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This paper explores a decision analysis on product integration of family security services and residential fire insurance in the London and Taiwan markets by using the proposed mathematical models for counting sustainable value. This paper shows the five main different results between London and Taiwan markets with ten different parameters of the family security market, to find out the optimal number of family security integrated services for each security company in London. The improvement of the risk aversion effect based on risk and financial management will enhance the market share of the private security industries in the London and Taiwan markets. The results of this research can serve as a reference for the decision-making of private security industries on product integration under sustainable value consideration. The research findings highlight the potential benefits for both the private security industry and the insurance industry in their design and negotiation for product integration to improve both of business operation and achieve corporate social responsibility goals to match the sustainability in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article employs a qualitative, biographical approach, to explore the motivations and subjectivities behind migration of middle‐class Brazilians to London. It uses the concept of the geographical imagination to understand how migrants imagine not only their destinations and places of origin but also how their own identity is shaped by their imagined relationship to these places. The paper argues that for many middle‐class Brazilians, their motivation to migrate is couched in terms of "societal alienation": a feeling of distance from the place of origin resulting from a lack of identification and trust in its institutions and the very culture of the place itself. This is in contrast to the more popularly understood concept of migrating due to "material alienation": migrating to access a higher level of material consumption or to acquire financial capital to use "back home." For those who migrate due to "societal alienation" what is "fetishised" is the cultural and less material aspects of the 'quality of life' of the migration destination, which become a kind of commodity in their own right. It argues that social class which often intersects with regional and racial divisions within Brazilian society, is a key marker of difference in these two types of imaginary. This article employs a qualitative, biographical approach, to explore the motivations and subjectivities behind migration of middle‐class Brazilians to London. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the intra-EU movement of young adults from Finland, Poland, and Spain who have settled, short- or long-term, in London and its wider region. In our comparative analysis, we find that the 46 interviewees differ in the way in which they took the original decision to move to the UK. Study, work, career, life goals, and lifestyle are the main variables shaping, in various combinations, migration decisions and plans. We categorize the decision-making and subsequent trajectories into three groups based on migrants' life-stories. The first group, the planners, had a long-term plan to move abroad with well-defined objectives of what they hoped to achieve. The second group, the dreamers, had the idea to move abroad someday, but then decided to activate the idea rather suddenly. The third group, the accidental migrants, moved abroad almost by accident, having had no prior plans, but responded to the opportunity when it arose out of a chance event, and had no specific plans as to what they would do abroad. The boundaries between these groups are somewhat blurred and the mobile individual's attitudes and motivation towards migration may change over time. Examining the decision-making process of current migrants helps to estimate how inbound mobility to the UK from the EU might change in the new post-Brexit migration scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professionally a social worker has to pay attention to both the society’s values and to a client’s personal values. However, a social worker’s personal values are not the least of importance and can’t be ignored. Where could a sharp line be drawn between professional and private values and acting? The problem of decision-making has been pondered over since ancient times when Socrates contended that ‘everyone desires the good.’ Could it then be that for some the profession becomes a calling? This paper uses a collaborative autoethnographic approach with the narrative told by the first author, a female Swedish social worker. The story is about her meeting with a male drug addict living on the streets of London and about the decision she made. As it turned out, her decision would have consequences far beyond her and his imagination. The Introduction was written by the second author in order to provide the scientific framework embedding the first author’s story. Finally, the Discussion was written mutually as an interview. