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Academic engagement with small business and entrepreneurship was facilitated by the availability of European Union (EU) funding, which also stimulated the emergence of a small business and entrepreneurship (SBE) 'community of practice'. Gradually, the SBE community developed into a 'landscape of practice' as small business research moved towards maturity. Furthermore, the SBE landscape of practice has coalesced around three core concepts: entrepreneurial learning, social networks and social capital. EU funding was the catalyst for many SBE academics in the UK to engage with practitioners involved with starting and managing their own businesses. The UK's exit from the EU will inevitably mean that universities will no longer have access to EU Structural Funds. This has major implications for the UK SBE community's engagement with practice as well as for entrepreneurs and business owners who have benefitted from a range of programmes designed to improve the performance of smaller firms.

With equal access requirements and increasing rates of enrolment of students with disabilities in higher education, universities must find appropriate and efficient ways to create accessible materials which benefit and support all students. In response to cuts to disability funding, issues relating to the provision of an inclusive curriculum are now dominating institutional policy and educational discourses. This paper reports on a trans-Atlantic project which utilised student employees to convert and develop inclusive learning materials for their peers, with the expressed purpose of piloting a sustainable intervention method generalisable to meeting similar needs of diverse universities for inclusive material provision and a future workforce aware of disability issues and accommodations. Qualitative in-depth interviews with ten students (eight UK and two US) find that involving student employees in the delivery of inclusive materials improves partnerships and attitudes around disability and accessibility measures.

This paper examines the potential and actual contributions to regional development and growth that UK higher education institutions can make through their "third mission" activities. The authors adopt a case study approach and qualitative methods to analyze the details of academic activities, especially those related to business sectors and the welfare of local communities. Their data and analysis show that university-wide academic enterprise activities are not systematically organized or coordinated. The very concept of "academic enterprise" has not been well received by the majority of academic staff. The findings have two major policy and managerial implications. First, there needs to be a reduction in the reliance on income from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in response to the progressive decrease in unit funding. Second, universities need to enhance employer-led curriculum development both through the creation of new businesses and by improving university-business links. (Contains 4 tables. Current academic enterprise activities at NEWUNI is appended.)

