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Branding in universities is a topical issue, but arguably few UK universities have fully developed "successful" brands in the manner of commercial organizations. This qualitative paper explores the opinions of 40 opinion formers on which UK universities have successful brands and the associations these brands have. Current literature on what constitutes a successful brand and current branding theory and practice in higher education is examined to give context to the work. Findings identify comparatively few institutions with "successful" brands, but those that are suggested are considered for attributes, and limited commonality is found; areas such as marketing communications, reputation, location, and public relations are all argued to be contributory to successful brands. Perhaps more importantly, this research identifies certain institutions worthy of closer qualitative investigation toward generating a model of successful branding in higher education.

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the association of COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths with mental health, unemployment and financial markets-related search terms for the USA, the UK, India and worldwide using Google Trends. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use Spearman's rank correlation coefficients to assess the relationship between relative search volumes (RSVs) and mental health, unemployment and financial markets-related search terms, with the total confirmed COVID-19 cases as well as deaths in the USA, UK, India and worldwide. The sample period starts from the day 100 cases were reported for the first time, which is 7 March 2020, 13 March 2020, 23 March 2020 and 28 January 2020 for the US, the UK, India and worldwide, respectively, and ends on 25 June 2020. Findings: The results indicate a significant increase in anxiety, depression and stress leading to sleeping disorders or insomnia, further deteriorating mental health. The RSVs of employment are negatively significant, implying that people are hesitant to search for new jobs due to being susceptible to exposure, imposed lockdown and social distancing measures and changing employment patterns. The RSVs for financial terms exhibit the varying associations of COVID-19 cases and deaths with the stock market, loans, rent, etc. Research limitations/implications: This study has implications for the policymakers, health experts and the government. The state governments must provide proper medical facilities and holistic care to the affected population. It may be noted that the findings of this study only lead us to conclude about the relationship between COVID-19 cases and deaths and Google Trends searches, and do not as such indicate the effect on actual behaviour. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first attempt to investigate the relationship between the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the USA, UK and India and at the global level and RSVs for mental health-related, job-related and financial keywords. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Kingdom uses many different models of teacher self-evaluation. This paper identifies three grammars of self- assessment, highlighting the "Business Excellence Model" currently being implemented, which is characterized by creative grammar. The value of this self-assessment model and its impact on teacher professionalism are examined. Findings suggest that teachers using this model are compelled to refine their professional roles. (SM)

In this paper, unemployment trends in aggregate, by faculty and by subject are examined, using data from the annual First Destination Return, first compiled for the 1961-62 university graduates, and the 1970 and 1980 graduate cohort surveys. Differences related to gender and type of institution of study are identified. (Author/MLW)

Purpose: This paper aims to critically analyse the Criminal Code Amendment (Bribery of Foreign Public Officials) Act 1999 and Crimes Legislation Amendment (Combating Corporate Crime) Bill 2017 with special focus on the facilitation payment (FP) defence by referring to the UK Bribery Act 2010. The study will showcase how FP promotes disrespect for a good corporate culture inevitable for responsible and sustained business and as to why FP must be abolished to make the Australian regulation consistent with the international standards. Design/methodology/approach: This research is based on primary and secondary sources including the Senate Committee Reports and recent legislative developments in Australia, and the relevant law of the UK. Findings: Australia is lagging far behind comparative jurisdictions including the UK, and the FP defence must be abolished to make the Australian regulation consistent with the international standards and to foster international business backed up by globalisation, competition and interconnectedness of national economies. Originality/value: This paper is the original work of the author and has not been submitted elsewhere for publication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive Design (ID) has not been widely seen as a mainstream tool for innovation, or as a strategy for business and the public sector. Methods, case studies and frameworks exist, but were not widely accessible outside of academic publication. The authors of this paper, from Norway and the UK, recognised a need for a definitive publication on ID to present the concept, benefits