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The following classified, annotated list of titles is intended to provide reference librarians with a current checklist of new reference books, and is designed to supplement the RSR review column, “Recent Reference Books,” by Frances Neel Cheney. “Reference Books in Print” includes all additional books received prior to the inclusion deadline established for this issue. Appearance in this column does not preclude a later review in RSR. Publishers are urged to send a copy of all new reference books directly to RSR as soon as published, for immediate listing in “Reference Books in Print.” Reference books with imprints older than two years will not be included (with the exception of current reprints or older books newly acquired for distribution by another publisher). The column shall also occasionally include library science or other library related publications of other than a reference character.

Referring to the importance of the public health services in this country, Sir Kingsley Wood, M.P., in a recent speech observed that the result of the recent General Election afforded an unprecedented opportunity for the steady development during the next five years, and possibly ten, of the public health services of the country, not by means of stunts, but by science and statecraft. Prevention must be their great watchword. The great triumphs of public health were due in no small degree to the work of the general practitioner. To him came the great host of patients with what were called “trivial ailments,” which, in fact, did so much to incapacitate us as a nation. People little realised, for instance, what the “common cold” cost the State. One of the greatest needs in health matters of the immediate future was research. We were still in the dark as to the causes of measles, of influenza, of rheumatism, and of cancer. We had yet to learn the relationship of certain foods and particular diseases. The Health Ministry was concerned with the important question of pure food. We needed not only cheap food but clean food, which was vital to a healthy and vigorous race. There were two great objects to be achieved. We must continue to improve our food values. It was true that in 1920 out of nearly half a million deaths those of fourteen men and two women were directly attributed to “starvation.” but the evils of malnutrition could not be so narrowly limited. Clean and wholesome food was an effective weapon against disease and premature death. There was, it was gratifying to note, a considerable rise in the standard of national nutrition, and this had been an important and favourable factor in the decline of mortality from tuberculosis. But the consumer must more and more be safeguarded against contaminated, adulterated, and disease‐producing food. Civilisation had urbanised man, it had taken him away from his natural base—the soil—and thus from the prime source of his food supply. It brought him from lone distances, and while giving him a greater abundance it had robbed his food of much of its freshness and vitality. To‐day we often chose our food more by reading advertisements than in trusting to our natural tastes. We loved to see some of our vegetables very green, and accordingly they were canned and coloured for us. Dirty and dusty milk, and careless handling of meat and bread, “doctored” butter, and the boron preserved sausage, the boracised egg, the mixture of sugar, artificial flavouring, and benzoic acid, sometimes called ginger beer, were not the best illustrations of our advance in national health conditions. It was quite possible to imagine a reasonable meal which might contain 20 or even more grains of boric acid besides other preservatives. In these respects Great Britain was behind the standard of many other countries. There was a general movement in various parts of the civilised world in the direction of limiting and controlling the admixture of chemical preservatives and colouring matter with foodstuffs. He was glad to say that it had the support in this country of the great majority of the traders, who were equally anxious to see a pure food supply. The best firms and the shopkeepers of the country strongly desired it. Mr. Neville Chamberlain had the matter well in hand, and already certain regulations were being framed on the basis of the recommendation of an Expert Committee which had recently enquired into the whole subject. These regulations would first be published, in order that persons interested might, if they desired, submit recommendations to the Ministry. Certain of the recommendations of the Committee could not be effected without legislation, but it was proposed to undertake this as soon as pressure on Parliamentary time permitted. The Ministry hoped also to promote a measure consolidating the whole of the law relating to food. He desired to say, in conclusion, that while laws were necessary and regulations were desirable to a large extent, the vital matter of clean food rested with the nation itself. The public had recently been asked by the Ministry to refrain from the common practice of handling meat before purchasing. Fingering meat was, of course, a definitely unhealthy habit. Nobody desired unnecessary regulations, especially Britishers, and they did not want grandmotherly legislation: but in certain elementary matters in connection with our food we must break many old bad habits. Education had done much for improved health and temperance, and he did not doubt it would largely help to achieve the advanre which was so necessary and urgent in connection with attainment of a purer and cleaner food supply.

Performance problems in the public sector (PS) necessitate adaptation due to the sector’s uniqueness. Purposeful leadership (PL) may resolve PS adaptive performance (AP) problems. However, there is a paucity of research on the influence of PL on AP. Using data from three large PS organisations in Ghana, this research explores the relationship between PL and AP through job satisfaction (JS) and organisational identification (OI). It also explores the moderating effect of organisational integrity (IN) on the PL–JS and PL–OI relationships.

This paper created and tested a research model using the responses of 875 public servants in Smart PLS 4. Contract fulfilment and perceived organisational support functioned as control factors influencing JS (an intervener). Perceived procedural justice and psychological need satisfaction serve as control factors for OI (another intervener). Age, sex, tenure, education and job position were used as control variables in AP. To assess the role of moderation, we utilised the product indicator approach, and to estimate the role of mediation, we used variance accounted for (VAF). A significance level of 5% was established.

As anticipated, this study found that PL and AP had a significantly positive connection (t = 2.229, p = 0.000, β = 0.138). Both JS (VAF = 27.37%) and OI (VAF = 39.21%) partially mediated this connection. IN positively moderated the PL–JS (t = 4.249, p = 0.000, β = 0.165) and PL–OI (t = 3.704, p = 0.002, β = 0.099) connections.