We examine the effect of capitalization vs. expensing on UK firms' R&D expenditures. Our investigation is motivated by the UK's mandatory switch from UK GAAP to IFRS in 2005. Under UK GAAP, firms could elect to expense or capitalize development expenditures, but IFRS mandates capitalization. Thus, "capitalizers" maintained their accounting method, while "switchers" were required to change from expensing to capitalization. We examine the effect of the rule change on the amount of the two groups' R&D expenditures, and we find that switching firms increased their R&D expenditures more than firms that continued to capitalize. We subject our results to numerous robustness tests, and across all of them our results support the conclusion that the accounting method affects the amount that firms invest in R&D. Our results attest to the real effects of accounting policy on firms' R&D investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entanglement in net fisheries (static and drift) is the largest known cause of direct anthropogenic mortality to many small cetacean species, including harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), in UK waters. Despite this, little is known about the behaviour of small cetaceans in proximity to nets.We have developed a passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) system for tracking the fine‐scale three‐dimensional (3D) movements of echolocating cetaceans around actively fishing nets by localising their acoustic clicks. The system consists of two compact four‐channel acoustic recorders with sample‐synchronised sensor packages that use 3D motion tracking technology to accurately log orientation, depth, water temperature and ambient light level. Two recorders were used in tandem, with each one attached to and floating above the net floatline. The system can be deployed during normal fishing operations by a trained researcher or experienced fisheries observer. Recordings were analysed in PAMGuard software and the 3D positions of echolocating animals in the vicinity of the system were calculated using an acoustic particle filter‐based localisation method.We present findings from four deployments in UK waters (each 1–2 days in duration) in which 12 distinct harbour porpoise encounters yielded a sufficient number of detected clicks to track their movements around the net. The tracks show a variety of behaviours, including multiple instances of animals actively foraging in close proximity to the fishing net.We show that a relatively inexpensive PAM system, which is practical to deploy from active fishing vessels, is capable of providing highly detailed data on harbour porpoise behaviour around nets. As harbour porpoises are the one of the most difficult species to localise, this methodology is likely to be suitable for elucidating the behaviour of many other toothed whale species in a variety of situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do 'green' environmental concerns – such as about biodiversity, climate change, pollution – deter citizens from having children? This paper reports the first longitudinal evidence consistent with that increasingly discussed hypothesis. It follows through time a random sample of thousands of initially childless men and women in the UK. The paper shows that those individuals who are committed to a green lifestyle are found to be substantially less likely to go on later to have offspring. Probit and Weibull survival models are estimated. The results are robust to controlling for people's age, education, income, marital status, mental health, life satisfaction, optimism, and physical health. The paper's key estimated effect-size is substantial. A person entirely unconcerned about environmental behaviour is estimated to be just over 50% more likely to go on to have a child than a deeply committed environmentalist. • Will fertility decline because humans become so concerned about environmental damage? • Using UK data on thousands of randomly selected young adults, we provide the first longitudinal evidence that those who have environmental concerns and act in a 'green' way go on to have fewer children. • The estimated effect-size is large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: MindStep™ is an Australian low-intensity cognitive behaviour therapy (LICBT) program for individuals with mild-to-moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression. UK-produced LICBT guided self-help (GSH) materials were originally used in the MindStep™ program. In 2017, Australian LICBT GSH materials were developed to better suit Australian users. This study explored whether the Australian-produced materials continued to achieve the benchmark recovery rates established in the UK and maintained in recent Australian studies. Methods: Binomial logistic regression was conducted using retrospective client data, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale, between 2016 and 2019. Results: During time periods in which the Australian-produced materials were used, equivalent rates of reliable recovery and improvement were achieved compared with time periods in which the UK-produced materials were used. Australian-trained LICBT coaches, using Australian-produced LICBT GSH materials, achieve client recovery rates of up to 60%, reliable improvement rates of 58% and reliable recovery rates of 46% (with the probability of recovery increasing with client age). Conclusions: These findings are particularly pertinent with COVID-19 changing the landscape of mental health service delivery, requiring greater flexibility in the use of teleservices to ensure access to effective mental health care for populations that may already experience problems with isolation, access and service engagement. What is known about the topic?: LICBT is an acceptable, feasible and effective treatment approach for people experiencing mild-to-moderate anxiety and depression in Australia. LICBT GSH materials used with clients in Australia originated from the UK. However, according to guidelines, LICBT GSH materials should be contextualised to suit the audience they are being used with. What does this paper add?: This paper demonstrates that LICBT GSH materials tailored to an Australian context can be used in place of UK-produced materials because they yield equivalent and consistent therapeutic outcomes. Although contextualising the LICBT GSH materials for health services users was important, it is likely that the evidence-based cognitive behaviour therapy techniques sitting 'under the hood' of these materials are most important to ensure successful therapeutic outcomes. What are the implications for practitioners?: As we face unprecedented challenges following 2020, the physical, social, psychological and economic impacts of life-changing events must not inhibit access to treatments for common mental health conditions. It is anticipated that more non-traditional, alternative providers of mental health services will be needed to scale-up and respond to increasing demand. This paper shows that the provision of telephone-based LICBT in Australia, by trained coaches using Australian-produced GSH materials, is an evidenced-based support pathway that can reduce the access gap to treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education institutions around the globe are focussed on creating inclusive environments for all students. Initiatives are being crafted to assist marginalised students to obtain better outcomes in key metrics such as enrolment rates, retention rates, graduation rates, and resultant employability statistics. This article presents findings from a quantitative study conducted at a large research university in the United Kingdom that examined factors that impacted the persistence and engagement levels of Black and Minority Ethnic students. The study examined such factors as resilience, challenges, persistence, decisionmaking, student support, communications and feelings of belonging. Significant differences were found among Black, Asian, White and Other