and tools. Their collective forty years of experience lead to the publishing of 'Innovating with People—The Business of Inclusive Design' in 2010. A second edition followed in 2019, 'Innovating with People—Inclusive Design and Architecture'. These brought together experts and practitioners to create a practical guide from primary and secondary research, drawing on personal experience and insights. The content and processes inside the publications are discussed, describing the outputs and assessing effectiveness. The paper outlines content, structure, and the intention behind the work of the authors, drawing on their complementary experience from Business and Design. The paper describes a multi‐author, multi‐contributor and multi‐disciplinary book about ID outlining eight ID activities for Design and nine for Architecture. The book has been distributed to more than 45 countries and is used by academia, consultancy, government and industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the changing nature of commercial leases with specific reference to the landlord and tenant relationship, lease lengths and incentivisation in the post-recessionary UK property market.Design/methodology/approach The research applies data analysis utilising the Estates Gazette Interactive database coupled with survey analysis conducted across three UK cities to investigate and compare the changing nature of the commercial property leasing market and the landlord and tenant relationship.Findings The empirical analysis highlights that recessionary conditions prevalent in the market from the 2007 global crisis has caused a reassessment of lease structures, leading to shorter lease terms and increased use of incentives, as tenants have been empowered to negotiate more flexible leases due to their stronger market position.Originality/value This paper builds upon previous research conducted back in 2005, investigating commercial leases in the market up-cycle. The recent volatility in the commercial property sector requires fresh insights and in-depth analysis of lease patterns, length and covenant strength, which is fundamental for investor decision-making. In addition, past research has tended to consider solely landlord or occupier perspectives, whereas this research offers new insight into the landlord–tenant lease negotiation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional progression and skills development are the main expectations of mid-career managers when enrolling on an Executive MBA (EMBA), yet it can be personal development (PD) that turns out to be the unexpected benefit of management education. Joining a growing number of voices making a case for personal development and self-awareness in management education, and calling for schools to incorporate it in the curriculum, this paper advances the case for personal development as a core Executive MBA module. The paper sets out the holistic rationale and philosophic principles used to design and deliver a course underpinned by curiosity and self-reflection on an EMBA in the United Kingdom, and presents empirical findings from a survey conducted among 230 students and alumni. These suggest that the focus on reflective practice and integration of PD promotes a richer and deeper appreciation of the value of reflection for lasting and sometimes unexpected personal growth. In addition, the raising of awareness of self also brings awareness of others, and develops critical thinking in application of the MBA at work. The paper concludes with a discussion re-evaluating the subject of tacit knowledge in reflective practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current attitudes and practices in business information courses are described, and the need for an approach that incorporates the organizational environment and the needs of the business community is discussed. A shift in curriculum from the library perspective to the user perspective is proposed. (10 notes with references) (CLB)

Purpose -- Changes in the UK social care sector over the past 20 years have effected a fundamental shift in commissioning and delivery relationships. This "quasi-market" challenges existing theory and models around competitive advantage. This study, as outlined in two earlier articles, addressed weaknesses in the defining framework for analysis and business planning in this new environment; the purpose of this concluding paper is to propose a new perspective for those interested in entering this market. Design/methodology/approach -- The original research comprised a constructive research approach through a single holistic case study, using qualitative research methods including document analysis, interviews, secondary data, observations and facilitated meetings. Findings -- This final paper offers a structured framework of analysis and response: the External DriversModel. Research limitations/implications -- The model was developed for a scenario impacting upon a social housing agency, with ambitions to enter this market as a new provider; it may require further research to establish its generalisability to other organisations and other sectors. Originality/value -- This series of three papers adds to existing knowledge by critiquing current business models, and positing a potential development to existing contingency theory: the External Drivers Model. The study has resulted in a number of outputs including an outline of tools to assist in using the model. [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.)

