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As evidenced by the EU Floods Directive (2007/60/EC), flood management strategies in Europe have undergone a shift in focus in recent years. The goal of flood prevention using structural measures has been replaced by an emphasis on the management of flood risks using non-structural measures. One implication of this is that it is no longer public authorities alone who take responsibility for flood management. A broader range of stakeholders, who may experience the negative effects of flooding, also take on responsibility to protect themselves. Therefore, it is vital that information concerning flood risks are conveyed to those who may be affected in order to facilitate the self protection of citizens. Experience shows that even where efforts have been made to communicate flood risks, problems persist. There is a need for the development of new tools, which are able to rapidly disseminate flood risk information to the general public. To be useful, these tools must be able to present information relevant to the location of the user. Moreover, the content and design of the tool need to be adjusted to laypeople's needs. Dissemination and communication influences both people's access to and understanding of natural risk information. Such a tool could be a useful aid to effective management of flood risks. To address this gap, a Web-based Geographical Information System, (WebGIS), has been developed through the collaborative efforts of a group of scientists, hazard and risk analysts and managers, GIS analysts, system developers and communication designers. This tool, called "READY: Risk, Extreme Events, Adaptation, Defend Yourself", aims to enhance the general public knowledge of flood risk, making them more capable of responding appropriately during a flood event. The READY WebGIS has allowed for the visualization and easy querying of a complex hazard and risk database thanks to a high degree of interactivity and its easily readable maps. In this way, READY has enabled fast exploration of alternative flood scenarios or past calamitous events. Combined also with a system of graphic symbols designed ad hoc for communication of self-protection behaviors, it is believed READY could lead to an increase in citizen participation, informed discussion and consensus building. The platform has been developed for a site-specific application, i.e. the Basilicata Region, Italy, has been selected as pilot application area. The goal of the prototype is to raise citizen awareness of flood risks, and to build social capacity and enhanced resilience to flood events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: International and migrant students face specific challenges which may impact their mental health, well-being and academic outcomes, and these may be gendered experiences. The purpose of this scoping review was to map the literature on the challenges, coping responses and supportive interventions for international and migrant students in academic nursing programs in major host countries, with a gender lens. Methods: We searched 10 databases to identify literature reporting on the challenges, coping responses and/or supportive interventions for international and migrant nursing students in college or university programs in Canada, the United-States, Australia, New Zealand or a European country. We included peer-reviewed research (any design), discussion papers and literature reviews. English, French and Spanish publications were considered and no time restrictions were applied. Drawing from existing frameworks, we critically assessed each paper and extracted information with a gender lens. Results: One hundred fourteen publications were included. Overall the literature mostly focused on international students, and among migrants, migration history/status and length of time in country were not considered with regards to challenges, coping or interventions. Females and males, respectively, were included in 69 and 59% of studies with student participants, while those students who identify as other genders/sexual orientations were not named or identified in any of the research. Several papers suggest that foreign-born nursing students face challenges associated with different cultural roles, norms and expectations for men and women. Other challenges included perceived discrimination due to wearing a hijab and being a 'foreign-born male nurse', and in general nursing being viewed as a feminine, low-status profession. Only two strategies, accessing support from family and other student mothers, used by women to cope with challenges, were identified. Supportive interventions considering gender were limited; these included matching students with support services' personnel by sex, involving male family members in admission and orientation processes, and using patient simulation as a method to prepare students for care-provision of patients of the opposite-sex. Conclusion: Future work in nursing higher education, especially regarding supportive interventions, needs to address the intersections of gender, gender identity/sexual orientation and foreign-born status, and also consider the complexity of migrant students' contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of bioenergy in Europe is one of the strategies conceived to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The suitability of the land use change from a cropland (REF site) to a short rotation coppice plantation of hybrid poplar (SRC site) was investigated by comparing the GHG budgets of these two systems over 24 months in Viterbo, Italy. Eddy covariance measurements were carried out to quantify the net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (...), whereas chambers were used to measure N2O and CH4 emissions from soil. Soil organic carbon (SOC) of an older poplar plantation was used to estimate via a regression the SOC loss due to SRC establishment. Emissions from tractors and from production and transport of agricultural inputs (FMAN) were modelled and GHG emission offset due to fossil fuel substitution was credited to the SRC site considering the C intensity of natural gas. Emissions due to the use of the biomass (FEXP) were also considered. The suitability was finally assessed comparing the GHG budgets of the two sites. ... was the higher flux in the SRC site (-3512±224 gCO2 eq m-2 in two years), while in the REF site it was -1838 ± 107 g CO2 m-2 in two years. FEXP was equal to 1858±240 gCO2 m-2 in 24 months in the REF site, thus basically compensating ..., while it was 1118±521 gCO2 eq m-2 in 24 months in the SRC site. This latter could offset -379.7±175.1 gCO2 eq m-2 from fossil fuel displacement. Soil CH4 and N2O fluxes were negligible. FMAN weighed 2 and 4% in the GHG budgets of SRC and REF sites respectively, while the SOC loss weighed 455±524 gCO2 m-2 in two years. Overall, the REF site was close to neutrality in a GHG perspective (156±264 gCO2 eq m-2), while the SRC site was a net sink of -2202±792 gCO2 eq m-2. In conclusion the experiment led to a positive evaluation of the conversion of cropland to bioenergy SRC from a GHG viewpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism and food & beverage are and have always been strongly connected. Nevertheless, in recent times, the experience potential of various types of local food and beverages (f & b) have sparked significant attention in food and beverage tourism amongst the tourism industry and destination marketing organizations. Food, beverage, and tourism researches have been done from a range of disciplines viewpoints, including finance, advertising, local participation, dietary habits, entrepreneurship, hospitality, ethnography, cognitive