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On July 6, 2013, Montreal, Maine, and Atlantic railcar 5017 hauling 72 tanker cars of Bakken crude oil derailed over the town of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec. The town erupted in a fiery inferno as 5,560,000 liters of highly flammable Bakken crude oil exploded over the town, killing 47 people and contaminating 558,000 tons of soil and local waterways. While Montreal, Maine, and Atlantic Rail Chairman Edward Burkhardt initially blamed the derailment on the lone engineer and local firefighters, this study shows how Transport Canada and the rail industry undermined regulatory and safety measures for several years before the derailment. This study uses a Foucauldian theoretical perspective to conceptualize and explain a new political mentality that transfers existing state regulatory authority to the corporate sector. This new mentality, neoliberal sovereignty, is composed of sovereign and neoliberal logics that monopolize 'correct' trajectories of human economic development. This absolute market mentality merges with state sovereignty and eliminates existing safety and regulation frameworks to pursue unregulated corporate profits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Annals of Public & Cooperative Economics is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study analyses the productivity change in the United Kingdom (UK) of auditing firms over the period 2005-2012, using a Malmquist index with a technological bias. Productivity is the rate at which goods or services are produced relative to the input. A common measure of productivity is the ratio of output per unit of labour used in the production. Productivity change is the change in the total output relative to the change in the total input and it is composed of technical efficiency change (managerial practices and scale effects) and technological change (innovation and investment in new technologies). Until 2005, the auditing profession in the UK employed a regime of self-regulation; after a brief hiatus, the country adopted the new European Statutory Audit Directive in April 2008, changing the regulatory framework. This study analyses the productivity change among UK auditing companies both before and after the regulation change. Our results indicate that the productivity change among UK auditing companies is mixed and not dictated by regulation. Furthermore, the traditional growth accounting method, which assumes Hicks-neutral technological change, is not appropriate for an analysis of the productivity change in auditing firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1980s, regulated markets and New Public Management have been introduced in the public sector across the world. How they have affected existing governance mechanisms such as self-regulation and state regulation has remained largely unexplored, however. This article examines the origins and consequences of institutional layering in governing healthcare quality. Dutch health care, where a market-based system has been introduced, is used as a case study. The results show that this market-based system did not replace but modified existing institutional arrangements. As a result, hospitals have to deal with the fragmentation of quality demands. Using the concept of institutional layering, this study shows how different arrangements interact. As a consequence, the introduction of a certain policy reform will work out differently in different countries and policy sectors. Our 'archaeological' study in this layering can be seen as an example of how such incremental change can be studied in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to evaluate how infostructure has been reformed in the liberalisation process of network industries, which has involved third party access to the network through a comparison of the electricity, railway, and civil aviation sectors in Switzerland. Our theoretical argument posits that infostructure is a missing link in the study of the regulation of liberalised network industries. Infostructure is defined as the control and command services that are necessary for monitoring the access to and optimising the uses of infrastructure. Our empirical comparison of the sectors aims at answering the principle question: What is the impact of the management of infostructure on the liberalisation process and the structure of liberalising markets? This study of the liberalisation of network industries in Switzerland highlights the potential strategic function of infostructure in the context of opening to competition and internationalising markets. Infostructure management can impact infrastructure ownership and service operation in terms of market structure and constrain access to the infrastructure and the market. Infostructure could also weaken the capacity to regulate the entire sector from regulatory agencies, particularly when self-regulatory arrangements control third party access to the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to explore the effects of the Responsible Care ( RC) programme and how it is applied in practice. The present research questions include the following focus: how should we assess the performance of an organization's RC activity and what are the different criteria for assessing RC practices? The results indicate that the RC programme provides practical tools for developing health, environmental and safety operations. RC companies are committed to developing their products and processes, and continuously strive to minimize emission levels and improve the efficiency of their use of raw materials and energy. The RC partnership between the chemical industry and its customers is executed in the form of responsibility for the product and its safe use. The product stewardship approach provides companies with tools that help secure safe usage throughout the product life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many agricultural producer-controlled marketing organizations (PCMOs) have direct or indirect control over the amount or quality distribution of production marketed by the industry. We analyze the decision of these organizations whether to impose a minimum quality standard (MQS), and the impact of such standards on producer, consumer, and total welfare. An MQS can enhance net welfare because it may correct for deficient production of high-quality product by the industry in the absence of an MQS, even