There has been much speculation about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism sector. Common narratives have variously depicted an unprecedented crisis, a time of opportunity for innovation and transformation and a chance to build a 'new normal'. The aim of this paper is to investigate how owners and operators of micro- and small enterprises in tourism and hospitality in the United Kingdom made sense of the pandemic and its effects on their businesses. Situated in long-term research engagements with the businesses, three interlocking interpretative repertoires emerged from the analysis of 16 semi-structured interviews conducted between March and May 2021. Participants did not share a progress-driven approach to business change, there was no evidence of a radical 'new normal' emerging and COVID was not perceived as a crisis. While these findings appear counter-intuitive, their principal contribution is as a valid counterpoint to policy and academic discourse about COVID as crisis and opportunity. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of developing more nuanced accounts of the tourism business during and relating to the pandemic. Terms like 'crisis' and 'opportunity' used by policy-makers, practitioners and academics only partially reflect the deliberative efforts and practical perspectives of owners and operators of tourism enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Changes in the social care sector over the past 20 years have effected a fundamental shift in commissioning and delivery relationships, creating new markets for social housing services. This paper aims to examine how far existing theories around competitive advantage in markets are compatible with the new public management (NPM) approach to the market, or whether there is a need for a new approach to business planning for agencies that addresses the particular characteristics of this specific quasi-market. Design/methodology/approach - This paper draws upon original research developed through a single holistic case study of a UK social housing service, using qualitative research methods including document analysis, interviews, secondary data, observations and facilitated meetings. Findings - Existing business theory and models around competitive advantage do not suit this "contrived" NPM market. A new framework or model will be needed for analysis and business planning in this new environment. Originality/value - This paper adds to existing knowledge by critiquing current business models, and positing a potential development to existing contingency theory: the external drivers model The study has resulted in a number of outputs including an outline of a toolkit to assist in using the model. The model requires further research to establish its generalisability to other organisations and other sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on accounting practice and research. Readers of "Accounting Education: An International Journal" are aware of the worldwide attention given to calls for improvement in curricula. This section of Accounting Education includes three papers. Each is distinctively different, focusing on different aspects of the curriculum development issue. A paper suggests that process mapping and scripting can facilitate understanding of business processes, thereby helping students understand the interaction between functional areas. Another paper describes the process of revising curricula at a business school in the U.S. It presents an illustrative example of a programme designed to meet the needs of future accounting professionals. In addition to providing an example, the paper offers much in the way of guidance that others will find helpful. The third paper employs the technique of strategic mapping to help understand the relationship between the importance of vocational skills and the perceived deficiencies that accounting graduates and newly-qualified accountants possess. While the data in this paper are from the Great Britain, the implications of its conclusions are of worldwide importance. Also included in this section is a Literature Guide for curriculum development research.

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to analyse enterprise policy in the United Kingdom (UK), in relation to decisions about policy, policy delivery, entrepreneurial practice and academic/consultative research. Design/methodology/approach – The paper offers and discusses a conceptual framework for analysis of the actors, decisions, and issues involved in enterprise policy-making and policy delivery alongside the interests of the businesses they seek to serve and the academics who provide research support – to shed new light on the UK Government's challenge in satisfying its stated remit. Findings – It considers whether an all-embracing enterprise strategy – with clear ownership and shared commitment – is a realistic alternative to the more piecemeal approach we have experienced in the past. The issues are grounded in key lessons from systems and strategy to assess their relevance to the debate. Originality/value – The change of government in the UK in 2010, the first change for 13 years, makes this debate apposite and the relevant issues discussed are an important challenge for the new coalition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews available UK evidence on (private sector) business attitudes to transport. It follows a 2008 review of public attitudes to transport, and provides an important frame of reference for considering business attitudes. Accordingly the current paper includes comparisons between public and business attitudes. There are some prima facie similarities between public and business attitudes in relation to congestion, the order of importance of transport attributes (especially reliability), stated conditions for support of road pricing, public transport, travel plans, telecommunications and some issues of reducing travel. There are, however, some differences also: transport concerns are less ubiquitous, less attention is given to the environmental concerns associated with road building and there is less attention to wider government goals such as equity, health, social welfare and the environment. However, both similarities and differences may be misleading, as research on business attitudes is less disciplined, and there are no well-established theoretical frameworks (such as exist for individual attitudes) for understanding attitudes, when applied to the corporate views of a commercial body. In essence, many of the business attitudes reports are framed as lobbying material yet, paradoxically, there can be considerable ambiguity attached to the meanings of business attitudes, that in turn can be partially attributed to doubts as to whether responses represent individual or corporate attitudes. As a result, it is very difficult, from the existing evidence, to interpret a clear and coherent view or set of views of business on transport issues. The authors suggest some protocols, with the aim of improving research methods that, if implemented, could help improve the credibility and clarity of claims to represent the 'voice (or, more realistically, voices) of business'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a study into demand management practices in a trading organisation. It aims to bring together a number