science, and other related fields, and the available literature on F & b tourism contains "management and marketing viewpoints" as well as "sociocultural viewpoints." As a result, there has been a pressing need for new conceptual and empirical research that would add to the field of inquiry, particularly in the marketing and management aspects of f & b tourism, by recognizing important emerging developments. The selection of papers for this special issue on "Food and Beverage Tourism: Marketing and Management Perspectives" took a multidisciplinary approach. The goal was to provide a thorough overview of innovative issues while also presenting the current state of the tourism and marketing industries. Five papers were selected through a rigorous double-blind review process. These articles cover a wide range of topics in the field of food and beverage, including phenomenological examination of craft beer, mixing wine and tourism cultures, wine experienscape and visitor satisfaction, and wineries of Benedictine monasteries throughout Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Acknowledgement As discussed in the Editorial of this Issue, this is the first of a series of Classic papers in management in native European languages that EMR plans to reprint to make them known to a more general international audience. The paper appeared as a chapter in Martinet Épistémologies et sciences de gestion, Economica, 1990, pp.141-182, with the original title 'L'analyse empirique des situations de gestion: Éléments de théorie et de méthode'. A special acknowledgment goes to Julienne Brabet, Université Paris EST, IRG, who is also Vice President of the Société Française de Management and Vice President of EURAM, as well as to the Société Française de Management for proposing this paper to EMR and for taking care of its edition and translation. EMR would also like to thank Economica for authorizing the publication of this paper. In performing the translation a few choices had to be made: (1) Girin quotes of German authors like Karl Popper, Jürgen Habermas and Max Weber, have been translated from French into English; (2) References are in the original language cited by the author (who usually read and cited the French and original versions); (3) Girin's chapter was too long in regards to article format and some passages were cut (obviously) without his agreement; and (4) Girin produced new concepts for which we were obliged to propose original translations. In this Classic French paper, first published in 1990, Jacques Girin, mobilizing a large corpus of 'action theories', defines what could be one of the central and specific objects of management research: the management situation. He discusses ways to conduct empirical research on 'natural' management situations and to build research devices guaranteeing the scientificity of this approach. Analysing Karl Popper's 'logic of scientific discovery' and numerous epistemological debates, Girin emphasizes that studies on management situations are apt to respond to the most exigent scientific criterion. The originality of this paper is that it is both very practical and very theoretical. Very practical because the complex analysis concerning management situations as well as research devices are illustrated by numerous examples referring to studies actually conducted. Very theoretical due to the vast amount of crucial literature, Girin uses in his effort to submit to critical thinking: the categories of phenomena we can and should observe; the methods of observation and their effects; the logic of scientific discovery in the specific context of social sciences and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Screening for lung cancer in a high-risk population has been shown to be beneficial, with reduced mortality in large randomised trials. However, the general implementation of screening is not evident and many factors have to be considered. In this paper, we will review the current status of screening for lung cancer in Europe and the many hurdles that have to be overcome. Multidisciplinary cooperation between all specialists dealing with lung cancer is required to obtain the best outcome. Hopefully, Europe's Beating Cancer Plan will incorporate screening for lung cancer to allow general implementation by similar programmes in every European Member State. This will also provide an opportunity for further, large-scale studies to refine the inclusion of specific risk populations, diagnosis and management of screen-detected nodules. Randomized-controlled trials have shown clear evidence that lung cancer screening with low-dose CT in a high-risk population of current or former smokers can significantly reduce lung-cancer-specific mortality by an inversion of stage distribution at diagnosis. This paper will review areas in which there is good or emerging evidence and areas which still require investment, research or represent implementation challenges. The implementation of population-based lung cancer screening in Europe is variable and fragmented. A number of European countries seem be on the verge of implementing lung cancer screening, mainly through the implementation of studies or trials. The cost and capacity of CT scanners and radiologists are considered to be the main hurdles for future implementation. Actions by the European Commission, related to its published Europe's Beating Cancer Plan and the proposal to update recommendations on cancer screening, could be an incentive to help speed up its implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An informal electronic European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) forum was set-up in September 2000 to bring together Ph.D. students, junior academics and researchers to promote participation and communication among those who are part of the EGOS community. The aim of the EGOS Network is to enable participants - particularly those who are, or feel, new' to EGOS - to become more actively involved in shaping and running events, workshops, discussion groups and similar activities. The question that ran through most of the presentations and returned in the discussion was one of self-reflection. The implication behind the colloquium theme was that organization theorists often discuss people events, and things by focusing on who or what is the case. Organization theorists, even when they take a constructivist or constructionist perspective, usually assume that it is individuals with minds who do the constructing, so constructed products are examined, rather than construction processes. This theme group turned attention to us academics. to our disciplinary communities and to our academic work practices.