though an MQS causes the destruction or diversion of low-quality products. However, any MQS imposed voluntarily by a profit-maximizing PCMO decreases the welfare of all consumers of the product and is also highly likely to reduce net (producer plus consumer) welfare. De nombreux organismes de commercialisation contrôlés des producteurs agricoles exercent un contrôle direct ou indirect sur la quantité ou la qualité de la production commercialisée par l'industrie. Nous avons analysé l'idée de ces organismes d'imposer ou non une norme de qualité minimale ainsi que les répercussions éventuelles de ce genre de norme sur les producteurs, les consommateurs et le bien-être total. L'imposition d'une norme de qualité minimale peut contribuer à accroître le bien-être net puisqu'elle peut pallier la production insuffisante de produits de haute qualité par l'industrie en l'absence d'une norme de qualité minimale, bien qu'elle puisse entraîner la destruction ou le détournement de produits de qualité inférieure. Il n'en demeure pas moins que l'imposition volontaire d'une norme de qualité minimale par un organisme de commercialisation contrôlé des producteurs agricoles qui vise la maximisation des profits diminue le bien-être de tous les consommateurs du produit et risque aussi de diminuer le bien-être net (soit celui des producteurs et des consommateurs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To examine the efficacy of self-regulation of food marketing to children by comparing, during children's preferred viewing on television, the differences in food/beverage marketing between two groups of corporations: 17 corporations participating in the Canadian Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CAI) and 35 corporations not participating (non-CAI) in this initiative. Methods. The food/beverage marketing activities of CAI and non-CAI corporations during 99.5 hours of children's preferred viewing on television were compared. First, the preferred television viewing of 272 children aged 10-12 years from Ontario and Quebec who completed TV viewing journals for a seven-day period was determined. A total of 32 television stations were simultaneously recorded, and a content analysis of children's preferred viewing was conducted and included coding all food/beverage promotions and their nutritional content. Each food/beverage promotion was classified by corporation type (i.e., CAI or non-CAI). Results. The CAI was responsible for significantly more food/beverage promotions, and used media characters and repetition more frequently in their food/beverage promotions than the non-CAI group. Nutritionally, the CAI food/beverage promotions were higher in fats, sugar, sodium and energy per 100 grams. A significantly greater proportion of the CAI food/beverage promotions were considered 'less healthy' compared to the non-CAI promotions. Conclusion. With the exception of the four corporations that did not market to children at all, the commitments that have been made in the CAI are not having a significant impact on the food and beverage marketing environment on television which is viewed by 10-12-year-olds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) has created standards that can be used to increase structural soundness and ethical excellence in institutional programs and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing role of alternative modes of regulation (self- and co-regulation) gives rise to major questions about regulatory choice between available governance mechanisms. Strategic policy instruments such as regulatory impact assessment guidelines (RIA) typically suggest assessing the suitability of alternative modes of regulation but they hardly specify assessment criteria. This article identifies contextual factors that should be included in any effort to predict when alternative regulatory arrangements are likely to emerge and to be effective. To demonstrate the value of the approach, it is applied to an analysis of self-regulation in the domain of content-rating in the audiovisual industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the two most important international programmes for the voluntary regulation of corporate behaviour: the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Corporations and the UN Global Compact. It argues that international organizations adopted them mostly for reasons of political feasibility: by imposing minimal constraints on constituents the codes circumvented the most pressing problems of political acceptability associated with standard setting. It finds no clear evidence, however, that the network solutions adopted are technically more effective than traditional forms of regulation. The paper concludes that while it is unlikely that corporate behaviour will change simply as a result of participation in these programmes, if the programmes increase their ability to consistently discriminate between good and bad performers, the resulting 'soft' sanctioning power has the potential to alter corporate behaviour in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article re-conceptualises the framework surrounding work-life balance. Though previous research has focused primarily on the ways in which work life and non-work life influence each other (mostly negatively), we present an alternative perspective that focuses on personal pursuits and the management of personal resources. We introduce a personal resource allocation (PRA) framework that treats all life demands-whether preferred or required-as forcing individuals to make choices about where, when, and how they expend their personal resources across the life domain. Building on self-regulatory theories, such as control theory, self-determination theory, and conservation of resources theory, we suggest ways in which effective personal resource allocation not only decreases negative outcomes (which has been the emphasis in work-life balance research), but also how effective personal resource allocation can actually contribute to positive outcomes. We conclude by providing some practical implications for individuals and organisations based on the PRA framework and suggest future research opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the worldwide popularity of online games, game addiction is a serious social issue. To address online game addiction problems and pursue the steady growth of the online gaming industry, we propose and evaluate two policies using a system