in higher education. Higher education has seemingly been slow to adopt this strategy. Or has it? The truth is that higher education has been outsourcing classroom instruction for many years. Recent statistics in the US suggest that over half of all undergraduate instruction is contracted out to teaching staff outside the university's regular full-time academic staff. Is this usage of outsourcing working in higher education? This paper applies an outsourcing assessment method developed in the business world to higher education so as to answer questions conceming the outsourcing of classroom instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent series of corporate scandals has resulted in an unprecedented crisis in accounting. Investors have lost faith in financial statements on the assumption that 'cooking the books' has become a routine practice in corporate America. Restoring the credibility of financial reporting is clearly an urgent priority, as indicated by the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which mandates that chief executive officers personally certify the accuracy of their firms' financial statements. The approach being contemplated by the accounting profession itself is a shift away from the rules-based approach to financial accounting standards used by US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles towards the principles-based approach of International Accounting Standards. Both these initiatives draw attention to the fact that accounting standards are only useful and effective if they are actually implemented by firms in the way the standard setter intended. In other words, the need to ensure implementation of accounting standards by managers who have an incentive to beat analysts' earnings forecasts means that accounting standards have a management-control component. In this paper the authors put forward an ex. post perspective on accounting-standard implementation that places the problem clearly within the domain of control theory. That in turn implies that, to ensure compliance by management, standard setters can make use of the powerful tools that control theory provides - the four levers of control: belief, boundary, diagnostic and interactive control systems. The authors' control perspective provides new insights into accounting standard setting, including the need for both belief and boundary controls rather than reliance on one alone. Of even greater potential significance is the implication this management-control perspective has for the Sarbanes- Oxley Act's section 404 requirement for management and auditor assurance on the effectiveness of a firm's internal controls over financial reporting. A management-control perspective can provide a much-needed framework within which the COSO (The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission) standards can be applied, avoiding an excessive focus on the existence and documentation of controls and increasing their efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of new business start-ups cannot be over-emphasised. The UK government has taken actions designed to stimulate the growth of new businesses and aid their survival. The identification of barriers to entry is important, together with strategies to minimise their impact. The UK continues to lag behind the USA in its levels of entrepreneurship. The removal of barriers to start-up is key to rectifying this situation and stimulating the new business aspect of the economy. The paper highlights the government's position in furthering entrepreneurship, draws on initial primary research into student barriers to start-up and makes recommendations for how higher education institutions can assist in breaking down the barriers identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Enron scandal" sent a signal that the nature of corporations and the security of investments and retirement funds might no longer be what citizens had grown to accept in the second half of the twentieth century. This paper considers the problem of increased consolidation of corporate economic power, and the increased isolation of business executives from the community and their impact on the free market and democracy. The founding fathers of the United States developed a theory for political democracy that included checks and balances on power combined with the cultivation of virtue in the private sector. An examination of the abuse of economic power and the tendency of economic power to consolidate into monopolies, leads the author to the conclusion that an analogous philosophy and legal structure should be applied in the economic sphere to allow citizens to freely pursue happiness. Economic democracy is a term that has been used by socialists promoting communism, by reformers of capitalism, by labor unions, by grassroots organizations and by cooperatives. On the other hand, the term itself implies the ability of all people to influence their own economic destiny, just as "political democracy" means that all people have a right to determine their political destiny.

This paper is an edited transcript of an invited panel discussion that was presented at the 28th annual meeting of the Association for Behavior Analysis in Toronto, Ontario. The speakers in this discussion addressed how behavior managers might contribute to understanding the impact of terrorism on the economy, and business, behavioral drivers in the new business context, and how we might manage our efforts to renew communities, economies, organizations and businesses. Each presenter provided a unique vantage point from which to view current events, considered powerful drivers of behavior change post-September 11, and evaluated how those affect our personal and professional lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. New Deal raises issues of class, race, gender, region, social movements, and institutional constraint in the context of a societal-wide economic and political crisis, and has not surprisingly generated a considerable body of work by political sociologists over the past twenty years. In particular, the New Deal has served as a major empirical context for developing, testing, or applying broader theoretical models of political change in the United States. In this sense, it is a paradigmatic example of the "historical turn" in the social sciences. This paper examines the theoretical and empirical controversies that have persisted between four competing theoretical models of New Deal political change: (a) those emphasizing the importance of social movements from below in generating momentum for political reform, (b) those high-lighting the centrality of business influence on successful New Deal reform initiatives, (c) feminist models, and (d) historical institutional models. I then turn to a survey of more recent work on some of the topics that have been the most widely debated in more recent scholarship and pose some questions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is an announcement about several meetings to be held concurrently in the year 1979 in various cities of the U.S. The Economic and Business Historical Society issued a call for papers for the April 1979 meeting at Lake Tahoe-Reno. A dissertation session is also planned. The Society meets concurrently with the Western Social Science Association. The Fourth Midwest Marxist Scholars Conference will be held on March 9-11, 1979 at the University of Cincinnati on the theme "The U.S. Educational System: Marxist Approaches;' The focus will be on education as an institution and on Marxist approaches to research and teaching in various academic disciplines. The Department of History and the Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs at Wayne State University announce a national labor history conference that will be held in October 1979. The American Council of Learned Societies had published a brochure on "Aids to Individual Scholars," which deals with competitions to be held in 1978-79. The ninth annual Institute for Historical Editing will take place in July 15-27, 1979, in Madison, Wisconsin.