Simple Summary: Endometrial cancer has a high epidemiological impact, and its management is part of everyday clinical practice. International guidelines have been arranged over the years according to major recent discoveries. The application of the guidelines released by different international gynecological societies is still matter of debate as they diverge in many issues. Authors wanted to compare them and point out the differences, aiming to both draw the attention to a need of unification and to provide a useful tool for clinicians. Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy in Europe and its management involves a variety of health professionals. In recent years, big discoveries were made concerning the management of patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer, particularly in the field of molecular biology and minimally invasive surgery. This requires the continuous updating of guidelines and protocols over the years. In this paper, we aim to summarize and compare common points and disparities among protocols for management of patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer by leading international gynecological oncological societies. We therefore systematically report the parallel among the guidelines based on the various steps patients with endometrial cancer usually undergo. The comparison between American and European protocols revealed some relevant disparities, in particular regarding surgical staging, molecular biology application as a prognostic tool and follow up regimens. This could possibly cause differences in interpreting and applying protocols in clinical practice in small centers, leading to a lack of adherence to guidelines or even prompting a confusing mix of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Biologica Slovenica is the property of Drustvo Biologov Slovenije 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 paper focuses on reviewing European productivity enhancement, through a management approach, as well as explaining producer heterogeneity along with the relationships with productive efficiency level. This paper also provides an overview of the specific European Union policies implemented, incorporating productive efficiency attainment, and also, highlighting, the connections between management policies and productive efficiency attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hand osteoarthritis is the most common joint condition and is associated with significant morbidity. It is of paramount importance that patients are thoroughly assessed and examined when complaining of hand stiffness, pain, deformity or disability and that the patient's concerns and expectations are addressed by the healthcare professional. In 2019 the American College of Rheumatology and Arthritis Foundation (ACR/AF) produced guidelines which included recommendations for the treatment of hand osteoarthritis. An ESCEO expert working group (including patients) was convened and composed this paper with the aim to assess whether these guidelines were appropriate for the treatment of hand osteoarthritis therapy in Europe and whether they met with the ESCEO patient-centered approach. Indeed, patients are the key stakeholders in healthcare and eliciting the patient's preference is vital in the context of an individual consultation but also for informing research and policy-making. The patients involved in this working group emphasised the often-neglected area of aesthetic changes in hand osteoarthritis, importance of developing pharmacological therapies which can alleviate pain and disability and the need of the freedom to choose which approach (out of pharmacological, surgical or non-pharmacological) they wished to pursue. Following robust appraisal, it was recommended that the ACR/AF guidelines were suitable for a European context (as described within the body of the manuscript) and it was emphasised that patient preferences are key to the success of individual consultations, future research and future policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since the early 1980s all European countries have given priority to reforming the management of health services. A distinctive feature of these reforms has also been the drive to co-opt professionals themselves into the management of services, taking on full time or part time (hybrid) management or leadership roles. However, although these trends are well documented in the literature, our understanding of the nature and impact of reforms and how they are re-shaping the relationship between medicine and management remains limited. Most studies have tended to be nationally specific, located within a single discipline and focused primarily on describing new management practices. This article serves as an Introduction to a special issue of BMC Health Services Research which seeks to address these concerns. It builds on the work of a European Union funded COST Action (ISO903) which ran between 2009 and 2013, focusing specifically on the changing relationship between medicine and management in a European context.Main Text: Prior to describing the contributions to the special issue, this Introduction sets the scene by exploring four main questions which have characterised much of the recent literature on medicine and management. First is the question of what we understand by the changing relationship between medicine and management and in particular which this means for the emergence of so called 'hybrid' clinical leader roles? A second question concerns the forces that have driven change, in particular those relating to the wider project of management reforms. Third, we raise questions of how medical professionals have responded to these changes and what factors have shaped their responses. Lastly we consider what some of the outcomes of greater medical involvement in management and leadership might be, both in terms of intended and unintended outcomes.Conclusions: The paper concludes by summarising the contributions to the special issue and highlighting the need to extend research in this area by focusing more on comparative dimensions of change. It is argued that future research would also benefit theoretically by drawing together insights from health policy and management literatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Invasive species are under the spotlight because of their detrimental effects on biodiversity. However, management of invasions presents multiple dimensions frequently difficult to disentangle. This complex topic has been tackled through a service-learning project on an invasive insect (Vespa velutina), a bee-eating species invading Europe. Specifically, this paper aims to assess the educational needs and motivations detected in a local population for the control of V. velutina, and evaluate the educational achievements of students participating in the project. Design/methodology/approach: The paper illustrates how students prepared the service activity, which consisted in a quiz and interviews to public in a honey festival located in an area that has invested heavily in the control of the hornet. They informed visitors on its biology and impacts, and collected information on visitors' knowledge and attitudes towards the hornet. This information was taken back to the class and discussed in an open debate. Findings: The service activity uncovered important knowledge gaps of the local population and revealed the attachment to controversial control methods. Students acknowledged that the project met a real community need and valued the contact with the public, and the presentation of the project in the Faculty favored a debate on invasions management and biodiversity protection under the framework of campus sustainability. Originality/value: While students are familiar with actions on campus sustainability, they are seldom confronted with the evaluation of management decisions on complex topics involving multiple dimensions. This service-learning project showed a good potential for fostering in-depth debates and promoting student engagement in campus sustainable initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, there has been an increasing emphasis on corporate social responsibility in business. The idea has evolved from CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) to ESG Reporting (Environment, Social, Governance), with the latest trends developing towards a green transition. This genesis of development has been followed by corporate practice and legislation at European and national levels. Consequently, ESG and Green Transition guidelines have been incorporated into the liabilities and duties of the management and supervisory