dynamics approach: a self-regulation policy and a tax and rebate policy. Through our analysis, we demonstrate that the tax and rebate policy can be a very effective policy measure. Contrary to the concern of most game companies, by implementing the tax and rebate policy while the total revenue of the online gaming industry increases slightly, the social image of gaming improves and the number of addicted game users decreases. This clearly demonstrates that restricting excessive use of games actually benefits online game companies as well as society in general, and that the system can be more efficiently implemented by the tax and rebate policy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two studies were conducted to examine the effect of prompting self-regulation, an intervention designed to improve learning from technology-delivered instruction. In Study 1, trainees who were prompted to self-regulate gradually improved their declarative and procedural knowledge over time, relative to the other conditions, whereas test scores declined over time for trainees who were not prompted to self-regulate. In Study 2, basic performance remained stable over time and strategic performance improved over time for trainees who were prompted to self-regulate, relative to the other conditions, whereas performance declined over time for trainees who were not prompted to self-regulate. Trainees’ cognitive ability moderated the effect of the prompts on basic performance and task-specific self-efficacy moderated the effect of the prompts on strategic performance. Prompting self-regulation resulted in stronger performance gains over time for trainees with higher ability or higher self-efficacy. These results demonstrate prompting self-regulation improved performance over time, relative to the other conditions, in both online, work-related training and laboratory settings. The results are consistent with theory suggesting self-regulation is a dynamic process that has a gradual effect on performance and highlight the importance of using a within-subjects design in self-regulation research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated self-regulation processes in a professional task, a beverage service task, using the model of self-regulated study. The main purpose was to explore how self-regulatory activity changes both with professional experience and with memory task demands. In a simulated beverage service task, 22 beginner waiters and 22 experienced waiters were asked to request the drink ordered by each customer until they were sure they knew the entire order. Then, they had to execute an immediate recall of the customer-beverage pairs and a delayed recall. Results showed that globally beginners did not modify their self-regulation processes as a function of task demands. By contrast to beginners, experienced waiters increased their self-regulatory activity when they had to face with a more demanding task. Besides, experts showed higher recall performance than beginners under all conditions. In the conclusion, results from this more naturalistic task were compared to those obtained in experimental studies and discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses the theory of path dependency to explain the evolution of employment conflict resolution systems in Ireland and Sweden. It argues that the traditional ‘voluntarist’ conflict management path followed in Ireland has fragmented as a result of a series of internal developments that have reduced trade union density, increased the importance of employment law in the settlement of workplace disputes and established social partnership as the main wage-setting mechanism. By contrast, the Swedish system has experienced reform within the boundaries of the established conflict management path, which is largely attributable to the still powerful role played by trade unions within the country. Thus, while the operating rules of the system have changed, its core underlying principles — collectivism and self-regulation — remain intact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This independent report for the Media Standards Trust makes the case for urgent reform of the self-regulation of British press content. It focuses on increasing inaccuracy and invasion of privacy by the press, which also suffers declining public trust. These features are linked to major changes in press technology and economics. Unlike comparable trades and professions, the Press Complaints Commission has not updated its structure and procedures to reflect modern standards of transparency, fairness and accountability. The democratic role of the press is weakened. Governments may be tempted to intervene. A later report will propose reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-regulation and autonomy are traditionally treated as distinctive elements of how professions are governed in contrast to other occupations. For medicine, these elements provide a collective medium of governance (through the institutions of professional self-regulation) and an individual medium (through the practice of ʹclinical autonomyʹ). Both are reinforced by the intellectual dominance of the so-called ʹbiomedical modelʹ of health and illness. Analysts generally agree that, in many countries, both self-regulation and clinical autonomy are under significant challenge. But it is less obvious that, in the UK at least, the biomedical model has effectively been co-opted for managerial purposes to support the commodification of medical care. Thus ideas that have traditionally been considered as supporting medical dominance have transpired to be a source of weakness for the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This commentary argues for a functional perspective of the value–engagement relationship, proposing that evaluation determines engagement. I compare this causal direction—from value to engagement—to regulatory engagement theory, which proposes that engagement determines evaluation. I demonstrate the functional view in self-control research, which finds that people overcome obstacles for goal pursuit, including low probabilities of success, by increasing the value of adhering to an overriding goal. I further suggest that whereas both causal directions—from value to engagement and from engagement to value—are theoretically plausible, empirical studies should provide better ways to distinguish between these conceptually different underlying models. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Regulatory engagement theory''s strength over alternative accounts of consumer attitudes is highlighted. In line with the theory, it is argued that in order to predict behavior, one needs to understand the processes involved in goal pursuit, including the dynamic processes of value creation. The paper also attempts to integrate processes (e.g. multifinality, distance from the goal, inhibition upon goal fulfillment) known from other classic and modern self-regulation models. Furthermore, the role of difficulty as a basis for value creation is discussed. In sum, regulatory engagement theory seems to be a rich and thought provoking account to predict people''s behavior. As he walks in the door […] we hear a voice say: STORE VOICE: Hello, Mr. Yakamoto! Welcome back to the Gap. How''d those assorted tank tops work out for you? A lady enters the shop: STORE VOICE: Hey Miss Belfor, did you come back for another pair of those chammy lace ups? [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The view that CSR performance can be improved most effectively through external pressures is shown to be invalid for most firms. In exploring why this is the case, the authors demonstrate that most small and medium enterprises are not exposed to the same pressures as large firms, and that this undermines many of the assumptions that underpin the externally driven business case (EDBC) for voluntary CSR practices. The analysis does this by looking at the external drivers of one of the components of CSR; namely, the environmental behaviour of firms. This shows that the strength of the EDBC is largely determined by five factors. Importantly, the analysis provides the basis for the claim that – and helps to explain why – the EDBC for voluntary environmental behaviour is likely to remain a weak form of pressure for many small firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canadian milk marketing boards are agricultural institutions tightly linked to the administration of dairy programs and supply management. Using insights from the New Institutional Economics (NIE) literature this paper investigates the factors influencing the emergence of these self-regulated, “hybrid” institutions that are managed by producers but necessitate governmental intervention to be operational. Our analysis focuses on the case of the Québec milk marketing board. It shows that the Québec milk board ensured transactional security among trading partners, where neither pure private ordering contract enforcement institutions, nor pure public ordering institutions would have succeeded to do so. The empirical case of the Québec milk board thus suggests that marketing boards in Canada may have historically assumed a broader function than merely increasing producers' rents. Au Canada, les offices de mise en marché du lait sont des institutions agricoles étroitement liées à l'administration de programmes laitiers et à la gestion de l'offre. À l'aide de la documentation sur la nouvelle économie institutionnelle, le présent article examine les facteurs qui influencent l'émergence de ces institutions hybrides et autoréglementées, qui sont administrées par les producteurs mais nécessitent l'intervention gouvernementale pour être opérationnelles. Notre analyse s'est penchée sur le cas de l'office de commercialisation du lait du Québec. Notre analyse a montré que l'office de commercialisation du Québec assurait une sécurité transactionnelle entre les partenaires commerciaux, ce qu'aucune institution privée ou publique n'aurait réussi à faire. Le cas empirique de l'office de commercialisation du lait du Québec autorise à penser que les offices de mise en marché au Canada ont peut-être assumé une fonction plus large que celle d'avoir accru la rente économique des producteurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial regulation needs to facilitate continuing innovation by local financial institutions operating in a global market, while ensuring a healthy and robust local market. This paper examines the role that effective selfregulation plays in achieving these objectives. It identifies some weaknesses in the current arrangements and provides suggestions for improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social enforcement, the decentralized action by organizational actors of monitoring, identifying, and reporting legal violations, is widely recognized as a key factor in ensuring good governance. This article reports on an experimental survey conducted in the US and Israel examining the behavior of individuals when confronting workplace unlawful conduct. The study provides novel insights into the relationships between state based, organization based, and employee based enforcement. It finds that the likelihood and the manner of reporting will vary depending on the type of illegality and are strongly correlated to perceptions of legitimacy, job security, and voice within the workplace. Comparing illegalities, employees prefer to report clear violations by rank and file employees rather than violations by managers. At the same time, external reporting to government or media entities is most likely when violations involve the organization as a whole or implicate top management. The study also finds cultural and gender differences in reporting patterns. Finally, the study provides support for the understanding that social norms are more predictive of social enforcement than expected organizational costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the origins and the development of American hospital industry self-regulation. Drawing on extensive archival research, this article suggests that the American College of Surgeon’s Hospital Standardization Program was closely linked to the American pragmatist tradition. So understood, the Program represents a major milestone in the history of American regulation, perhaps the first self-regulatory system steeped in pragmatist principles of social ordering, a Progressive-era model of governance that long ago foreshadowed some of today’s most significant regulatory innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one on coexisting regulatory regimes that may lead to hybrids that can either promote effective outcomes or resulting in gridlock and inattention and another one on the leadership of surgeons in the development of hospitals which demonstrates the ability of the medical professions to form self-regulating structures.

