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INDUSTRIAL research covers a wide spectrum of research activity, from fundamental research through applied research to development work. Fundamental research in industry is the counterpart of pure research elsewhere: it is the search for new knowledge in scientific fields which are relevant to an organization's short‐ or long‐term objectives. In fundamental research one cannot predict beforehand what each project will achieve and relate this to the organization's objectives. The research workers should choose individual projects within a particular field on their scientific merits. The effectiveness of fundamental research depends on selecting the fields in which to carry it out and on the ability of the research workers to make discoveries. Fundamental research in industry aims to provide a flow of discoveries and new ideas that may, after applied research and development, produce technology that the organization can exploit to promote its objectives.

Improving the competence of frontline services to support people who challenge has long been recognised as a key service objective. Exactly how this objective should be achieved has been unclear, however. This article describes how web‐based e‐learning technology is being used to achieve widespread dissemination of knowledge and skill about positive behavioural support. The drivers for this development are described, together with an account of the historical development of the programme. The advantages of using this medium are outlined, and the benefits of a whole‐organisation approach to learning are identified.

People with learning disabilities who present challenging behaviour are particularly vulnerable to physical abuse. It is argued that training in physical intervention could well be a critical variable in determining whether this abuse takes place. Recommendations designed to minimise the risks associated with physical intervention training are made.

Bases itself on the premise that the categorisation of people who may adopt innovations is not the sole answer to the length of time taken for diffusion of innovations, but that a major factor is the characteristic of the innovations as perceived by adopters or non‐adopters. Says that marketers have an interest in decreasing the time taken for an innovation to diffuse throughout an industry by changing people from one category into another which is more progressive in outlook. States that two main industries were chosen to be used in this study – the flour milling industry and, to a lesser degree, the malting and dairying industries. Decided that the relationships between the time taken for innovations to diffuse throughout industry, and the characteristics of the innovations as perceived by technologists responsible for their introduction. Lays out the research method in detail and discusses this. Sums up that the research illustrates a method of studying the perceived characteristics technological innovation and shows a strong relationship between innovations and time taken.

Claims that people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are overrepresented in offending populations and are more likely to commit crimes than others are explored in this review. Evidence to date makes these claims difficult to substantiate, although methodological difficulties make this area particularly challenging. ASD does not appear to account for a large number of crimes in society, though certain characteristics may render those on the spectrum vulnerable to offending. Comorbid psychiatric conditions such as depression and psychosis, when present in a person that additionally has ASD, are important risk factors. Once in the criminal justice system, people with ASD are often misunderstood and open to bullying. Very little is known about what treatment programmes are effective for offenders in this population. This review summarises some of the important studies in this field.

LONG before man learnt to make fire by the friction of wood, he experienced the burden of friction in dragging home his kill. Perhaps it is not too fanciful to suppose that the torn sides of his beast gave the first solid lubricant. Blood and mutton fat were seriously recommended as lubricants for church bell trunnions as recently as the 17th century. Indoed we still reckon fatty acids the best of all boundary lubricants. The range of man's activities has increased enormously in the present century, and particularly in the last few decades. Men have circled the earth in space; a space ship is on its way to examine another planet; terrestrial man is boring to the bottom of the earth's crust; others have descended to the depths of the ocean, and oven established a home on the floor of the Mediterranean, Speeds have increased by factors of thousands, temperatures range from near absolute zero to thousands of degrees; and a new environment of high‐intensity nuclear radiation has been created. Still, objects must move over and along each other in these exotic conditions; and to a large extent solid lubricants can provide the answer to the frictional problems.

This article summarises the historical development of positive behavioural support. The main features of this approach are described, and the evidence for its effectiveness outlined. Despite clear empirical support for its use, relatively few people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour appear to have access to this form of therapeutic intervention. Reasons for this are discussed, along with recommendations for future development.

Compilation of numeric data has been of interest to mankind since ancient times. Collections of astronomic observations permitted the production of systematic calendars for great nations like the Mayans, Egyptians, Babylonians and Jews. Extensive sets of data were available to early navigators and pioneer physicists of medieval times. A well known example of data compilation was the celebrated Alfonsine Tables. The tables were completed in 1252 under the direction of Isaac ben Said and Yehuda ben Moshe Cohen during the rule of Alfonso X. of Castile. For three hundred years this was considered to be the best planetary data collection. Another famous astronomical data compilation was Caroline Herschel's Catalogue of Stars published in 1798. In the last decade there has been an increased need for precise information by government agencies, private industries, the business world and academic institutions. The continuing acknowledgement of the need for quantitative data contributed to the quick development and marketing of many databases that contain numerical and other factual information.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that influence perceptions of work-life balance among owners of copreneurial firms. Research on work-life balance in the context of family firms has focussed on the effects that perceptions of balance can have on the emotional well-being of business owners and performance of the firm. Less attention has been given to understanding the factors affecting an owner's perceptions of work-life balance. This paper not only explores the antecedents of perceptions of work-life balance but does so with copreneurs, or couples who own and manage a firm.

Data for this study were collected using surveys. In all, 210 copreneurs with businesses in nearly 20 industries answered questions about their perceptions of work-life balance, work-life conflict (WLC), life-work conflict, communication practices, characteristics of their jobs, and spousal support.

WLC was negatively related to perceptions of work-life balance. Job involvement, flexibility at work, and permeability of communication were significantly related to perceptions of WLC. Interestingly spousal support did not affect individual perceptions of life-work balance, but had a direct influence on perceptions of work-life balance.

The sample was not randomly selected, and participants were surveyed at only one point in time. Notwithstanding these limitations, the findings have implications for advancing research and theory in the areas of family business, work-life issues, and communication. While the paper focus on copreneurial firms, the findings may have implications for family firms and co-founded ventures.

The potential benefits of copreneurs’ increased awareness of these findings (from readings or through coaching) are important given prior research demonstrating that family to work conflict and work to family conflict affect the emotional well-being of family business owners, their satisfaction with work, and firm performance.

This project offers two important contributions to research in family firms. First, it focusses on copreneurial firms as a unique type of family firm which has the potential to shed light on the differences between family firms. Second, results from this study provide a picture of the predictors of work-life balance for couples who are firm owners.

The demands of balancing work and family roles are associated with stress experiences. Stress increases if work impinges too far on what is required from one’s family while a balance between these demands tends to decreases stress. The purpose of this paper is to investigate resiliencefor the extent to which it can predict both work-family conflict (WFC) and balance (WFB). Moreover, cortisol levels will be used as a physiological indicator of stress.

Totally, 35 employed parents with children up to the age of six took part in the study. Salivary cortisol was collected three times a day.

Results show that cortisol levels are related to internal as well as external WFCs while WFB is not significantly linked with cortisol. Resilience has a beneficial influence on the mean cortisol level. Moreover, resilience is also advantageous for the work-family interplay, especially WFB.

The study concludes with suggestions for further research and advises that organizational and individual health promoting activities should seek to implement WFB as well as resilience strategies.

For the first time, the aim is to assess whether work-family interplay and resilience are associated with an objective biomarker of stress, namely cortisol.