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planning transport infrastructure development involves high levels of uncertainty due to socioeconomic, environmental, and technological changes. Methodologies currently used in transport planning often have minimal consideration for adaptiveness, leading to costly redesigns or cancellation of entire projects. Presented herein is the investigation of the applicability of dynamic adaptive policy pathways, which is a methodology predominantly used in the field of flood-risk planning, to long-term transport infrastructure planning. Specifically, the paper investigates whether this methodology could facilitate ongoing adaptation to variations in service demand and capacity. It demonstrates this by examining future demand and capacity of road and rail travel between Manchester, United Kingdom, and London using publicly available data and information sources. The study shows that dynamic adaptive policy pathways is useful for identifying periods of time of significant capacity vulnerability for the examined transport network in the coming decade. The method is demonstrated to be valuable for identifying the points in time when policy-makers will have to make decisions and for assessing the impact of transport mode switching. This can have implications of cost-saving and improved service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The COVID-19 vaccination programme is intended to protect public health (particularly those at increased risk of developing severe disease with COVID-19) and to relieve the pressures on the National Health Service. This paper discusses the uptake and attitudes of staff working in a London teaching hospital towards receiving the COVID-19 vaccine while considering measures to support informed decision making. Methods: An online survey was used to collect demographic information and opinions of staff across all divisions of the Royal National Ear, Nose and Throat and Eastman Dental Hospitals. Results: Vaccine safety, long-term effects and information on social media were frequently reported concerns from staff choosing to decline a COVID-19 vaccine at this time. Addressing misinformation, conspiracy theories and inequality surrounding the pandemic should be central in supporting population groups in receiving the benefits of vaccination. Focus groups and tailored clinics to discuss vaccine concerns have provided a safe environment for staff at the trust to address these concerns. Conclusions: Success of a vaccine programme depends on public confidence and willingness to participate. There is a need to ensure that population groups are adequately educated about the safety of approved vaccines in order to support informed decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asthma is a global public health problem and the most common chronic disease among children. The factors associated with the condition are diverse, and environmental factors appear to be the leading cause of asthma exacerbation and its worsening disease burden. However, it remains unknown how changes in the environment affect asthma over time, and how temporal or environmental factors predict asthma events. The methodologies for forecasting asthma and other similar chronic conditions are not comprehensively documented anywhere to account for semistructured noncausal forecasting approaches. This paper highlights and discusses practical issues associated with asthma and the environment, and suggests possible approaches for developing decision-making tools in the form of semistructured black-box models, which is relatively new for asthma. Two statistical methods which can potentially be used in predictive modeling and health forecasting for both anticipated and peak events are suggested. Importantly, this paper attempts to bridge the areas of epidemiology, environmental medicine and exposure risks, and health services provision. The ideas discussed herein will support the development and implementation of early warning systems for chronic respiratory conditions in large populations, and ultimately lead to better decision-making tools for improving health service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a well-founded and popular method in the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) field. AHPSort, a recently introduced sorting variant, uses crisp class-assignment of alternatives. This can sometimes be misleading, especially for alternatives near the border of two classes. This paper aims at making the class assignment process in AHPSort more flexible by using fuzzy sets theory, which facilitates soft transitions between classes and provides additional information about the membership of alternatives in each class that can be used to fine-tune actions beyond the crisp sorting process. This essentially complements the ordinal information of its crisp variant with cardinal information as to the degree of membership of an alternative to each class. The applicability of the proposed approach is illustrated in a case study that regards the classification of London boroughs according to their safety levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the collaborative process of building a simulation model in order to understand patient waiting times in an accident and emergency department. The purpose is to explore the issues that arise when involving clients, in this case health care professionals, in the process of model building. The study background and a detailed account of the modelling process are presented. The focus of the paper is on some general themes that can be discovered running through the process. These offer some tentative insights into client involvement in system dynamics modelling, in particular its application in health care. Given this study's first promising results, further collaborative studies are encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a relatively rare condition which has a profound impact not only on the patient but also on those around them. There is no cure for TN, and the management of the condition is complex. The most effective forms of treatment are either through medication, neurosurgery, or combination of the two. Each option has risks and implications for the patient. As with all clinical decisions, it is important for patients to understand and be fully informed of the treatments available to them. A London UK unit adopted a joint-consultation clinic approach where the patient meets with both physician and neurosurgeon at the same time to discuss treatment options. The purpose of this evaluation is to understand patients' level of satisfaction with the joint-consultation clinic and evaluate utilisation of a clinical decision-making tool. Method: Patients who had attended the joint-consultation clinic over a period of 12 months were invited to participate in a telephone or paper survey (N = 55). Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Results: Forty-one patients (77% response rate) participated in the survey, and the results were overwhelmingly positive for the joint-consultation clinic regarding satisfaction. The benefits were broad ranging including increased understanding, collaboration and confidence in decision-making. Conclusions: A joint-consultation clinic comprising a neurosurgeon and a physician for the treatment of TN is valued by patients who become better informed and able to make decisions about their care. Positive application of clinical decision-making aids in this situation offers potential across specialities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water industry presents several structures in different countries and also within countries. Hence, several studies have been conducted to evaluate the presence of economies of scope and scale in the water industry leading to inconclusive results. The lack of a common methodology has been identified as an important factor contributing to divergent conclusions. This paper evaluates, for the first time, the presence of economies of scale and scope in the water industry using a flexible technology approach integrating operational and exogenous variables of the water companies in the cost functions. The empirical application carried out for the English and Welsh water industry evidenced that the inclusion of exogenous variables accounts for significant differences in economies of scale and scope. Moreover, completely different results were obtained when the economies of scale and scope were estimated using common and flexible technology methodological approaches. The findings of this study reveal the importance of using an appropriate methodology to support policy decision-making processes to promote sustainable urban water activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveFollowing an international workshop on developing the evidence base for policy relating to school food held in London, UK, in January 2012, the objectives of the present paper were (i) to outline a rationale for school food research, monitoring and evaluation in relation to policy and (ii) to identify ways forward for future working.DesignThe authors analysed presentations, summaries of evidence, and notes from discussions held at the international workshop in London in 2012 to distil common themes and make recommendations for the development of coherent research programmes relating to food and nutrition in schools.SettingInternational, with an emphasis on middle- and high-income countries.ResultsOverviews of existing school food and nutrition programmes from the UK, Hungary, Sweden, the USA, Australia, Brazil, China, Mexico and other countries were presented, along with information on monitoring, evaluation and other research to demonstrate the impact of school feeding on health, attainment, food sourcing, procurement and finances, in the context of interactions between the evidence base and policy decisions. This provided the material which, together with summaries and notes of discussions, was used to develop recommendations for the development and dissemination of robust approaches to sustainable and effective school food and nutrition programmes in middle- and high-income countries, including policy guidelines, standards, cost-effectiveness measures and the terms of political engagement.ConclusionsSchool food and nutrition can provide a cohesive core for health, education and agricultural improvement provided: (i) policy is appropriately framed and includes robust monitoring and evaluation; and (ii) all stakeholders are adequately engaged in the process. International exchange of information will be used to develop a comprehensive guide to the assessment of the impact of school food and nutrition policy and supporting infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Poland's accession to the European Union in May 2004 brought many new possibilities and opportunities for Polish migrants to the United Kingdom. However, the focus on individual migrants has underestimated the complex roles of families in migration strategies and decision making. This paper brings together data from two studies of Polish migrants in London. In 2006-2007, we carried out a qualitative study, Recent Polish Migrants in London. That research examined how families may be reconfigured in different ways through migration, for example, transnational networks and splits within families. While the study participants represented varied examples of family reunification, they also revealed the complex decision making processes about leaving, staying, rejoining and returning. In our most recent study, Polish Children in London Primary Schools, we interviewed parents, who had migrated with children, about their experiences and expectations of London schools. This study revealed that the age of children was usually a factor in family migration decision making. There was a common expectation that younger children could easily adapt to a new school and learn English quickly. Drawing on the findings of these two studies, this paper will explore firstly, the variety of family migration strategies and secondly, the factors that inform migrants' decisions to bring their families (especially children) or to leave them back home. Finally, the paper concludes by considering some of the policy implications of our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on funding issues facing arts and cultural resources