We present a model of CSR as a set of mechanisms for aligning corporate behaviour with the interests of society in reducing externalities and promoting a sustainable corporate sector. These mechanisms include voluntary action by companies to go above minimum legal standards, with the aim of enhancing competitiveness (“action beyond compliance”); interventions by regulators designed to promote self-regulation by industry (“reflexive law”); and steps taken by shareholders to put pressure on companies to make effective use of corporate assets (“shareholder engagement”). We then assess the degree to which the model is realised in current British practice. Focusing on the issue of working conditions, we find managerial resistance to the linking of CSR with internal employee relations, and obstacles to shareholder engagement on this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Self-Policing Policy (more commonly referred to as the Audit Policy) waives or reduces penalties when regulated entities voluntarily discover, disclose, and correct environmental violations. This study draws upon a rational choice model of corporate crime to determine if traditional regulatory efforts such as inspections and enforcement actions are associated with the odds of disclosing an environmental violation under the Audit Policy. A case control design is used to compare companies that self-police to companies that do not self-police. The event group consists of all 551 companies that disclosed at least one environmental violation under the Audit Policy between October 1, 1998 and September 30, 2000. The control group consists of a simple random sample of 551 companies that did not use the Audit Policy but were discovered to have violated at least one environmental law during the same time period as the event group. There is no evidence that inspections and enforcement increase Audit Policy use. However, the results do suggest, first, that the Audit Policy is more likely to be used by large companies than by small companies and, second, that it is likely to be used for reporting violations as opposed to more serious emissions or permit violations. In terms of public policy these findings suggest that regulatory agencies such as the EPA can do relatively little to increase the self-policing of environmental violations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article assesses the recent trend of cooperation among antagonistic private actors that results in the creation and implementation of issue-specific transnational norms and rules and the subsequent shift from public to private forms of governance. Many political scientists agree that authority also exists outside of formal political structures. Private actors increasingly begin to make their own rules and standards that acquire authority beyond the international system. This observation is often referred to as private transnational governance as opposed to public or international governance. Although the concept of private governance gains prominence in academic debates, it is not clear how private governance on the global scale is constructed and maintained or what specific or general conditions are necessary for private governance to emerge. Based on the review of common theoretical propositions, this article develops an integrated model along which the necessary conditions for the emergence of private governance can be assessed and understood. As most research has hitherto focused on institutionalized cooperation between business actors (self-regulation), this article takes a closer look at those transnational systems of rule that result out of the enhanced cooperation between profit and nonprofit actors (coregulation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews developments in European Union employment policy from the perspective of reflexive governance. Reflexive governance instruments have a procedural orientation and provide a structural framework or steering mechanism to facilitate a process of self-regulation. Recent developments in relation to the Employment Framework Directive, the European Employment Strategy and the Working Time Directive highlight some of the prospects and limitations of this reflexive approach to regulating employment relations and the potential impact on the UK labour market. These developments indicate that the hopes invested in the reflexive approach remain to be fulfilled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on the issues of corporate governance between China and Great Britain. Factors that can shape how corporations be controlled for the best interests of the firm and its owners; Alternative to ensure administrative-based governance in transition economy in China; Reasons for the difference of industrial management at differences of legal development between two countries.