of key principles, including forecasting, promotions management and power, and examine how they impact the operations of the organisation. On the basis of its findings, the paper also aims to propose a framework for efficient use of forecasting resources. Design/methodology/approach -- A single case study approach was used. Iteratively designed semi-structured interviews with different departments were used to identify the key challenges facing the organisation. Data analysis was then used to confirm some of the issues and identify emerging issues in the industry. Findings -- Intermediary trading organisations in the UK food industry occupy a vulnerable position in their supply chains. For promotional products, in particular, the supply chains are characterised by unmatchable upstream-downstream lead times and little flexibility in demand and supply requirements. Furthermore, consumers may be getting used to buying certain products only when they are on promotion. Practical implications -- Trading organisations suffer disproportionately from the inefficiencies of their supply chain and, consequently, need to take a leading role in co-ordinating and synchronising supply chain activities. They also need to understand their supply chain positioning, relative power and the factors that are beyond their control. Originality/value -- The demand management operations and challenges of intermediary food traders have not previously been studied in great depth. The paper provides new knowledge and further contributes to academic thinking by proposing a forecasting framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The Asian business community has been noted for its contribution to the UK economy. This vibrant sector of the small to medium-sized enterprises population serves to illustrate diversity in terms of spanning sectors including manufacturing and services, entertainment and fashion, hotels and property, food and pharmaceuticals. This paper seeks to draw out trends within this increasingly important sector of the economy. Design/methodology/approach - The study reports on a research project which comprises the latest phase in a seven-year, longitudinal study of the richest 200 Asian business people in the UK. Findings - The analysis suggests that the Asian business community has delivered significant and sustained growth which is higher than average growth in the UK. Originality/value - For policy makers and the business support community, this paper offers a greater understanding of the dynamics behind the success stories and thus offers opportunities to tailor any engagement with this community appropriately. For academics it adds to the growing literature of minority ethnic businesses in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the changing geography of employment in Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS) in Britain. KIBS represent an important element of the so-called 'knowledge economy' and have been amongst the fastest growing employment sectors in advanced economies in recent years. However, during the 1990s in Britain, this employment growth was very unevenly distributed, both between regions and at the sub-regional level. The evidence presented in the paper suggests that KIBS growth in the 1990s was strongest in London and in a group of inter-linked local economies stretching in a broad arc to the north, west and south of the capital within the 'Greater South East' region. Examples of strong KIBS sector growth outside this region tend to be more isolated. There is little evidence of significant decentralisation of KIBS employment from the largest cities to smaller settlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While town centre management (TCM) has proved to be a successful strategy to maintain, improve and regenerate town centres through local partnership, there has been relatively little attention drawn to the marketing of TGM schemes. This paper explores the issues surrounding the use of key performance indicators (KPIs) for the marketing of TGM schemes in the context of wider place marketing activities undertaken by towns and cities. Drawing on evidence from a questionnaire survey of town centre managers, it is posited that they might usefully employ carefully selected KPI data to maintain and attract private investment to TGM schemes from internal and external town centre stake holders. The paper then introduces a typology for the use of KPI marketing in town centre management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that there have been three distinct phases of enterprise policy in the UK in the past 30 years: the 1970s saw no effective enterprise policy ('policy off'); the 1980s witnessed an attempt to increase the number of start-ups; and the 1990s saw a concentration on 'business quality'. This paper looks at how enterprise has evolved in Cleveland/Tees Valley over the past three decades. It suggests--and finds--that businesses in the 1980s were more numerous but of lower 'quality' (even if the influence of unemployment is accounted for) than those from the 1970s and 1990s. This implies that we should be cautious about the value of policy attempts to increase business formation rates in areas such as Cleveland/Tees Valley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate consistency levels of nutrition labelling on supermarket websites. Design: This is a comparative, quantitative study examining page position, content and design of nutrition labels on own-brand and branded products. Online and in-store nutrition labels were examined, categorised and analysed to discern variety of label designs used and consistency between online and in-store labelling. Setting: Five large online food retailers in the UK. Subjects: Nutrition labels displayed on 100 webpages were examined for twenty branded and own-brand products. Equivalent labels on in-store packaged products were also examined. Results: Eight different combinations of nutrition label designs were found. The online supermarket sites were found to use from three to six of these label combinations across the sample. The consistency level between online and in-store package labels ranged from 25% to 90%. In many cases the nutrition label required scrolling to view and in all cases items could be purchased without the label being visible from the search result listings. Conclusions: The main recommendation of the paper is that online nutrition labelling needs to be much more consistently presented than is currently practised, both within each website and between online and in-store experiences. Particular attention should be made to polychrome colour and the inclusion of summary graphics. Designers should also ensure visibility of the label and raise its vertical page position. The paper also proposes additional expansion of the use of nutrition information online, using nutrition values as database fields in search criteria and checkout aggregation reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considers a possible future organization of local business and training support against the background of the British consultation paper `TECs: Meeting the Challenge of the Millennium.' Impact of the 1964 Industrial Training Act on employers; Status of unemployment in 1987; Achievements of the Training and Enterprise Council documented in the paper.