bodies of the company, resulting in a new view of the performance of these functions and their accountability. In this paper, the authors outline the basic postulates and roles of corporate governance bodies and their respective responsibilities for the implementation of ESG and the Green Transition. Sustainability as a value is highlighted in the EU and companies are committed to respecting human rights and reducing their impact on the planet. However, progress by companies (corporates) in integrating sustainability into their governance processes, in particular human rights and environmental due diligence, is still slow, and progress is visible with the drafting of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDD) as a follow-up to the Directive 2014/95/EU (NFRD). The new rules are intended to provide companies with legal certainty and a level playing field. It should provide greater transparency for consumers and investors and should accelerate the green transition and protect human rights in Europe and beyond. These tasks are directly linked to the responsibilities of the authorities in society, who will have to respect these rules and be held accountable for failing to enforce them or for failing to achieve a transfer of capital to the green transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to identify and specify guiding principles for designing and implementing a systemic liquidity stress test (SLST), a necessary complement to more standard, and by now systemic, solvency stress tests. The paper focusses on the types of data and models that would be ideally required. We also illustrate with a concrete example how to operationalise these principles for a system of European banks. The paper will then provide practical guidelines for policymakers and analysts building an SLST set-up or process, with a view to assessing liquidity risks and to understanding shock propagations in a complex financial system. Both elements are specifically relevant to macroprudential authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In order to conduct a probability business survey, a high quality sampling frame of enterprises is needed. Objectives: The goal of the paper is to investigate publicly available online businesses lists which can be used as sampling frames in business surveys in Croatia and to find out whether they have a satisfactory quality level. Methods/Approach: Publicly available businesses lists in Croatia are examined and their appropriateness for use in different modes of data collection as business sampling frames is inspected. The advantages and disadvantages of businesses lists are discussed and compared. Results: Overall 11 online businesses lists are considered as business sampling frames in the paper. The comparison analysis has shown that businesses lists from the government institutions are the best choice when business surveys are conducted face-to-face, by mail and/or by telephone. However, none of the observed businesses lists is good enough to be used in a business web survey. Conclusions: The research has shown that the publicly available online businesses lists are of a satisfactory level of quality only if traditional data collection modes are used. Unfortunately, they are not appropriate in business web surveys. Therefore, the development of a business register in Croatia is a prerequisite for conducting probability and representative business web surveys in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses insights and data gained from 15 years of involvement in a research network studying HRM developments in Europe to explore the notion of ‘European HRM’ and the meanings of convergence and divergence in HRM Using data from the last decade of the Cranet research, the paper puts forward a more nuanced view of the notions of convergence and divergence, finding evidence of directional convergence, but little evidence of final convergence: whilst there are trends which point in similar directions, national differences remain a key factor in HRM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge 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 questions of how universities are governed and how they should be governed have recently gained attention throughout Europe. The history of universities shows a diffused pattern of repeated reform efforts. However, this situation has more or less exploded since the turn of the century, bringing in new modes of organising. In short we can observe a diffusion of more managerial forms of organising, leading to a situation where different governance ideals co-act. In this paper we analyse the interplay of several governance ideals as they play out in practice. We begin and end the essay by noting that collegiality is a modern, efficient and practical form of governance, but it never works entirely on its own; rather it interacts with other modes of governance. After an introduction of diverse modes of governance, analysed as ideal type models, we exemplify how those diverse modes mix in practices of governance and organising. A more theoretical argument that runs through the paper is a critique of the dominance of ideal types of discussions on university governance and in organisation theory more generally, to the extent that those ideal types tend to be reified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region have introduced social health insurance payroll taxes after the political transition in the late 1980s, combined with budget transfers to allow for exempting specific population groups from paying contributions, such as those outside formal sector work and in particular vulnerable groups. This paper assesses the institutional design aspects of such financing arrangements and their performance with respect to universal health coverage progress in LMIC of the European region. Methods: The study is based on a literature review and review of secondary databases for the performance assessment. Results: Such financing arrangements currently exist in 13 LMIC of that region, with strong commonalities in institutional design: This includes a wide range of different eligible population groups, mostly mandatory membership, integrated pools for both the exempted and contributors, and relatively comprehensive benefit packages. Performance is more varied. Enrolment rates range from about 65 % to above 95 %, and access to care and financial protection has improved in several countries. Yet, inequities between income quintiles persist. Conclusions: Budget transfers to health insurance arrangements have helped to deepen UHC or maintain achievements with respect to UHC in these European LMICs by covering those outside formal sector work, and in particular vulnerable population groups. However, challenges remain: a comprehensive benefit package on paper is not enough as long as supply side constraints and quality gaps as well as informal payments prevail. A key policy question is how to reach those so far uncovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with an environment that is changing faster and faster, companies have long sought to encourage the almost automatic emergence of new approaches that can respond or even anticipate these changes. The development of creativity has become an essential theme. For more than 20 years, companies have been promoting the concept of agility at the same time as they attempted to extend creativity to all employees. Managers have been called upon to implement the corresponding actions. Our research, based on semi-structured interviews with 35 global managers, analyses several aspects of the implementation of the concepts. We looked particularly at what managers think of