This paper provides a theoretical and empirical understanding of the PL–AP relationship, how this relationship is facilitated and how the PL–JS and PL–OI relationships are strengthened. It provides a roadmap for upcoming scholars to test the hypotheses in diverse PS contexts globally to broaden the field of leadership. It will be insightful to show how JS and OI jointly mediate this relationship and the potential mediating role of job embeddedness in further studies.

Human resource (HR) practices in PS organisations, such as selecting, leadership enhancement initiatives, promotions, training and performance evaluations, must be guided by a “values-driven strategy” if leadership is to find, cultivate and keep employees capable of devising innovative strategies to manage unforeseen circumstances at work. The leaders are required to demonstrate the values of their organisations in order to set up a role model.

This study highlights the obstacles that purposeful leaders have the potential to mitigate, as well as the prospects that they might offer. It shows the essence for PS organisations to uphold and maintain high integrity standards as their hallmark.

This paper is the first to create and test a research model that shows the relationship between PL and AP. It also shows the different mechanisms (JS and OI) that make this effect possible, as well as the good work environment (i.e. IN) that allows the PL–JS and PL–OI relationships to grow.

Globalisation and technology effects appear to have spurred smaller firms around the world to embrace e‐business practices. However, there is considerable variability in adoption and usage from country to country. Drawing on existing research on e‐business and conventional business and marketing in the smaller firm, this paper formulates a conceptual framework of reasons behind adoption and non‐adoption in the smaller firm. Macro dimensions, industry sector and firm‐level factors are analysed, together with owner/manager motivations and attitudes towards e‐business adoption. A conceptual framework is constructed and research propositions are then developed in order to focus attention on sets of internal and external factors which impact on smaller firm e‐business usage. Recommendations for future theory development are presented, together with implications for industry bodies involved in supporting the SME sector.

Drawing on existing research on e‐business and the smaller firm, this paper presents a review of the literature and the formulation of a conceptual framework of adopting an e‐business approach. Macro‐factors, industry sector, firm and managerial motivations and attitudes are examined, and then positioned in a conceptual framework of e‐business development in domestic and international markets. A series of research propositions are developed which go beyond the formalised, prescriptive frameworks of e‐business as presented in marketing and e‐commerce textbooks. These include the belief that those firms with a high degree of entrepreneurial orientation will be more likely to develop interests in e‐business than their conservative counterparts. Other factors include firm size, age of the manager, particular industry sector and product type. Conceptualises the tangible and intangible factors which impact upon the process of e‐business development, to present a workable framework for future qualitative and quantitative data collection.

Wonders whether companies actually have employees best interests at heart across physical, mental and spiritual spheres. Posits that most organizations ignore their workforce – not even, in many cases, describing workers as assets! Describes many studies to back up this claim in theis work based on the 2002 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference, in Cardiff, Wales.

English governance has repeatedly had a tendency to veer between national, regional and local centres of power and influence. This has often led to profound disagreements, sometimes even open conflict. National policy guidance is usually helpful, if developed through consultation, to steer a clear, coherent direction for the system. But a narrow, excessively top‐down, mechanistic target‐driven approach can lead to a prevailing culture of ticking boxes at the expense of real patient priorities. Government ministers and civil servants, however, are often caught in a tension between being too dogmatic, or alternatively too flexible and giving responsibility to local agencies, whereupon people may complain about a ‘postcode lottery’ in services. Balancing perspectives and narratives in a coherent way for policy development and implementation and service improvement is a major challenge of leadership. The creation of the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) was designed to bring together the local, regional and the national in a form that would see policy and practice mutually developed and nurtured at all levels of governance.

Uses an upscale female sample to extend previous research on women′s perceptions of their role portrayal in advertising media. Indicates that serious disenchantment with perceived portrayal of women still exists for this important group of consumers. Measures various attitudinal, company image, and purchase intention responses in addition to salient demographic and role orientation variables. Discusses the implications for advertisers using female models in their advertisements.

Studies on entrepreneurship in public agencies suggest that managing for innovation may increase organizational performance. These studies, however, do not take into consideration the processes of opportunity identification. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to, first, situate the concept of opportunity identification within the broader research on public sector entrepreneurship, and second, to explore the relationship between managerial empowerment practices and employee alertness to new opportunities.

This paper uses aggregated data from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey – an annual survey of the US Federal employees – to examine the relationship between managerial empowerment practices and employee alertness. The analysis employs a fixed-effects regression to model each panel of the US Federal agencies, from 2011 to 2017.

The results indicate that managerial empowerment practices have a clear correlation to employee alertness and are substantively different from empowerment practice’s relationship to “innovation” – an outcome of entrepreneurship. These findings suggest that scholarship should include opportunity identification as a moderating variable in future studies on public sector entrepreneurship.

The empirical analysis should be viewed as a novel approach to alertness in order to demonstrate the need to include opportunity identification processes in studies on managing for public sector entrepreneurship. Consequently, the results are not generalizable to all public agencies.

This paper highlights processes of entrepreneurial opportunity identification concerning management practices in the public sector, which scholarship has traditionally ignored.

This paper aims to explore the intersection of disability and accounting employment.

The paper uses oral history accounts of 12 disabled accountants. The authors investigate narrators' experiences of being disabled people and professional accountants, identify the barriers they encounter in professional employment, and how they (re)negotiate professional work.

The narrators' accounts are complex and diverse. The narratives record a discourse of success, offset by the consistent identification of social and environmental barriers relating to limited opportunities, resources, and support.

The paper develops the limited research on the relationship between disability and the accounting profession, expands the limited literature on disabled professionals' experience of work, provides voice for disabled accountants, adds to the limited oral histories available within accounting, and augments the accumulated literature considering the accounting profession and minorities.