Local government finance has recently been the subject of a review, three consultation papers, a White Paper and major reports from both the House of Lords and House of Commons. This article examines current and feasible changes to the system of local government finance with particular reference to the effects they have on marginal and average accountability. Council tax capping, council tax benefit subsidy limitation, business rates and capital expenditure are among the topics discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful fixed exchange rate regimes impose policy disciplines that are likely to lead to conformity in the business cycles of the participating countries. This conjecture is borne out in the present paper by the evidence that the business cycle affiliation of ERM member countries has shifted from the United States to Germany since the formation of the ERM. This effect is bolstered by growing links in trade and finance between the European countries. The United Kingdom is conspicuous among these in that its business cycle affiliation did not change in the period of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relations between small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and business associations. It identifies sectoral, local and national dimensions and reports survey results in Britain that evidence the range of services supplied and demanded. The paper reviews the theoretical understanding of how associations operate and how they can be expected to relate to their SME members. Using this framework the paper then assesses, largely using new survey evidence, the types of associations most relevant to SMEs, their characteristics, and their services. The paper concludes by arguing that SMEs are one of the least well represented groups of business, their interests are often likely to be swamped in association governance either by large businesses or by employee-status individuals. In general there are also limits to development of services through business associations, although there is strong variation between businesses by sector, location and size. The author concludes that contributions by associations through specific services to individual companies appears to be relatively limited. The chief contribution of associations to competitiveness of their member businesses appears to be their improvement of collective industry standards, e.g. through codes of conduct, information, collective events, benchmarking and management seminars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes a linguistic reinterpretation of Welford's 1997 hijack hypothesis, arguing that the hijack of the discourse of the radical environment is simply a process of appropriation, i.e., the adoption of particular words in order to make use of them within the green corporations' own frames of experience. Results are presented from an empirical study using two large ‘databases’ of language. These are electronic collections of texts taken from British environmental organizations – the radical non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and UK corporations that wish to be environmentally friendly – green business. The results show that there are very marked differences in the physical contextualization of a selection of words which are used by both the radical NGOs and green business. The paper concludes by noting the need to take the analysis a stage further by comparing the usage of particular words by the two discourse communities. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper seeks to shift the focus to the implications of various quality management systems, as a pervasive feature of modern organisational life, for business excellence. Design/methodology/approach - A mail-based survey is conducted among a total of 150 UK-based European Foundation for Quality Management-affiliated organisations. This quantitative methodology sounds appropriate, given that there is a relative dearth of evidence regarding the nature of quality management systems as quality-driven organisations pursue continuous improvement through such systems. Findings - Together, International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) series and other total quality management (TQM) models were seen as helping organisations in the journey towards business excellence. Despite the apparently high level of interest in various forms of quality management systems, however, a major discrepancy was found between the rhetoric of these systems and the reality of their practice. For example, little evidence was found that the surveyed organisations were developing a more strategic approach to managing soft aspects of quality management. The results also highlighted the fact that the approach emerging in many organisations seems to be relatively the antithesis of that of the TQM-driven organisations. Research limitations/implications - A fundamental limitation of this study relates to its research method and the fact that it draws its data from only a mail-based survey. Therefore, additional follow-up research in the form of case studies - qualitative methodology - should be conducted in order to examine more deeply and validate the survey results. Practical implications - Specifically, despite being viewed as potentially a threat to quality management initiatives, indeed, the paper is in many respects a spirited defence of the distinctive contribution and value of ISO 9000 as a basis and stepping-stone for TQM success. Originality/value - This paper updates the earlier work and significantly highlights the move to broaden the aims and process of quality management systems by using international-wide quality management frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many productivity studies, if they cover the service sector, commonly enter a caveat that the data are uncertain or just look at manufacturing. This paper attempts to clarify what UK market-service-sector data are available, whether they should be treated as inaccurate, and what conceptual problems might make measuring service-sector output so hard Our overall conclusion is that most problems surround financial intermediation and business services. In financial intermediation, national