agility, how this concept relates to the efforts made to develop creativity, what they experienced, and the conditions for success. The analysis of the responses highlights the significant differences in perception, often linked to the functions performed in the company or to nationalities. Regardless of the value associated with agility, the interviewees agreed on the importance of the manager's role while directing it in three different directions. The discussions also identify a series of necessary but not sufficient conditions for creativity to emerge. Implications for Central European audience: This paper does not deal with a problem specific to Central Europe. It is a general problem going beyond regional limits, as international management tends to use the same concepts everywhere. However, in its processing, we sought to interview several managers from this geographic area. In the second phase, we plan to improve the representativeness of managers from Central Europe to understand better what is specific to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper explores practical and ethical dilemmas for professionals when securing the protection of children in the complex non‐clinical setting of individual families. It is based on a cross‐country study on cultural encounters in interventions against child physical abuse and neglect in four countries (England/Wales, Germany, Portugal, and Slovenia). Drawing on national reports of legal‐organizational frameworks and socio‐cultural backgrounds of European child protection systems, it also presents the results of a series of focus groups with professionals. Data were analysed to identify implicit and explicit discursive constructions as well as normative representations and from this deriving the key ethical issues and dilemmas. Despite a shared normative framework across Europe, intervention cultures vary across the four countries and between the different stakeholder groups. Although each child protection system faced widespread mistrust, policy approaches differ, some relying on strong and detailed guidance whereas others stress professional skill and judgement. We conclude that despite a shared commitment to the protection of children, deliberations and perceived ethical dilemmas suggest interdependency between differences in system cultures and policy approaches that inform the character of professional interventions in the four countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional football (soccer) in Europe has changed dramatically in the past two decades, largely due to the escalation of media rights deals. Many professional football clubs are now complex businesses, intrinsically concerned with financial matters. Within the rapidly changing business context of football, the aim of this research is to further understand the main issues that are related to a career as a manager. This paper has five sections: (1) we offer an appraisal of the general literature as it applies to professional football management; (2) we introduce the theoretical focus of the article with specific reference to the “career” and describe the context and background to the research; (3) we describe the research methodology and present and discuss the research results, which center on the career development of the manager; the position of a manager in organizational structures, and how the changing organization affects the role of manager; (4) we set out the conclusions and implications of our research; and (5) we offer our plans to progress this research, enabling a new body of knowledge to be developed on this specialized role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim This paper critically reviews the literature on international collaboration and analyses the collaborative process involved in producing a nursing workforce policy analysis. Background Collaboration is increasingly promoted as a means of solving shared problems and achieving common goals; however, collaboration creates its own opportunities and challenges. Evidence about the collaboration process, its outcomes and critical success factors is lacking. Methods A literature review and content analysis of data collected from six participants (from five European countries) members of the European Academy of Nursing Science Scholar Collaborative Workforce Workgroup, using a SWOT ( Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis template. Results Two major factors affecting scholarly collaboration were identified: Facilitators, which incorporated personal attributes and enabling contexts/mechanisms, including individual commitment, responsibility and teamwork, facilitative supportive structures and processes. The second, Barriers, incorporated unmet needs for funding; time; communication and impeding contexts/mechanisms, including workload and insufficient support/mentorship. Conclusions The literature review identified a low level of evidence on collaboration processes, outcomes, opportunities and challenges. The SWOT analysis identified critical success factors, planning strategies and resources of effective international collaboration. Implications for Nursing Management Collaboration is an important concept for management. Evidence-based knowledge of the critical success factors facilitating and impeding collaboration could help managers make collaboration more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing enterprise risk management (ERM) is a challenge in most companies. This is an ongoing process of identifying, measuring, prioritizing and treating risks within an integrated framework in order to minimize and control them and determine appropriate strategies to protect the company's values. The objective of this paper is to present some issues on initiating major steps involved in building the risk management system based on the experience reached in European electricity companies, which are in various stages of ERM implementation. The results consist in recommendations on- the starting point calibration in relation to best practices, identifying the main sources of resistance to the implementation of ERM, determining key success factors that favour and promote change during implementation and identifying and avoiding the pitfalls of the most common elements that hinder change. The paper opens the perspective of developing a holistic and coherent methodology for ERM implementation in power sector companies of Romania, as well as some proposals to improve the legislative provisions relating to internal management control and risk management in public entities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intermittent rivers, which do not flow all year round, have biophysical functioning specificities which need to be considered when defining management policies, even more so in the current context of global change. However, in Europe intermittent rivers benefit from the same regulations as permanent rivers, which undoubtedly leads to their degradation. This paper aims to identify (1) how perceptions and values of intermittent rivers interact with their management and (2) determine whether the prospect of climate change leads the stakeholders to questioning their perceptions and values of intermittent rivers and the way we should manage them. Semi-structured interviews and mental mapping exercises were conducted with 28 various stakeholders (elected officials, fishers, river managers, and residents), all of whom lived along the French intermittent Albarine River. Qualitative analysis of the discourses and maps confirms strong interactions between the perceptions and values related to intermittent rivers and their management. The results highlight social devaluation of the intermittent section in terms of aesthetics, recreation, and biological values. They also point to the role of power plays between river managers and fishers, in the prioritization of management actions that favor perennial sections to the detriment of intermittent ones. These dynamics of devaluing and discarding intermittent sections or rivers from management plans are all the more alarming as there is little propensity among river stakeholders to think about the future of these intermittent rivers and their value in the context of climate change, where the prevalence of intermittent rivers is likely to increase dramatically. • Stakeholders devalue intermittent rivers (IR) compared to perennial rivers. • Devaluation is due to aesthetic, recreational and biological reasons. • Devaluation leads to IR or IR sections being excluded from management plans. • Stakeholders do not consider a future with increased intermittency with climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the discussion related to the antecedents of the extent of e-business use and the effect of this level on changing strategy, management and marketing. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use data from 691 retailers in seven European countries. Information is obtained from the survey of the "e-Business W@tch". Data analysis was performed using biprobit estimation. The sample is divided into two groups depending on the level of e-commerce of the countries. Findings – Results suggest that the e-business use implies changes in the firm's strategy, management and marketing in all the countries studied. Differences between the two groups of countries are minimal. The main factors that influence the level of e-business use are IT expertise and perceived benefits. Research limitations/implications – The limitations are related to the nature of the data and concretely the main limitation lies in the consequences construct. The data provided are very general and it would be useful to specify what kind of change is generated. Practical implications – Antecedents of the level of use are similar for all the countries, so there might be additional factors that explain why, in some countries, retailers have adopted a different level of e-business. Managers have to take into account that the adoption and use of a higher level of e-business requires changes in all the functional areas. The decision of adopting and using e-business should be taken seriously. Originality/value – Most research has focused on analyzing the antecedents of e-business use in a single country. However, this paper presents some new evidence on the factors that influence the extent of e-business use for two groups of countries. Furthermore, previous research has suggested that changes might be necessary within the firm due to the e-business use but there is little empirical evidence on the internal impact of e-business use. This paper provides a first approximation to the general areas in which managers had to made changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the main themes in this special issue focusing on the impact of transformations in the global economy on public management. Design/methodology/approach – This paper takes the from of a presentation of articles in this special issue. Findings – The paper finds that focusing on examples form Europe and North America, public management adaptability varies across states and regions. Capacity is identified as an important indicator of adaptability. Originality/value – The paper introduces an issue that highlights concrete examples of adaptability in public management. It opens the door to further research tracing linkages between changes in the global environment and the practice of public management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the fisheries governance system in the European Union (EU) and review fishers' participation in the decision-making process in the EU. Design/methodology/approach – The study was based on a variety of sources, such as review of the literature, including scientific articles and reports, and data collected by the Coastal Transects Analysis Model (CTAM) online decision support tool. Findings – The review reveals major improvements in involving fishers in the decision-making process in Europe, but participation and empowerment are still generally lacking. Social implications – The lack of fisher participation in the decision-making process leads to limited acceptance of management measures which in turn results in management objectives not being met, with negative effects on environmental, economic and social sustainability. Originality/value – The paper provides a review of participation in the EU decision-making process. The results could give management bodies an insight into the failures of participation and point to possible ways forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The introduction of financial fair play (FFP) regulations in 2011 was accompanied by criticism that they would have an adverse effect on competitive balance in European football. Counter-points were also expressed, suggesting that the opposite would occur; that they would actually increase competitive balance through reducing the importance of financial power. The lack of clarity and cohesion on this issue prompted this paper. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect FFP has had on competitive balance in the English Premier League.Design/methodology/approach The analysis conducted uses the Herfindahl Index of Competitive Balance as the primary method, and is supported by standard deviation of points analysis and a Scully-Noll ratio analysis, which together provide an indication of the level of competitive balance for each of the past 21 seasons, from 1995/1996 to 2015/2016. This examination allows for the trends in competitive balance to be identified, with emphasis drawn on the seasons after the introduction of the regulations.Findings The results provide no indication that FFP regulations have resulted in a decline in competitive balance in the EPL, instead hinting that a positive effect may have been caused. This positive effect exceeds the primary aim of the regulations and underlines their importance in the future stability of club football.Originality/value While underlining the need for further research on the topic, this study provides the first insights into the effects of FFP regulations on competitive balance in the EPL. These insights would support the view that FFP initiatives have begun to shift the focus of sporting competition away from financial strength towards more natural means of competition such as efficiency, innovation and good management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview and evaluation of the "theory/practice" gap in business and management research as it has been developed in relation to US and European business and management schools. Design/methodology/approach - The paper combines theoretical and institutional analysis to construct a framework for analyzing the "theory/practice" gap and its wider implications. Findings - The paper suggests that a "dialogical" rather than "linear" model of knowledge production and dissemination is the most analytically and practically useful way of approaching the "theory/practice" gap in business and management research. Originality/value - The paper reviews and updates the "theory/practice" gap in business and management research and offers a more nuanced and realistic appreciation of how it might be resolved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Europe, ponds are an exceptionally numerous and widely distributed landscape feature forming a major