minority groups on multiple factors contributing to persistence and engagement. Recommendations for practice change in university operations, specifically Student Affairs and Academic Affairs, are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource constraints are a challenge for social enterprises, prompting interest in innovative approaches to address these deficiencies. In this study, we contribute to the literature on resourcing practices in small, early stage, social enterprises by examining the role of socially oriented bootstrapping for resource access. We use data from eight UK social enterprises to reveal organizational practices – building credibility, leveraging persuasion and creating resource communities – that shape a diverse set of bootstrapping mechanisms to facilitate exchange relationships and to enable resource acquisition and mobilization. We argue that the unique position of social enterprises allows them to benefit from socially orientated bootstrapping and they display a complex approach that is shaped by a creative interplay of practices to support value creation through resource exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: It is well-known that significant production pressures exist on many construction projects and previous studies have suggested that this pressure is a contributory factor in safety incidents on sites. While research has established that production pressures exist, less is understood about the construction practices that occur when projects are under such pressures and their repercussion for safety. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach: Through an ethnographic approach on a large construction project in the UK, these practices were explored and unpacked. The lead researcher was a member of the Health and Safety department, and undertook participant observation as a main research tool for three years. Findings: It was found that informal, covert and dangerous "piecework" strategies were adopted at the site level in direct response to scheduling demands. Construction workers were incentivised through extra finance and rest periods to finish the work quickly, which, in turn, prioritised production over safety. Unreasonable production pressures remain an unresolved problem in the construction industry and are, perhaps consequentially, being informally managed on-site. Originality/value: This study improves our understanding of the complexities involved in the unresolved demands between production and safety on construction sites, which marks a step towards addressing this substantial challenge that is deeply ingrained within the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Mortality following lung cancer resection has been shown to double between 30 and 90 days and readmission following surgery is associated with an increased risk of mortality. The aim of this study was to describe the causes of readmission and mortality and enable the identification of potentially modifiable factors associated with these events. Methods Prospective cohort study at a United Kingdom tertiary referral centre conducted over 55 months. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with death within 90 days of surgery. Results The 30 day and 90 day mortality rates were 1.4% and 3.3% respectively. The most common causes of death were pneumonia, lung cancer and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome/Multi Organ Failure. Potentially modifiable risk factors for death identified were: Postoperative pulmonary complications (Odds ratio 6.1), preoperative lymphocyte count (OR 0.25), readmission within 30 days (OR 4.2) and type of postoperative analgesia (OR for intrathecal morphine 4.8). The most common causes of readmission were pneumonia, shortness of breath and pain. Conclusions Postoperative mortality is not simply due to fixed factors; the impacts of age, gender and surgical procedure on postoperative survival are reduced when the postoperative course of recovery is examined. Perioperative immune function, as portrayed by the occurrence of infection and lower lymphocyte count in the immediate perioperative period, and pain control method are strongly associated with 90 day mortality; further studies in these fields are indicated as are studies of psychological factors in recovery. Clinical registration number ISRCTN00061628. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Surgical wounds healing by secondary intention can be difficult and costly to manage and are profoundly under researched. This prospective inception, cohort study aimed to derive a better understanding of surgical wounds healing by secondary intention and to facilitate the design of future research investigating effective treatments. Objectives To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with surgical wounds healing by secondary intention and the surgeries that preceded their wounds; to clearly delineate the clinical outcomes of these patients, specifically focusing on time to wound healing and its determinants; to explore the types of treatments for surgical wounds healing by secondary intention; and to assess the impact surgical wounds healing by secondary intention have on patients' quality of life. Design Prospective, inception cohort study. Setting Acute and community settings in eight sites across two large centres in the United Kingdom (Hull and Leeds, UK). Methods Patients with a surgical wounds healing by secondary intention (an open wound, <3 weeks' duration, resulting from surgery), were recruited and followed up for at least 12 months. Key outcome events included: time to healing; treatment type; infection; hospital re-admission and further procedures; health-related quality of life and pain. Results In total, 393 patients were recruited. Common co-morbidities were cardiovascular disease (38%), diabetes (26%) and peripheral vascular disease (14.5%). Baseline median SWHSI area was 6 cm2 (range 0.01–1200). Abdominal (n = 132), foot (n = 59), leg (n = 58) and peri-anal (n = 34) wounds were common. The majority of wounds (236, 60.1%) were intentionally left open following surgery; the remainder were mostly dehisced wounds. Healing was observed in 320 (81.4%) wounds with a median time to healing of 86 days (95% CI: 75–130). Factors associated with delayed healing included wound infection at any point and baseline wound area above the median. Health-related quality of life scores were low at baseline but improved with time and healing. Conclusions This is the first inception cohort study in patients with surgical wounds healing by secondary intention. Patient characteristics have been clearly defined, with prolonged healing times and adverse events being common impacting on patient's health-related quality of life. Areas for, and factors crucial to the design of, future research have been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While considerable research on college student surviving and thriving has been conducted in the United States, fewer studies exist that examine these phenomenon multinationally. This mixed methods study, conducted at a large multi-campus university in the United Kingdom, examines factors purported to contribute to college student retention and engagement in a British context. Data were collected and analysed in the five theme categories of belonging, student support services, academic engagement, decision-making and resilience. Significant differences were found in student engagement by metropolitan vs. suburban campus, and in levels of engagement in academic and student life by gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many large construction organisations use safety observation reporting (SOR) as part of their safety management system on sites, although research around their effectiveness in practice is limited. During an ethnographically-informed research project, the lead author spent three years working with the health and safety team on a large (+£500 m) construction project in the United Kingdom with such a system