accounts conventions and adjustments make the output data very hard to interpret. In business services many of the output measures are employment based. Elsewhere, for example, retail and wholesale trade, transport, and hotels and restaurants, the main problem is, in practice, lack of collected deflators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Van Stel A. J. and Storey D. J. (2004) The link between firm births and job creation: is there a Upas Tree effect?, Regional Studies 38 , 893-909. This paper examines the relationship between firm births and job creation in Great Britain. It uses a new data set for 60 British regions, covering the whole of Great Britain, between 1980 and 1998. For Great Britain as a whole, no significant relationship between start-ups and employment creation is found in the 1980s, but there is a negative relationship for the 'low enterprise' area of the North East of England. For the 1990s, a significant positive relationship for Great Britain as a whole is found, but for Scotland, which focused policy on start-ups, a negative relationship is found. The authors feel this raises questions over policies designed to raise rates of new firm formation as a strategy for employment creation, particularly in 'low enterprise' areas. Van Stel A. J. et Storey D. J. (2004) Le lien entre la création d'entreprise et la création d'emploi: l'effet Upas, existe-t'il?, Regional Studies 38 , 893-909. Cet article cherche à examiner le lien entre la création d'entreprise et la création d'emploi en Grande-Bretagne. On emploie un nouvel ensemble de données portant sur la période de 1988 à 1998 et pour 60 zones britanniques couvrant toute la Grande-Bretagne. Pour la Grande-Bretagne dans son ensemble, il ne s'avère aucun lien important entre la création d'entreprise et la création d'emploi dans les années 1980, mais un lien négatif pour ce qui est de la zone dite 'à faible entreprise', à savoir le nord-est d'Angleterre. Pour les années 1990, il s'avère un lien positif important pour la Grande-Bretagne dans son ensemble, à la différence de l'Ecosse où la politique a porté sur la création d'entreprise et qui fait preuve d'un lien négatif. Par la suite, des questions se posent sur les politiques qui cherchent à augmenter le taux de création d'entreprise dans le but de créer des emplois, surtout dans les zones dites à 'faible entreprise'. Van Stel A. J. und Storey D. J. (2004) Die Verknüpfung von Firmengründung und Arbeitsbeschaffung: Gibt es einen Upasbaumeffekt?, Regional Studies 38 , 893-909. Dieser Aufsatz untersucht die Beziehung zwischen Firmengründung und Arbeitsbeschaffung in Großbritannien. Dazu werden neue Datenreihen für 60 britische Regionen benutzt, die ganz Großbritannien im Zeitraum 1980-98 erfassen. Für Großbritannien als Ganzes ergab sich während der achtziger Jahre keine signifikante Beziehung zwischen Firmengründung und Arbeitsbeschaffung, doch eine negative in den 'unternehmensschwachen' Gebieten Nordostenglands. Für die neunziger Jahre wird für Großbritannien insgesamt ein signifkant positives Verhältnis festgestellt, aber ein negatives in Schottland, das seine Bestrebungen auf Firmengründungen konzentrierte. Dies wirft Fragen betreff Bestrebungen auf, die speziell auf Anhebung von Firmengründungen als Strategie zur Beschaffung von Arbeitsplätzen abzielten, besonders in 'unternehmensschwachen' Gebieten. Van Stel A. J. y Storey D. J. (2004) El vínculo entre los nacimientos de empresas y la creación de empleo: existe un efecto Upas Tree ?, Regional Studies 38 , 893-909. Este artículo examina la relación entre los nacimientos de empresas y la creación de empleo en Gran Bretaña. Utilizamos una nueva base de datos para 60 regiones británicas, cubriendo Gran Bretaña en su totalidad, entre 1980 y 1998. Para Gran Bretaña en su totalidad no encontramos ninguna relación significativa entre las nuevas empresas y la creación de empleo en los años 80, pero sí encontramos una relación negativa para la zona de 'baja actividad emprendedora' del Noreste de Inglaterra. Para los años 90 encontramos una relación positiva significativa para Gran Bretaña en su totalidad, sin embargo, para Escocia, que concentró sus políticas en la creación de empresas, encontramos una relación negativa. Creemos que esto plantea cuestiones sobre políticas diseñadas a aumentar los índices de formación de nuevas empresas como estrategia de creación de empleo, particularmente en zonas de 'baja actividad emprendedora'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract During recent years, private complementary medicine has grown as a significant provider of healthcare in the UK and much of this provision is through small private businesses financed by out-of-pocket payments made by privately paying clients. Using a combined questionnaire (n = 426) and interview survey (n = 49), the present paper considers the potential tensions and dilemmas which therapists face and the resolutions which they come to in being carers, but in market terms, also profit makers. Therapists generally identified with being carers first and business people second, and this was reflected in their caring decisions. Indeed, under circumstances where the roles potentially conflicted (e.g. when clients could no longer afford to pay for their treatments), most therapists claimed that they continued to provide care, either by providing their services free-of-charge, at a reduced rate, by deferring payment or by accepting alternative forms of compensation. There is a relative lack of dedicated research literature on complementary therapists, their attitudes and actions, and this paper provides some important data on their specific management and caring decisions. At the same time, the evidence also provides some initial food-for-thought and indicates some potential research directions for exploring ethical issues in the private practice of complementary medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores accounting change in the product development department of a small UK chemicals manufacturer. An institutional framework of accounting and a framework of power mobilisation help tease out the dynamics of the processes of change. The case highlights power over resources, decision making and