part of the continental freshwater resource and contributing significantly to freshwater biodiversity conservation. This has been reflected by a growing scientific concern over the first few years of the twenty-first century and is evidenced by an increasing number of academic publications on pond related topics, particularly those relating to biodiversity. It is essential, however, that this expanding scientific knowledge is widely disseminated to those involved with pond management and is then rapidly translated into action. Inevitably, the task of transferring science to practice remains a significant challenge. As a first step towards meeting this challenge the European Pond Conservation Network (EPCN), at its biennial meeting in 2008 in Valencia (Spain), made this the main theme of the conference together with two special workshops further encouraging exchanges between scientists, practitioners and policy makers. The papers selected for this special issue of Hydrobiologia (from over 120 communications presented) are all from the conference. They represent a diverse collection of themes from across the continent and North Africa and present new and original insights into topics as wide ranging as: pond biodiversity; human disturbance; landscape ecology; ecological assessment and monitoring; practical management measures; ecological restoration; hydrology and climate change; invasive species and threatened species. In all cases, the papers demonstrate an overriding need for the development of a tight link between scientific knowledge and management. Furthermore, scientific advances have to be beneficial for on the ground management and, vitally, have to be disseminated, communicated and implemented into local, national and international policy. As such, national and international networks (such as the EPCN) have a central role to play and have to develop a robust information and communication strategy which will enable the dissemination of best practice materials and advice across the continent and beyond. The work contained in this volume represents a step in the right direction and will help to ensure that ponds remain a characteristic and highly visible feature of the European landscape in the twenty-first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the issue of post-disaster livelihood recovery through economic rehabilitation, with the illustration of post-tsunami promotion of microentrepreneurship activities generating employment and income among the affected populations. Design/methodology/approach - The paper examines two field case studies in Aceh (Indonesia) and Tamil Nadu (India), where a well-established European NGO carried out economic relief and microentrepreneurship rehabilitation in 2005-2007. Findings - Despite unlimited trust in rapid reconstruction capacity, post-tsunami livelihood recovery has been chaotic and uncoordinated. Contrary to humanitarian agencies in charge of emergency relief, only a few development agencies and NGOs were able to deliver a rapid rehabilitation of microeconomic activities existing locally before the disaster. Research limitations/implications - There are values but also obvious limits to comparing the micro-level experiences of a major European NGO in two different locations such as Aceh and Tamil Nadu, and to deducing macro- and meso-level lessons to be learned. Practical implications - There are difficulties in benchmarking the divison of labour but necessary coordination among development agencies and their humanitarian counterparts in the field of post-disaster sustainable economic rehabilitation. Originality/value - Post-disaster economic security and livelihood recovery are at the forefront of current international policy research in humanitarian and development cooperation circles. Documented case studies and lessons to be learned are still scarce for feeding possible best practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose ? The purpose of the paper is to review and compare six sigma and the lean organisation approaches to process improvement. The basis for combination and compatibility is evaluated and a holistic approach proposed. Design/methodology/approach ? The examination is based on the author's extensive practical consulting and training experience with diverse six sigma, lean and business process improvement programmes in numerous companies across Europe and worldwide, as well as theoretical development of his previous published work. Findings ? The paper contends that the current literature on the compatibility and combination of six sigma and lean is limited and disappointing when examined for a common model, theoretical compatibility or mutual content or method, but that they can be effectively combined into one system. Research limitations/implications ? The study is experience-based and not supported by a specific-quantitative investigation. Practical implications ? Companies pursuing six sigma and lean implementation programmes need to carefully examine how the proposed initiatives relate to each other and other initiatives before fully committing, or at least to review the programme, to enable sensible programme design and management. Originality/value ? This paper focuses on six sigma and lean programmes in practice, rather than the theoretical basis or motivationally based argument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the first sixty years or so of the twentieth century, a number of accounting techniques were developed for use in the management of business. One of those new techniques was budgetary control. This paper examines the dissemination and diffusion of budgetary control in France and Britain between the 1920s and the 1960s, outlining the similarities and differences in the experiences of the two countries, and examining some of those factors that influenced them. The paper concludes with some proposals for a programme for future research in (international) accounting change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Weather disasters are a growing burden in Europe, because of increasing losses and costs of precautionary measures. • Socio-economic, climatic and environmental changes drive the growing risk. • The insurance industry can play a major role in the partnership for reduction of risk of weather extremes Over the last decades, the damage caused by weather events has increased dramatically and ubiquitously. In Europe, weather catastrophes constitute a growing burden on national economies and insurance companies, not least because of the costs of precautionary measures. For a long time, the insurance sector has flagged that weather disasters are on the rise, both in terms of the number of occurrences and material damage caused. The main reasons for this are: increase in the number and area of settlements in exposed areas, the accumulation of ever more valuable and vulnerable assets in these areas, as well as the climate and environmental changes that have already taken place. This paper examines observed changes in risk of various categories of weather disasters in Europe, backed by statistical analyses of relevant, updated information originating from a valuable and quite unique source, Munich Re's NatCatSERVICE database, that is of considerable interest and value to the scientific community and beyond (e.g. in the reinsurance and insurance industries). The paper also calls for partnership in the reduction of risk of weather extremes and discusses the role of the insurance industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives IgA vasculitis (IgAV, formerly known as Henoch–Schönlein purpura) is the most common cause of systemic vasculitis in childhood. To date, there