We study three corporate nonmarket strategies designed to influence the lobbying behavior of other special interest groups: (1), in which the firm covertly subsidizes a group with similar views to lobby when it normally would not; (2) the, in which the firm overtly pays a group to alter its lobbying activities; and (3), in which the firm voluntarily limits the potential social harm from its activities. All three strategies reduce the informativeness of lobbying, and all reduce the payoff of the public decision-maker. We show that the decision-maker would benefit by requiring the public disclosure of funds spent on astroturf lobbying but that the availability of alternative influence strategies limits the impact of such a policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the development of the regulation of corporate governance in the UK. It seeks to identify why the boundaries of law and self-regulation exist and whether the regulation of corporate governance should now be viewed as a process of collibration rather than a “homeostatic” process of setting unattainable standards. This paper suggests that regulatory developments in the area of corporate governance have taken a substantial new direction; that the boundaries of regulation are no longer determined by the choice between market-based or state-based regulation, but determined by a process of collibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the boundary between the use of legal rules and codes of best practice in seeking to promote effective corporate governance. Role of the market in the implementation of corporate governance; Evaluation of historical developments in self-regulation in Great Britain over the past decade and introduction of the concept of collibration; Turnbull report on corporate governance.

The practice of issue management is widely recognised as a necessary activity for effective corporate and industry political strategy. The issue of violent content, children and the US entertainment industry offers an excellent platform for applying a firm/industry issue management framework developed by Kaufman et al. (1989). To that end, the scope of this paper is three-fold: first, to categorise the motion picture, television, music recording, and computer and video game industries product self-regulation regime utilising an expanded version of a model originally developed by Garvin (1983) that identifies a spectrum of governmental regulation categories; second, to employ the above mentioned issue management framework developed by Kaufman et al. (1989) to describe the issue circumstances under which the entertainment industry engages in political activity; and third, to analyse and categorise the entertainment industries' self-regulation regimes, using the structure and control approach offered by Kaufman et al. (1989) and adapted in a model developed by the author. In conclusion, the Kaufman et al. (1989) model, while offering a credible explanation of issue specificity criteria in this case, does not offer the same credibility for issue frequency criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer privacy is at the center of an ongoing debate among business leaders, privacy activists, and government officials. Although corporations face competitive pressures to collect and use personal information about their customers, many consumers find some methods of collection and use of their personal information unfair. We present a justice theory framework that illustrates how consumer privacy concerns are shaped by the perceived fairness of corporate information practices. We describe a set of global principles, fair information practices, which were developed to balance consumer privacy concerns with an organization's need to use personal information. We conclude by discussing three alternatives for implementing fair information practices with particular attention to the Internet: government regulation, industry self-regulation, and technological solutions . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper was given as the opening address at the 13th Annual European Business Ethics Network Conference' held in Cambridge 12–14 September 2000. The Chairman of the Financial Services Authority, Howard Davies, first outlined the background to the present approach to financial regulation in the UK. He described the principle-based regulatory regime which is now in the process of being implemented, and the role of rules, regulations and guidelines in making this effective. However, compliance is not sufficient; for the system to work there needs to be an ethical culture at the level of the organisation, and a commitment to integrity on the part of those who work in the sector. The Financial Services Authority aims to work with the industry to build individual and corporate responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's self-regulating program on safety-related defects in motor vehicles. Recall of vehicles; Definitions of defects; Frequency of defect reports; Notification of vehicle owners; Conclusion that self-regulation has serious defects of its own, while minimizing government's cost and involvement in the private sector; Manufacturers' too much latitude in determining the existence of a defect.

Self-regulation has been at the centre of a number of public and academic debates in Britain in recent years. This article enquires into the nature of self-regulation and attempts to improve our understanding of it in a number of ways: by attempting to define self-regulation; by assessing certain trends and developments in self-regulatory systems; by trying to explain these trends and developments; and by outlining the implications of self-regulation for policy making and public accountability. The main conclusion reached is that, from a public administration perspective at least, concern should not centre upon whether or not self-regulation is increasing or decreasing. Instead, the main focus should be upon the ability of such systems to respond to pressures for reform and provide effective regulation within a broad framework of public accountability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the statutory self-regulation of the commodity futures industry in the U.S. Coordination between contract markets and registered futures association; Development of a comprehensive program of self-regulation; Provisions of the Maloney Act.