in place. The SOR system encouraged everyone on site to report unsafe acts or conditions, either via computer or handwritten cards, for subsequent action by the health and safety team. Despite good intentions, problems with the SOR system emerged. These included: significantly increased administration to deliver predictable data; poor data quality; an unwelcome focus on the number rather than content of the reports; their use as a tool to ascribe individual or organisational blame; and the perception that the SOR forms were being censored before they reached the health and safety team, which ultimately eroded trust between the workforce and management. Overall, the system as implemented on this site had the potential to cause more harm than good, and both disengage the workforce and frustrate the health and safety team. Although presented as a case study, it is suggested that the research methods used here have been able to expose and illuminate issues that would otherwise go unreported. It is recommended that these issues be considered within the design and implementation of such SOR systems in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large construction projects frequently operate with multi-national workforces, utilizing migrant workers to provide both skilled and unskilled labour. Multi-national workforces are also brought together through joint ventures, as companies from different countries collaborate and share their expertise to construct large and complex construction projects. A multi-national joint venture in the UK provides the case study for an examination of the safety management challenges found on such projects. Whilst language and communication issues amongst workers are typically primary concerns, here they have not been prioritized. Instead, findings are presented that illuminate more nuanced and unquantifiable problems that faced the safety management team. An ethnographically informed approach was mobilized, with the lead researcher spending three years on the site with the safety team gathering data. Analysis revealed several challenges: problems with non-UK company compliance with UK legislation and standards; differences in working practices amongst both non-UK workers and their managers; differences associated with national cultures; and problems of poor worker welfare. It is suggested that awareness of these challenges should inform both the way in which such projects are initially contracted, as well as the development of more sophisticated safety management systems that better support multi-national construction projects in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we draw on the theory of dynamic capabilities to examine development of the only surviving family-owned Liverpool shipping company. The Bibby Line was founded in 1807 to take advantage of the growing sea-trade based in Liverpool. The company remained in shipping until the mid-1960s, when a series of external crises led the owner, Derek Bibby, to begin a process of diversification. In the last 50 years, the Bibby Line has grown into a £1bn business with interests in retail, distribution and financial services as well as a continuing commitment to shipping. Our intention is to demonstrate how multigenerational ownership contributes to the creation of dynamic capabilities in family firms. The distinctive nature of Bibby as a long-standing family business is related to unique assets such as patient capital, flexible governance structures as well as the ability to mobilise social and human capital. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Many governments wish to assess the quality of their universities. A prominent example is the UK's new Research Excellence Framework ( REF) 2014. In the REF, peer-review panels will be provided with information on publications and citations. This article suggests a way in which panels could choose the weights to attach to these two indicators. The analysis draws in an intuitive way on the concept of Bayesian updating (where citations gradually reveal information about the initially imperfectly observed importance of the research). Our study should not be interpreted as the argument that only mechanistic measures ought to be used in a REF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK Government's current transparency agenda comes at a time when freedom of information has come into conflict with copyright law. In particular, copyright has been asserted, wrongly in the regulator's view, by public authorities as a reason to prevent release under freedom of information legislation due to the likelihood of any response being published online. This article examines the potential conflict between the right of access to public information and the rights of any copyright holder to control its reuse in cyberspace. It discusses some recent cases, and considers how these could impact copyright law and current licensing norms. The changes proposed by the Protection of Freedoms Bill are considered and three potential routes to resolution proposed for debate, with particular reference to the wider debate about the fitness-for-purpose of copyright in an online and technologically developed world and the potential impact of Article 10. The current consultative environment may represent an opportunity to address freedom of information and copyright tensions, although perhaps only case law will resolve them once and for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues - in line with the proposals of the recent Stiglitz Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress - that we should now be measuring a nation's emotional prosperity rather than its economic prosperity (i.e. we ought to focus on the level of mental well-being, not on the number of pounds in people's bank accounts). The article reviews recent ideas in this field. It also describes seven recent studies that, worryingly, suggest that emotional prosperity may be declining through time. For labour-market specialists, a key question for future research is how much this downward trend can be traced back to increased pressures in working life. That question currently remains open. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the impact of new pension disclosures and subsequent full pension recognition under FRS 17 and IAS 19 in the United Kingdom and SFAS 158 in the United States on pension asset allocation. These standards require recognition of net pension surplus/deficit on the balance sheet and actuarial gains/losses in other comprehensive income. Therefore, these standards introduce volatility into comprehensive income and balance sheets. We identify a disclosure period during which UK companies disclosed all the required data under FRS 17 in the notes without recognition. We also identify a full recognition period starting 1 year before until 1 year after the adoption of FRS 17/IAS 19 (UK) and SFAS 158 (US). We predict and find that UK companies, on average, shifted pension assets from equity to debt securities during both the disclosure and the full recognition periods. We also find that while before the adoption of SFAS 158 US companies maintained a stable allocation to equities and bonds, these companies, on average, shifted funds from equities to bonds around the adoption of SFAS 158. Cross-sectional analysis shows that the shift away from equities is related to changes in funding levels, shorter investment horizons, increased financial leverage, and the expected impact of the new standards on shareholders’ equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the telephone survey held by British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) regarding the attitudes of the general practitioners (GP) on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) teaching in Great Britain. The survey shows that most of the practitioners are using CAM treatment despite of the absence of formal teaching on CAM. It also indicates that most of them considering the importance of the scheme on their practice.