are no internationally agreed, evidence-based guidelines concerning the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of IgAV in children. Accordingly, treatment regimens differ widely. The European initiative SHARE (Single Hub and Access point for paediatric Rheumatology in Europe) aims to optimize care for children with rheumatic diseases. The aim therefore was to provide internationally agreed consensus recommendations for diagnosis and treatment for children with IgAV. Methods Recommendations were developed by a consensus process in accordance with the EULAR standard operating procedures. An extensive systematic literature review was performed, and evidence-based recommendations were extrapolated from the included papers. These were evaluated by a panel of 16 international experts via online surveys and subsequent consensus meeting, using nominal group technique. Recommendations were accepted when ⩾80% of experts agreed. Results In total, 7 recommendations for diagnosis and 19 for treatment of paediatric IgAV were accepted. Diagnostic recommendations included: appropriate use of skin and renal biopsy, renal work-up and imaging. Treatment recommendations included: the importance of appropriate analgesia and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use and non-renal indications for CS use, as well as a structured approach to treating IgAV nephritis, including appropriate use of CS and second-line agents in mild, moderate and severe disease along with use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and maintenance therapy. Conclusion The SHARE initiative provides international, evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of IgAV that will facilitate improvement and uniformity of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweden is one of the most forested countries in Europe, and it has one of the highest shares of productive forest. Production in forestry is largely reliant on the private non-industrial forest owners, who own half of the forest land. As in many countries, however, forest ownership is changing towards a higher extent of urban, female or non-forestry-background owners. This poses a challenge for the forestry services sector, mainly forest owners' associations and companies, but also broadly the sector at large. By exploring the sales and marketing processes, this paper analyses the service logics and strategies of Swedish forestry under changing forest ownership, drawing on an interview study covering all the large actors in the Swedish forestry sector. The study illustrates an increased focus of forestry organizations on services from a strategic and managerial perspective, in customer-oriented relationship development and in value creation and sales processes, specifically in order to manage "new" forest owners and the demand of forest industries. The results highlight the domination of service logics associated with timber production and the challenges for the service market and the provision of diversified services to forest owners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-consensual sterilisation is not only a historic abuse. Cases of unethical treatment of women around the time of a pregnancy continue in the Twenty-First Century in five continents. Sterilisation is being carried out by some healthcare professionals at the time of delivery, or soon afterwards, without valid consent. A range of contemporary examples of such practices is given. Respecting women's autonomy should be the touchstone of the consent process. Avoidance of force, duress, deception and manipulation should go without saying. Ethnic minority communities and women living with HIV, in particular, are being targeted for this kind of abuse. Attempts have been made in various countries and by international professional organisations to introduce clinical guidelines to steer health professionals away from this malpractice. Survivors have sought justice in domestic and international courts. This paper critically assesses the evidence on the practical, ethical and legal issues around the handling of consent for these procedures. Suggestions are made about possible regulatory responses that address abuse, whilst maintaining access for those individuals who freely elect to undergo these procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the provision of long-term care across Europe based on data gathered in a desk research. The aim is: (1) to identify indicators of long-term care provision; and (2) to compare the provision of formal and informal care across the European countries. For this purpose, a narrative literature review was carried out to identify relevant indicators. Subsequently, a descriptive analysis was performed to analyse the indicatorrelated data. The results suggested that there are important differences in the long-term care provision in Europe. Long-term care is provided both at public and private institutions. The entitlement criteria vary among countries. In general, Western and Northern European countries have more generous provision of residential care compared to Eastern and Southern European countries. At the same time, informal care has different roles and it is extremely important in Eastern and Southern European countries. Among all countries, more than half have quality assurance regulations for residential care. However, most of the Southern and Eastern European countries lack information about the quality assurance regulations. In order to monitor the long-term care provision, it is recommended that European countries establish a reporting system to provide annual data. These annual data should be based on identical measurement mechanisms and standardised reporting structure to allow for comparison and improvements of long-term care systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to present the results that can be obtained by implementing the Lean Six Sigma methodology in the health system of our country. The results are also supported by the case study regarding the implementation of Lean Six Sigma techniques in a public hospital with good performances, nationally recognized: The Municipal Emergency Hospital Moinesti. These strategies, which include Lean and Six Sigma methods, aim to implement process improvements through a set of principles and practices that promote greater efficiency and effectiveness, with fewer errors. The main motivation for the thematic research is due to the fact that the Romanian health system has notable deficiencies which, despite the many positive changes in our country in general, in the health system, in particular, the progress is expected. From previous studies in clinics in the US and Europe we have found that there is a methodology that puts patients and their needs first, by reducing and avoiding waste, as well as streamlining and organizing medical services, so that they can meet patients' expectations. The present paper is based on both a secondary research and the actual carrying out of a case study, extended at the experiment level. The results of this paper show that the medical organization has a greater capacity to respond to challenges within the system, the use of resources has been maximized. There has been an increase in the satisfaction of the patients but also of the doctors, with the elimination or reduction of some costs. The application of the Lean Six Sigma concept in healthcare is a new topic and few researches have been carried out in this field, this work can be useful to the entities that carry out their activity in this area of utmost importance, who want to increase their level and quality. the services offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]