worldwide. Inter alia, current public policy consensus encourages cultural resources to raise money from voluntary contributions at the gates in order to address some of the shortfall in public funding. The paper considers the British Museum, London, as a case study. The objectives of the paper are twofold. First, to elicit individual preferences for future managerial initiatives that could have an impact on visitors' willingness to financially support cultural resources by making a voluntary contribution during their visit. Second, the study combines observed and unobserved heterogeneity in order to explain a greater source of variation on individuals' decision-making process. Overall, the results provide directions for government policy into widening and deepening participation for the arts and culture. In addition, the results also provide support towards a reconsideration of curatorial procedures towards a motivational segmentation of demand for the arts and culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers and policy-makers are increasingly recognizing that urban socio-environmental conditions can affect the development and course of numerous health problems. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact an urban regeneration programme can have on everyday functioning, coping and recovery for people with a mental illness. We were also interested in discerning which component parts of the regeneration are the most important in positively affecting people with mental illness. These questions were explored through an in-depth qualitative case study of the Gospel Oak neighbourhood in London, which recently underwent an intensive urban regeneration programme. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with residents living with a mental illness (n = 16). Relevant participant observation was also conducted. Participants reported that interventions that improved community safety were by far the most important in affecting everyday coping and functioning. interventions that improved the quantity and quality of shared community facilities had a positive, but milder effect on mental health. Component parts that appeared to have little effect included environmental landscaping and greater community involvement in decision-making processes. Most participants reported that their mental illness was a consequence of severe insults over the life-span, for example childhood neglect or family breakdown. Thus, the regeneration was seen as something that could assist coping, but not something that could significantly contribute to complete recovery. Our results thus suggest that urban regeneration can have a mild impact on people with mental illness, but this appears to be outweighed by life-span experience of severe individual-level risk factors. That said, some of our findings converge with other studies indicating that community safety and community facilities can play a role in positively affecting mental health. Further ethnographic and epidemiological research is necessary to explore these two factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper seeks to engage with the interrelationships between the newly established Greater London Authority (GLA) as a form of devolved but diffuse city governance and new procedures for encouraging active public engagement in policy-making processes. The scope and conduct of new discursive spaces for engaging Londoners in the early stages of policy-making concerned with sustainable development are the focus of enquiry. The paper draws on published sources and a series of in-depth interviews conducted with officers, advisers and elected members of the GLA. Theories and practices of deliberative democracy provide the basis for assessing to what extent these experimental discursive spaces supported the pursuit of a collaborative approach to decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brinton (1914) wrote the first 'Design Style Guide' in the form of rules more than 100 years ago, yet no one really studies nor uses them. Organizations like Google and London City Intelligence recently extended their design systems to include standards specifically for data visualization. This speaks to the growing importance of using data and metrics in an organization's decision making and the value of branding them appropriately. In 2014, Amy Cesal created one of the first actual Data Visualization Style Guides for the Sunlight Foundation. Since then, many other organizations have created style guides of their own, however, Data Visualization texts have only recently begun to cover style guides. In this paper we argue that more widespread use of data visualization style guides by organizations would bring consiste brand identity, readability and accessibility to their data visualization work, and that incorporating data visualization into university curricula will be instrumental in encouraging widespread adoption of these style guides.. We present a historical analysis of these style guides from Brinton's 1914 edition to today's examples from 2014 through today to contextualize data visualization style guides for instructional purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Climate change is a global problem and across the world there are major difficulties being experienced in reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The transport sector in particular is finding it difficult to reduce CO2 emissions. This paper reports on two studies carried out by the authors in London (UK) and Delhi (India). It considers the common objectives for transport CO2 reduction, but the very different contexts and baselines, potentials for change, and some possible synergies. Different packages of measures are selected and scenarios developed for each context which are consistent with contraction and convergence