meanings as being key facilitators to the implementation of accounting change. It also demonstrates barriers to change and conflict which emerge as new accounting routines fail to impinge on existing laboratory ways of thinking Focusing on the processes of accounting change within a specific organisational setting illuminates aspects of the change process which more conventional "static" approaches would likely ignore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an updated examination of self-employment, concentrating in particular on the UK. It opens with some observations about the type of person who may be suited to self-employment and then provides a commentary and analysis of empirical evidence on incidence, demographic features and social trends. The article concentrates primarily on the multifarious ways in which 'economists' have attempted to analyse this data and presents a contemporary assessment of their findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capitalist economies depend on private business investment, and all governments in similar states compete to induce businesses to invest through various policy interventions. In so doing, they compete with other governments to retain current investors and to encourage new ones from elsewhere. The implications for policy-making and, by extension, citizens, are huge. The pressure on governments to capture new investment has an impact on taxation policies, workplace regulations, legal protections, public infrastructure and social policies. However, not all governments compete for investment in the same way at the same time, and not all businesses are attracted by the same inducements offered by states, highlighting the possibility that public policies shape investment strategies, just as investment strategies also shape public policies. It is its development of relatively unique and aggressive strategies to capture new investment that places the UK in a vulnerable position post-Brexit. It has successfully attracted mobile corporations to its shores, in part because it has offered a particularly favourable gateway into Europe for foreign capital. This raises questions about how the country will seek to compete for capital investment in future. This paper examines these questions with reference to both theoretical and empirical evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The European Disability Strategy (2010-2020) seeks to significantly raise the proportion of people with disabilities working in the open labour market. The ERGO WORK project is a collaboration of academic and industrial partners in six European countries, focused on understanding and tackling barriers to workplace inclusion for workers with disabilities. Methods: This study sought to explore the perceptions and needs of stakeholders in terms of workplace adaptation to the needs of employees with disabilities. An exploratory online survey was completed by 480 participants across six countries. Results: The analysis suggests that workplaces could be further improved to meet the needs of employees with considerable scope for training within companies to raise awareness about employees' needs, employers' obligations and workplace adaptation. Conclusions: This snapshot suggests there is still a gap between intent and reality in workplace inclusion and further strategies are needed to improve the opportunities for employees with disabilities. The paper argues that ergonomics may have a key role to play in tackling these challenges and adapting the workplace environment and job design to suit the needs of individual employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the United Kingdom (UK), assisted living technologies are mostly provided through statutory health and social care services following assessment of individual need and application of eligibility criteria. This paper describes the first UK study to explore and develop business approaches and innovations required to make electronic assisted living technologies more accessible to consumers in their fifties and sixties. A robust mixed-method approach was used including a large sample size for a consumer survey, triangulation of methods and confirmation of research findings through validation workshops. This three-year study makes significant and original contributions to understanding consumer needs in this rapidly changing market and offers unique insights into the needs and wants of people aged 50-70. Analysis shows significant differences between consumer and business perceptions, indicating that marketing is not closely aligned to consumers' needs and is affecting the development of the market. New approaches to consumer-led business models are presented to improve information and marketing aimed at 50-70-year-old consumers. A 'Broker/Independent Advisor' business model showed most potential for meeting the needs of both consumer and business stakeholders. Findings support future development of an assisted living consumer market to meet growing levels of need and demand, and to offer greater consumer choice of mainstream technologies to enable people to age in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rail disruption management is central to operational continuity and customer satisfaction. Disruption is not a unitary phenomenon – it varies by time, cause, location and complexity of coordination. Effective, user-centred technology for rail disruption must reflect this variety. A repertory grid study was conducted to elicit disruption characteristics. Construct elicitation with a group of experts (n = 7) captured 26 characteristics relevant to rail disruption. A larger group of operational staff (n = 28) rated 10 types of rail incident against the 26 characteristics. The results revealed distinctions such as business impact and public perception, and the importance of management of the disruption over initial detection. There were clear differences between those events that stop the traffic, as opposed to those that only slow the traffic. The results also demonstrate the utility of repertory grid for capturing the characteristics of complex work domains. Practitioner Summary:The aim of the paper is to understand how variety in rail disruption influences