After highlighting some of the key issues and positions in the debate around appropriate preventive regulation, the paper presents a number of observations directed at the proponents of greater self-regulation. These observations confront directly a number of familiar, but often unchallenged, arguments for self-regulation. More centrally we address claims concerning, the extent to which the chemicals industries have a good and improving 'safety' record; and whether the sector consists of companies both motivated and capable in the context of effective crisis and disaster management. Lastly, the paper sets out some 'new directions' for the nature and role of regulation in the effective prevention of crises. Thus the paper indicates a number of regulatory developments which are distinct from any shift towards greater self-regulation, but which would result in more effective crisis and disaster prevention in the UK chemicals industries and, indeed, beyond that specific sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Public Administration is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article examines how deregulation has affected environmental policy in the Netherlands. It refers to the central elements of deregulation, the reform of traditional regulatory instrument and the measure to promote effective internatilzation of environmental responsibility as basis on self-regulation. Viewed is deregulation as an important impulse for rationalization of existing systems of environmental regulation and the alternatives to instruments. Discussed are remarks on the political process that demand for deregulation.

The article discusses aspects of regulation, deregulation which took place in 1982 when the Liberal-Conservative government in Denmark had launched a grand deregulation campaign to restore the economy. It traces back where the campaign had lost its momentum due to the difficulty of mobilizing economic interest and public opinion due to concept of deregulation. It highlights bureaucratic resistance, disinterest of economic interest, and the erosion of political commitment as the reason that stopped the campaign.

This article examines the changing concept of business responsibilities in the insurance industry. Although the evidence is scattered, unscientific, and unreliable, an examination of recent literature suggests certain trends in executive attitudes toward business responsibilities. Traditional approach appears to be steadily losing favor. The responsible approach to business responsibilities seems to be gaining some support among executives although it is still far from fashionable. Acceptance to the enlightened approach, wherein executives justify social actions in terms of long-run profits, and especially its new extension, the confused approach, are rationalized in the form of ultimate shareholder benefits.

This article proposes a linear programming model for capacity, profitability and regulation in property-liability insurance industry. One of the most crucial problems facing the insurance industry today is the increasing demand for insurance, accompanied by a decreasing willingness on the part of insurers to assume these additional risks. The problem is not a simple one but is composed of many varied and interrelated facets. One of the most basic questions in this area is whether or not an insurance company can make a profit on business written when its underwriting profit is close to or equal to zero percent.

Bhattacharya and colleagues show that the alcohol industry is hugely reliant upon people drinking above guideline levels for revenue, highlighting the fundamental conflict of interest in allowing industry to self-regulate or be involved in health policy making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In July 2011 following the revelations about phone hacking, all three political party leaders called for radical reform of the current system of press self-regulation. Those within the press itself, including the Daily Mail, also conceded that serious changes were necessary. At the same time both politicians and press stressed the importance of protecting the freedom of the press and preventing undue government interference. Starting with both these pre-requisites in mind-the creation of a new independent system and the protection of press freedom-this essay suggests four possible models of reform. For each model the essay sketches the basic parameters of reform and then suggests three problems associated with each. It argues against those who claim that anything more than small changes to the status quo would be too costly, would threaten press freedom, or would be technologically impractical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the authors discuss their opinions on proposals which have been suggested for the creation of a partnership between socially responsible gambling operators and government agencies which could lead to methods which promote responsible gambling. They are critical of the proposals, saying that they are not feasible. Also discussed is the gambling industry's inability to regulate itself.

The article discusses different forms of deregulation of public health in the U.S. Regulatory preemption, either by the Congress or the Supreme Court, and administrative rulemaking by federal agencies act as an anti-regulatory measures by preventing state governments from implementing laws on public health, safety, and the environment. Privatization of health governance also has antiregulatory effects in the sense that it leaves the private sector responsible for carrying out health functions. Privatization of health governance can also occur when the state provides little funds to agencies and encourages self-regulation by industry.