How do workers make wage comparisons? Both an experimental study and an analysis of 16,000 British employees are reported. Satisfaction and well-being levels are shown to depend on more than simple relative pay. They depend upon the ordinal rank of an individual's wage within a comparison group. “Rank” itself thus seems to matter to human beings. Moreover, consistent with psychological theory, quits in a workplace are correlated with pay distribution skewness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the potential and actual contributions to regional development and growth that UK higher education institutions can make through their 'third mission' activities. The authors adopt a case study approach and qualitative methods to analyse the details of academic activities, especially those related to business sectors and the welfare of local communities. Their data and analysis show that university-wide academic enterprise activities are not systematically organized or coordinated. The very concept of 'academic enterprise' has not been well received by the majority of academic staff. The findings have two major policy and managerial implications. First, there needs to be a reduction in the reliance on income from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in response to the progressive decrease in unit funding. Second, universities need to enhance employer-led curriculum development both through the creation of new businesses and by improving university–business links. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological succession has been the subject of intense study and debate throughout the history of ecology as conceptualizations of process were proposed and refined. Modern concepts view ecological succession as largely driven by bottom-up resource competition for light and nutrients. However, growing evidence shows that top–down effects of consumers can govern succession. These contrasting perspectives require synthesis. We offer such a synthesis by revitalizing the hypothesis that succession proceeds by abrupt transitions to alternative states or dynamic regimes. We present evidence from field sampling along two successional gradients in a New England old field aimed at identifying pattern, and from experimentation in the same field aimed at identifying process. Field sampling revealed that a competitive dominant plant existed in a mosaic with two distinct patch types of relative abundances (≤ 25% and > 30%). Competitive dominant plant abundance varied systematically with plant species diversity (evenness), and resource supply (light and soil nitrogen). The six-year field experiment tested for alternative regimes by systematic removal and staggered reintroduction of top predators. Long-term predator removal caused an abrupt and irreversible shift from a top–down to a bottom–up controlled regime with a breakpoint at approximately 25% relative abundance of the competitive dominant plant. This caused significant shifts in plant species evenness and resource supply (solar radiation and N mineralization rate). Moreover, the competitive dominant abundance, species evenness and resource supply in the two dynamic regimes matched levels in the different patch types in the field. We conclude that a single ecosystem can display both top–down and bottom–up control. Abrupt shifts in trophic control lead to abrupt changes in the rate of development of ecosystems consistent with a working hypothesis that succession proceeds via abrupt regime shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper re-examines the evidence on open market share repurchase activity reported by Rau and Vermaelen (2002) for the UK. Using data from the Securities Data Corporation (SDC), Rau and Vermaelen conclude that the level of repurchase activity is trivial. They attribute the low repurchase volume to regulatory restrictions that limit companies' ability to take advantage of an undervalued stock price and conclude that the bulk of repurchase activity that does occur is driven by the desire to generate tax credits for pension funds. Using data collected from a variety of sources, we find that the SDC substantially understates UK open market buyback activity. Based on our more comprehensive dataset we conclude that (a) pension funds' tax considerations are not the primary cause of UK share repurchases and (b) despite the prevailing regulatory environment, underpricing still represents an important determinant of repurchase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The institutionalization of R&D by large, modern organizations is regarded as one of the most significant social and economic factors of the twentieth century. In recent years post-modern organizations have begun to replace bureaucratic control with market control. This approach is particularly attractive in the case of R&D employees who have been relatively successful in resisting direct managerial control. Government statistics are used to demonstrate that external R&D increased from 5% to 16% of internal R&D expenditure between 1989 and 1995. This trend is examined in the context of consolidation within the UK pharmaceutical industry, which has considerable implications for the sustainability of high-technology industry in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents information on a survey related to the reasons for decline in registration on PhD programmes in economics in Great Britain. The evidence suggests that low pay is an important part of the explanation of the lack of PhD applications. The authors discuss three reasons for the decline in the registration. First, this was the single most commonly mentioned factor in the interview work, and in the questionnaires sent to Heads of economics departments. Second, available data, although imperfect, suggest that since 1988 the pay of academic economists has fallen behind what is available in the private sector. In the last decade, according to the estimates, relative pay has lagged by somewhere in the region of 20-30%. Third, to explain a change in PhD applications it is presumably necessary to find a factor that has changed. Some have put to the authors the point that they should say more about the non-pecuniary attractions of academic life. While recognizing there are many, the authors have failed to find evidence that these have altered sufficiently to explain the trends in the economics data. The median remuneration of private-sector economists exceeds £53,000 per annum. The top point on the standard university Senior Lecturer scale--perhaps the most natural comparison--is £34,000.