socio-technical design. It uses repertory grid to identify and prioritise 26 constructs, and group 10 disruption types, identifying critical factors such as whether an incident stops or merely slows the service, and business reputation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Ready-to-eat meals (to eat in, to take away or to be delivered) sold by food outlets are often more energy dense and nutrient poor compared with meals prepared at home, making them a reasonable target for public health intervention. The aim of the research presented in this paper was to systematically identify and describe interventions to promote healthier ready-to-eat meals (to eat in, to take away, or to be delivered) sold by specific food outlets in England.Methods: A systematic search and sift of the literature, followed by evidence mapping of relevant interventions, was conducted. Food outlets were included if they were located in England, were openly accessible to the public and, as their main business, sold ready-to-eat meals. Academic databases and grey literature were searched. Also, local authorities in England, topic experts, and key health professionals and workers were contacted. Two tiers of evidence synthesis took place: type, content and delivery of each intervention were summarised (Tier 1) and for those interventions that had been evaluated, a narrative synthesis was conducted (Tier 2).Results: A total of 75 interventions were identified, the most popular being awards. Businesses were more likely to engage with cost neutral interventions which offered imperceptible changes to price, palatability and portion size. Few interventions involved working upstream with suppliers of food, the generation of customer demand, the exploration of competition effects, and/or reducing portion sizes. Evaluations of interventions were generally limited in scope and of low methodological quality, and many were simple assessments of acceptability.Conclusions: Many interventions promoting healthier ready-to-eat meals (to eat in, to take away, or to be delivered) sold by specific food outlets in England are taking place; award-type interventions are the most common. Proprietors of food outlets in England that, as their main business, sell ready-to-eat meals, can be engaged in implementing interventions to promote healthier ready-to-eat-food. These proprietors are generally positive about such interventions, particularly when they are cost neutral and use a health by stealth approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central thesis of this paper is that Corporate Community Involvement (CCI) is not a neutral activity with positive and mutual benefits for all involved. Rather, it is a much more complex activity which may also have negative impacts. Using Donaldson and Preston's (1995) explanatory model of the stakeholding concept as a framework, this paper explores: (1) the practice of CCI in the UK (with some reference to US experience from which UK firms have drawn extensively), (2) the grounds on which it is justified, and (3) the material consequences of such activity for corporate governance. It concludes by arguing that there is a case for a review of the law on CCI to assess the need for fuller public disclosure so as to allow shareholders and other interested groups the opportunity to assess the impact and effectiveness of CCI more thoroughly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the determination of directors' compensation in UK quoted companies between 1985 and 1994. The primary innovation contained in the paper is the focus on the governance mechanisms that determine pay outcomes. Our results indicate that: (i) directors' compensation is positively related to pre-dated shareholder returns and company size with the quantitative effect of the latter dominating the former. (ii) We find that the pay-for-performance link has become quantitatively stronger over our sample period. (iii) There has been positive adherence to the principles of the Cadbury report, but these variables play little statistical role in shaping the direct compensation of top directors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

A number of recent studies have suggested that access to collateral in the form of housing assets may be an important factor in the process of new firm formation. In particular, it has been suggested that variations in housing wealth may be able to account for a substantial proportion of the variation in rates of business creation within and between the U.K. regions. Re-examining this issue, the paper finds that once appropriate allowance is made for the presence of dynamics in the formation process, the evidence for a positive relationship between housing wealth and regional rates of new business creation disappears. However, there is evidence in favour of the proposition that access to external collateral in this form may help established firms to stay in business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This section presents abstracts of articles on trade and transportation published in the May 1965 issue of the journal Bulletin of Economics and Statistics. The article The Malawi-Rhodesia Trade Agreement, by Arthur Hazlewood argues that the agreement provides for too small a fiscal payment because it reflects fallacious reasoning about the likely effect of the imposition of customs duties. Moreover, the paper titled The Long and the Short of Transport, by A. A. Walters discusses that although welfare theory, on the usual assumptions, requires a nationalised industry to charge prices which are equal to short run marginal cost, most practical work has been done in terms of some long run concept. On the other hand, the article Some Notes on Road Transport Costs, by A. J. Harrison presents data on the structure of road haulage costs in Great Britain, trends over the last 15 years in total costs and in individual cost items and on the incidence of taxation. The data is presented for light, medium and heavy vehicles and for both rigid and articulated units. The data on cost trends are compared with observed trends in the composition of the vehicle fleet, and the question of the projection of future cost levels is briefly considered.