objectives. CO2 reduction potentials are modelled and quantified by package and scenario. London is considering deep reductions on current transport CO2 emission levels; Delhi is seeking to break the huge projected rise in transport CO2 emissions. The scale of policy intervention required to achieve these goals is huge and there is certainly little public discussion of the magnitude of the changes required. The paper argues for a ‘strategic conversation’ at the city level, using scenario analysis, to discuss the priorities for intervention in delivering low carbon transport futures. A greater focus is required in developing participatory approaches to decision making, alongside network investments, urban planning, low emission vehicles and wider initiatives. Aspirations towards equitable target emissions may assist in setting sufficiently demanding targets. Only then is a wider awareness and ownership of potential carbon efficient transport futures likely to take place. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Urban design and sustainability are critical issues in creating better urban environments. The UK government is endorsing sustainability through its sustainable communities agenda and is urging the public, private and third sectors to emphasise high quality design in their urban development projects. However, with little guidance as to how to design sustainable urban development projects, decision-makers may end up wasting time, money and resources in projects that are unsustainable for themselves, the community and beyond. One option for decision-makers is loosely to follow a generic process for urban design that demonstrates, by way of a series of stages and activities, when to make decisions and to consider sustainability, what tools are needed to make decisions and who should be making decisions. To further the understanding of the use of a process in sustainable urban design decision-making, a baseline model was first created that amalgamates stages and activities from relevant processes found in a variety of disciplines and professions. A case study was then conducted, showing the process for the urban design and development of Brewhouse Yard, Clerkenwell, London. Through analysis of interviews, archival material and site analysis, three distinct periods of the process were discerned. These periods are discussed by way of process stages, decisions, tools and sustainability. The paper then compares this process with the baseline process to understand how the former can help improve the latter as a tool for assisting decision-makers in creating more sustainable urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health service reconfigurations are of international interest but remain poorly understood. This article focuses on the use of evidence by senior managerial decision-makers involved in the reconfiguration of stroke services in London 2008-2012. Recent work comparing stroke service reconfiguration in London and Manchester emphasises the ability of senior managerial decision-makers in London to 'hold the line' in the crucial early phases of the stroke reconfiguration programme. In this article, we explore in detail how these decision-makers 'held the line' and ask what the broader power implications of doing so are for the interaction between evidence, health policy and system redesign.Methods: The research combined semi-structured interviews (n = 20) and documentary analysis of historically relevant policy papers and contemporary stroke reconfiguration documentation published by NHS London and other interested parties (n = 125). We applied a critical interpretive and reflexive approach to the analysis of the data.Results: We identified two forms of power which senior managerial decision-makers drew upon in order to 'hold the line'. Firstly, discursive power, which through an emphasis on evidence, better patient outcomes, professional support and clinical credibility alongside a tightly managed consultation process, helped to set an agenda that was broadly receptive to the overall decision to change stroke services in the capital in a radical way. Secondly, once the essential parameters of the decision to change services had been agreed, senior managerial decision-makers 'held the line' through hierarchical New Public Management style power to minimise the traditional pressures to de-radicalise the reconfiguration through 'top down' decision-making.Conclusions: We problematise the concept of 'holding the line' and explore the power implications of such managerial approaches in the early phases of health service reconfiguration. We highlight the importance of evidence for senior managerial decision-makers in agenda setting and the limitations of clinical research findings in guiding politically sensitive policy decisions which impact upon regional healthcare systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a transformation in the value chain of different industrial sectors, like the electricity networks, with the appearance of smart grids. Currently, the underlying knowledge in raw data coming from numerous devices can mark a significant competitive advantage for utilities. It is the case of the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). Such technology gets user consumption characteristics at levels of detail that were previously not possible. In this context, the terms big data and data analytics become relevant, which are tools that allow using large volumes of information and the generation of valuable knowledge from raw data that can support data-driven decisions for operating on the grid. This paper presents the results of the big data implementation and data analytics techniques in a case study with smart metering data from the city of London. Implemented big data and data analytic techniques to show how to understand