Examines the importance of network relationships between HEIs (higher education institutes) and small- and medium-sized firms (SMFs) in the United Kingdom. Distinctive capabilities of small- and medium-sized firms for innovation; Impact of technology transfer; Effectiveness of HEI-SMF links; Advantages of links.

Argues for the need of a more critical perspective in the study and teaching of technology management in Great Britain. Link of technology to corporate strategy; Technology management and organizational effectiveness; Stimulation of the emergence of technology management by research activity; Use of technology in the workplace as a form of covert social control.

This paper examines strategic technology management in the mid-corporate sector (firms with a turnover between £1 million and £130 million). There is a considerable literature which emphasizes the importance of linking technology and strategy, but this concentrates primarily on the activities of large firms. It is suggested that smaller firms can also benefit from a more strategic approach to technology management and this could help strengthen area of weakness in the UK economy. The research is based on an in-depth case study of Otter Controls and utilizes a framework developed by Dodgson and Rothwell to analyse firm's acquisition of new technologies. This suggested that this model has utility in examining strategic technology management but the addition of a network perspective helps delineate the ways in which external relationships are established and sustained. The data indicate that universities can be useful sources of technology for smaller firms, but successful transfer is dependent on management skill in creating a culture that is open and flexible. Such firms do have considerable problems in assessing the skills and competences of university departments and this adds to the risks of technology alliances. There is also evidence to suggest that even universities with long-standing industrial links lack awareness of the problems associated with management in commercial organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on Olympia Bover, John Muellhbauer and Anthony Murphy's (1989) article which argued that house prices play an important role in the wage determination process in Great Britain. It suggests that the results of the study emerged from a time-series analysis of data from the late 1950s to the mid 1980s. The article uses cross-section methods to investigate the ideas explored by Bover, Muellbauer and Murphy. It uses the British Social Attitude Survey series of 1983-86.

