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Abstract: In this paper we explore the effects of team‐specific human capital (TSHC) on performance. We do so by delineating between two dimensions of TSHC, relating to team members and the team manager, and then exploring how the two dimensions may interact in shaping performance. Employing a 10‐year panel of football teams from the English Premier League we find that team members’ TSHC has a positive and significant effect on team performance, which is positively moderated by managers’ TSHC. Our results attest to the importance of considering both the team member and team manager dimensions of TSHC, and how the performance effects of team members’ TSHC are shaped by managers’ TSHC. Our results stand in stark contrast to the dramatic reduction in managerial tenure that has characterized the English Premier League in recent years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a review of the literature on sporting production functions with an emphasis on different input-output specifications and alternative estimation procedures. Empirical evidence is reported for English association football on the robustness of estimates of coaching efficiency to changes in estimation methods and the definition of team performance and playing talent inputs. A measure of player quality based on predicted start-of-season transfer values is developed. It is found that the estimation of coaching efficiency is sensitive to the choice of time-invariant efficiency models versus time-varying and inefficiency effects models. It is also found that the results are little affected by different measures of team performance but are highly sensitive to the use of an ex postfinancial expenditure input measure. Ex anteinput measures based on start-of-season player characteristics or predicted transfer values are recommended as more appropriate on both theoretical and empirical grounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ARTICLES in the last two issues of In Practice have traced the origins of the Internet and looked at some of the veterinary websites that have been developed. In the final article of this series, Dr Bill Gerrard explores the attitudes of UK veterinarians towards the Internet and discusses what the future may hold. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

AS described in the last issue (September 1998, pp 463-465), the Internet has grown from a simple communication and data exchange medium to an integral part of today's society. It offers a variety of services to veterinarians, ranging from information sources and discussion groups, to practice advertising and access to expert clinical opinion. In the second of three articles, Dr Bill Gerrard considers how veterinary practitioners have adapted to using the Internet in their everyday working lives, and discusses some of the tools and services that are currently at their disposal. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Examines the methodological debates in economics and econometrics to show that the differences between alternative econometric methodologies reflect the divisions in the general methodological debate in economics. Traditional issues in the methodology of economics; Average Economic Regression or textbook approach in applied econometrics; Atheoretical time theory analysis.

The article cites a study which examines the determination of the growth and profitability of firms within the engineering sector in Leeds, England. It focuses on three particular issues including the effects on the estimated coefficients of different definitions of growth, profitability and size. It details the data sources and estimation methods. Results show the importance of spatial factors in determining the performance of firms. It also found that within the city of Leeds an inner-city location has a significant negative impact on the rate of return on assets.

The article presents a list of textbooks related to industrial economics. Some of the books are: "Industrial Economics," by R. Clark, "The Economics of the Firm," edited by R. Clarke and T. McGuinness, "An Introduction to Industrial Economics," by P. Devine, "The New Industrial Organization," by A. Jacquemin, "Theory of Industrial Economics," by C.G. Krouse, "Industrial Organization," by J.S. McGee, etc. In determining a syllabus and choosing a textbook the teacher in industrial economics is faced with an enormously complex problem. One aspect of this problem is the amorphous nature of the subject matter. Courses in industrial economics share, at best, a distinctive general form in that they deal with the economics of firms and industries, but there is no wide agreement on what should constitute the precise content of such courses. Course content varies considerably both in coverage and in style. In particular, courses differ in their relative emphasis on the theoretical, empirical and policy aspects of the subject. In part this is a reflection of the location of industrial economics courses in the curriculum.

THE applications and benefits of information technology in veterinary practice have been explored in various editions of in recent times. This article adds a note of caution. Regular internet users will be well aware of how time-consuming internet surfing can be. It seems that this and other forms of internet abuse are on the increase in businesses generally, and it is as well, argues Bill Gerrard, that veterinary practices keep one eye on some of the dangers that exist. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

TODAY'S newly qualified vets have been educated and trained in an educational environment that is vastly different from the one that many practising vets remember. The main difference lies in the widespread application of information technology (IT) and associated computer-assisted learning packages within veterinary courses. In this article, Bill Gerrard explains how technology is being used in general undergraduate education, how this may influence the IT expectations of new graduates and what the knock-on effects on veterinary practices might be. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

THE Internet is a multimedia communications network which spans 100 nations across the globe and incorporates 61,000 individual computer networks. Currently undergoing explosive growth, the Internet is expected to reach an audience of 100 million by the end of this year. Clearly, given the level of usage, the possibilities for commerce are vast and the veterinary profession, as a collection of small businesses, stands to gain from what the Internet has to offer. In a series of three articles, Dr Bill Gerrard looks at how veterinary practitioners have adapted to using the Internet in their everyday working lives and reviews the tools and services that it offers. Here, by way of introduction, he traces the remarkable history and development of the Net. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]