user consumption patterns on a broader horizon, the relationships with seasonal variables identify behaviors related to specific events and atypical consumptions. This knowledge helps support decision making about improving demand response programs and, in general, the planning and operation of the Smart Grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence from focus group discussions with social workers in child care and child protection was collected for a research project exploring decision-making in care proceedings and seeking a better understanding of the causes of delay in the process. Here this material is used to examine social workers' feelings about their work and to explore the anxieties they expressed. Isabel Menzies's work on containing anxiety in institutions is used to provide a conceptual framework for thinking about the ways in which individuals' unconscious defences against anxiety may affect the structure, policies and practices of the organization in which they work. It is suggested that this dimension needs to be taken into account in understanding difficulties which arise in putting policy into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative efforts to understand the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic need to be viewed through the lens of social construction. I begin by comparing the efforts to quantitatively measure the plague in London in 1665. Then I develop five propositions for studying the social construction of statistics: (1) facts are social constructions; (2) measuring involves making decisions, (3) counting is not straightforward; (4) all comparisons involve choices; and (5) social patterns shape numbers. After examining how these propositions affect what we know about COVID-19, I consider their implications for moving beyond mathematics when approaching numeracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the airplane attacks of September 11th, 2001 it is claimed that many Americans, dreading a repeat of these events, drove instead of flying, and that, consequently, there were extra car accidents, increasing the number of fatalities directly caused by the attacks by 1,500. After the Madrid train bombings of March 11th, 2004, Spaniards, like Americans, avoided the attacked mode of travel, but no increase in car travel or fatal accidents resulted. Here we analyze behavioral concomitants of the July 7th 2005 bomb attacks on public transport in London. We find reduced underground train travel and an increase in rates of bicycling and, over the 6 months following the attacks, 214 additional bicyclist road casualties -- a 15.4% increase. Nevertheless we found no detectable increase in car accidents. We conclude that, while fear caused by terrorism may initiate potentially dangerous behaviors, understanding the secondary effects of terrorism requires consideration of the environmental variables that enable fear to manifest in dangerous behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of the UK Coalition government's cuts has catastrophically impacted advisory and support services to refugee young people. Many bespoke refugee services have ceased with the alternative being conventional information sources that lack specialist knowledge of the unique situation of refugees. Taking an autonomy approach, this qualitative research study discusses the benefits of the now obsolete refugee advisory service, the Refugee Integration and Employment Service, with current sources of welfare-to-work programmes. In conclusion, it argues that without targeted sources of information, advice and support refugee young people will struggle to make informed strategic decisions about their future careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study I apply a gravity-type labor-market accessibility model to the Greater London Area to investigate house price capitalization effects. The spatial scope of labor-market effects is found to be about 60 minutes. Doubling accessibility increases the utility of an average household by about 12%. I combine the gravity approach with a transport decision model that takes into account the urban rail network architecture, allows for mode switching, and thus accounts for the effective accessibility offered by a station, to predict the property price effects of the 1999 Jubilee Line and DLR extension. A considerable degree of heterogeneity is predicted both in terms of the magnitude as well as the spatial extent of price effects around new stations. A quasi-experimental property price analysis reveals that the model performs well in predicting the effective capitalization effects, suggesting that the approach might be a viable ingredient in transport planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the leading 'world cities', London is particularly reliant on sources of foreign direct investment (FDI). In the face of increasing global competition and a difficult economic climate, the capital must compete effectively to encourage and support such investors. Through a collaborative study with London's official FDI promotion agency, Think London, the need for a coherent framework for data, methodologies and tools to inform business location decision-making became apparent. This article discusses the development of a rich environment to explore, compare and rank London's business neighbourhoods. This is achieved through the development and evaluation of a model for location-based decision support. First, we discuss the development of a geo-business classification for London which draws upon methods and practices common in geodemographic neighbourhood classification. A geo-business classification is developed, encapsulating relevant location variables using Principal Components Analysis into a set of composite area profiles. Second, we discuss the implementation of an appropriate Multi-Criteria Decision Making methodology, in this case Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), enabling the aggregation of the geo-business classification and decision-makers' preferences into discrete decision alternatives. Finally, we present the results of the integration of both data and model through the development and evaluation of a web-based prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