Examines the wage flexibility in Great Britain. Analysis of pay movements; Estimation of a model of real consumption earnings and real product wage rate determination; Details of the aggregate wage equations.

The article tests a model of trade union behavior using data on the coal and steel industries in Great Britain. It tests the "flat indifference curve" model of trade union behavior. The author preferred to work with reduced form equations for pay and employment rather than impose untested structural restrictions on production and demand functions. The article suggests that it is possible to devise a test for extreme hypothesis that unions are different to the level of employment.

Following Phillips's original work on the United Kingdom, applied research on unemployment and wages has been dominated by the analysis of highly aggregated time-series data sets. However, it has proved difficult with such methods to uncover statistically reliable models. This paper adopts a different approach. It uses microeconomic data on 175,000 British workers from 1973 to 1990 to provide evidence for the existence of a negatively sloped relationship linking the level of pay to the local rate of unemployment. The paper casts doubt on standard ideas in macroeconomics, regional economies and labour economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies coal miners' wages in post-war Britain. Its purpose is to use a theory of the trade union to try to explain the recent behaviour of the wage rate and employment in the coal industry.[1] The analysis is based on the idea that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) can be thought of as a utility-maximising agent which is constrained by the demand curve for its members' labour. There is a well-defined and conventional neoclassical demand curve for labour in coal mining. There does seem to be a comparison wage effect, which is a result that is consistent with much of the recent industrial relations literature on the determinants of miners' wage rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the impact of internal and external influences of labor market on wage settlements in Great Britain. It is important to make clear that all union bargaining models of wage determination can generate similar predictions. The classical theory of the labor market is quite different. Under competitive conditions, the wage an employer pays is neither under his control nor under that of his workers. The going rate of pay is fixed by conditions in the whole economy, and most especially by the total demand for and supply of labor.

This article presents comments from industrial relations experts and economists in Great Britain. Ultimately they served, at least for this participant, to emphasize the differences between the two approaches rather than the common ground. The issues that are perceived as important by the two groups seem to differ considerably and the research methodologies even more so and I would venture to suggest that both can usefully benefit from more contact with the views of the other.

Although the assumption of a utility-maximizing trade union now appears in hundreds of economics papers, there is little empirical evidence on the nature of unions' preferences. This paper reports the results of a survey of British trade union leaders' views about their own union's objectives. It suggests that leaders put more weight on pay than on employment. Nevertheless, the paper argues that the results provide evidence consistent with the small econometric literature: union preferences appear to be more heavily weighted toward employment than would be implied by so-called rent maximization (the assumption that the union cares about the sum of its members' incomes). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents several letters received on medicine in Great Britain. Evaluation on the use of lithotripter; Risk factor for ischemic heart disease; Comments on the use of benzodiazepines as hypnotics.

Presents several letters related to the field of medicine in Great Britain. Discussion on the management of menopause; Elaboration on whooping cough and the pertussis vaccine; Matters pertaining to hours of work of junior doctors.

Examines change to work organization in a large domestic appliance factory in Great Britain over a twenty-five year period. Attempts by work study engineers to improve efficiency of assembly workers; Use of total quality management techniques for shopfloor workers to analyze their own activities.

• Results found social, political, physical, attitudinal, and economic vulnerability. • Buildings had many other fire safety defects, as well as flammable cladding. • Homeowners exposed to combustible cladding struggled to advance rectification works. • Building warranty had little value, meaning homeowners faced high financial costs. • Further support and consumer protection are required within the built environment. Flammable or combustible cladding has received increased attention across the world since the Grenfell disaster in the United Kingdom (UK). In Australia, thousands of buildings have been identified with flammable cladding, with some residents experiencing fires and others being advised to evacuate their homes. This study aims to investigate the vulnerability of people living in buildings identified with flammable cladding. Sixteen one-hour interviews were undertaken with owners of buildings with flammable cladding in Australia. The findings revealed that the physical vulnerability goes well beyond the flammable cladding, with many other fire safety defects emerging, including: defected fire-doors, issues with fire-resistant glass, and problems with egress routes. The owners were largely unsuccessful in returning the original builder to fix these issues, despite many properties still being under building warranty. This left homeowners economically vulnerable, as they would have to spend on legal fees (to sue the builder), take out loans, or use their savings, which was not possible for all homeowners. The owners' corporations lacked time, experience, and expertise for addressing the issues posed by flammable cladding and explained they needed additional support. However, they did not know who to trust in the industry for advice and rectification works; and were also receiving inconsistent messages from the different government bodies involved. Further research and consideration are required into reducing defects, increasing building quality, having more robust consumer protection systems, and providing economic support to consumers where necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The paper explores the consequences of sub-optimal cost-safety trade-offs. • An ethnographic approach is used to complement prior quantitative cost-safety studies. • We demonstrate how low-winning tender bids can elevate safety risks. • The construction industry is currently structured for unsafety. • There is a critical need to rethink the industry's competitive bidding practices. Construction accidents can have major social, financial, reputational and legal implications. Hence, it is to be expected that safety is often presented as a key priority for construction organisations. However, existing evidence suggests that within the construction industry, safety often loses the battle when a trade-off is required with project cost. Improved understanding of the manifestations of the cost and safety interaction are needed. A three-year longitudinal study afforded the opportunity to investigate the safety implications of sub-economic bids on a large infrastructure project in the UK. While low-bidding to win tenders is not new, this paper presents empirical evidence of the consequential safety risk implications of such bidding at the project delivery stage. Faced with a perverse form of the tender 'Winner's Curse' where the successful bid is frequently the lowest, cost-saving strategies are often implemented to recoup lost pricing margins. Our investigation revealed several instances of consequentially elevated safety risks, through cheaper and poor-quality equipment, machinery and temporary structures. In addition, lower-paid migrant workers – who already experience a statistically greater safety risk than local workers – were employed on the project without appropriate investment in a safety management approach suitable for a multinational workforce. The study both contributes to the call to critically rethink the construction industry's competitive bidding practices, and highlights an industry structure that creates the conditions for high safety risks and accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]