User-generated content is rapidly gaining traction as an input into the consumer purchase decision making process. After examining the implications of the developing Web 2.0 phenomenon for travel businesses, this article focuses on TripAdvisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com), the largest online network of travel consumers. Using a sample of 100 hotels randomly selected from the London market, it shows that TripAdvisor displays detailed rich data that can be used in travel planning. Content analysis was used to identify common causes of satisfaction and dissatisfaction among reviewers. It was also discovered that few hotels are actively managing their reputation on the TripAdvisor site. Despite a facility to respond to criticism, few hotels used this option, calling into question how seriously hotels are managing user-generated content. Analyses also suggested that the belief that user-generated content sites have been compromised by false reviews is unfounded, with little evidence being found of reviews with characteristics that typify false postings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information about the BPOS Annual Conference which will take place on December 6-7, 2001 at the Royal Marsden Conference and Education Centre in London, England. Themes of the conference will focus on training and service issues, the media and cancer, ethics and decision making, and ethnicity.

A research project was carried out to critically explore and analyse what factors in an interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary context inhibited or promoted decision-making for the discharge planning process for patients returning home from an acute hospital in London. This was done through observations, informal interviewing and focus groups held on two wards and with the supported discharge rehabilitation team. Data were analysed and a conceptual framework developed, highlighting the important factors namely: leadership, team working and communication, affected by behaviours, feelings and resources, including environmental as well as personnel resources. Further analysis of the data suggested that leadership, which acted as a nerve centre for pivoting information, orchestrating and representing the team, and ensuring good outcomes were all important for decision-making in discharge planning. Team working, based on sharing, agreeing responsibilities, roles and boundaries, developing trust, learning together were all important factors. The study showed that good team working and leadership are vital to the success of effective discharge planning, but these aspects are rarely investigated and few resources are targeted on improving them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the two previous articles have demonstrated, group work can help young people understand their feelings and manage their behaviour more effectively. However such initiatives depend for their success on a school climate which supports the efforts of such young people to improve. In this article, Julie Radford outlines a framework designed to help schools achieve behaviour policies consistent with their agreed values and to undertake policy making in this area as an exercise in collaborative decision making. The approach described here was used in infant, junior and primary schools, and was positively evaluated in terms of increased consistency in approach and more positive responses to children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Systematically evaluates changes in people management in one case study, the London Borough of Brant, as the major arena Jot the regulation of employment relations in local government moves from the national to the authority level Considers the impact of upstream decisions on mission, purpose and structure and of downstream decisions on employment relations, as they relate to the structure of the personnel function, tire role of line managers in personnel activities, the way staff are treated and the role of the unions, based upon a strategic choice model, Argues that there are, indeed, strong linkages between Brent's upstream decision to become a "competitive market" authority and devolve decision making to business units and the dimensions of employment relations distinguished However, the consequences of the upstream-downstream relationship were not necessarily as intended by the Borough, with some of the results having highly dysfunctional consequences for the organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the lessons learned from the governmental decision-making for the site of Airport Saga in London, England. The lessons include the economic technique by the economists in the region. Another is the cumulative failures of the Department of Treasury, the Conservative Cabinet and Houses of Parliament to scrutinize properly the high resource costs before committing themselves to the project.

The article focuses on a medical study conducted by the researchers of the London, England-based Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College London, a medical research centre for measuring the effects of testosterone, a steroid hormone on cooperation between volunteers. The study states that testosterone helps in decision making by making the person egoistic. Study also revealed that the volunteers were more cooperative with placebo and less cooperative with testosterone.