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Off‐farm investment decisions of farm households are analyzed. Farm‐level data for a sample of Kansas farms observed from 1994 through 2000 are utilized. A system of censored dependent variable models is estimated to investigate the factors that influence the composition of farm households’ portfolios. The central question underlying the analysis is whether farm income variability influences off‐farm investment decisions. Previous analyses on the determinants of non‐farm investments have failed to consider the role of income variability. Results of this study indicate that higher farm income fluctuations increase the relevance of non‐farm assets in the farm household portfolio, thus suggesting these assets are used as farm household income risk management tools.

The current business world is very different to that in which the original assessment centres were designed 50 years ago. The traditional centre still serves well for selection at lower organisational levels, but nowadays the need is for accurate diagnosis of development needs that include the delegate in the assessing process. Time must also be allocated for delegates and assessors to agree on evaluation of performance and sketch out a development plan. Hoechst (UK), seeking to develop managerial staff to director level, decided to adopt this Development Centre method. The Development Centre is described, and its impact assessed by Hoechst's divisional executive director.

The crop insurance purchase decision for a group of Kansas farmers is analyzed using farm‐level data from the 1990s, a period that experienced many changes in the federal crop insurance program. Results indicate a reduction in the elasticity of the demand for crop insurance with respect to premium rates by the end of the decade. The reduction in demand elasticity corresponded with a considerable increase in government subsidies by the end of the 1990s. This result may also reflect the attractiveness of new revenue insurance products which may have made producers less sensitive to premium changes.

The implications of disintermediation for librarians and information specialists (intermediaries) can be experienced as either a threat of a challenge, depending on how the issue is viewed. The different ways in which information specialists can react to disintermediation are discussed. Although most of these are viable, none addresses all implications of disintermediation. A holistic approach to disintermediation is therefore proposed, in which the situation of the intermediary is viewed within the wider society. The following aspects should be analysed with regard to their effect on disintermediation: changes in the society at large, the availability of information sources, the process of information searching, the specific organisations in which intermediaries operate, and the availability of information services. The specific end‐users and the information specialists involved should also be analysed. With this approach it will be found that the effects of disintermediation will vary according to the particular situations. To prepare information specialists for the effects of disintermediation, their training should also be adapted accordingly.

The users of information services should be enabled to fully exploit current awareness services (CAS) on the Internet to their own benefit and also that of the larger organisation. Services available via the Internet have added to the importance of current awareness, the meaning of the concept of CAS and the purposes served by CAS. Empowerment requires commitment by both parties (information services and their users), a supportive environment, a clear idea of the outcomes to be achieved, and a new attitude to the training methods and opportunities to employ. The planning of CAS empowerment programmes within the familiar constraints on information services is considered. Aspects users should know about Internet CAS are identified, the role of the information specialist is considered and a few suggestions are made about the implementation of empowerment programmes. This article is based on a paper read at the Fifth Southern African Online Meeting, held on 9 June 1999, in Midrand, South Africa.

The aim of this paper is to set a research agenda which will explore the link between strategic human resource management (HRM) and business performance of the coal industry in Central Queensland, Australia.

Key performance indicators of coalmines are collected from official statistics and other publicly available records. A survey instrument is to be designed and used to collect data related to experiences and perceptions of managers and employees in coalmines. Statistical tools are used to test interrelationships between key variables.

The research will be the first empirical study of the link between strategic HRM and business performance of the coal industry. The research outcomes will contribute to the body of knowledge concerning the relationship between strategic HRM and business performance. Studying people management practices in the coal industry enables us to paint a clearer picture of the key HRM issues currently faced by the industry. As management educators, we may be more able, as a result of this study, to provide solutions to some identified problems in the industry.

The coal industry is very important to sustainable regional economic development. An analysis of the impact of people management approaches to business performance is likely to lead to identifying some best practices that can be potentially adopted in the wider regional business community.

Road policing is a key method used to improve driver compliance with road laws. However, the authors have a very limited understanding of the perceptions of young drivers regarding police enforcement of road laws. The paper aims to address this gap.

Within this study 238 young drivers from Queensland, Australia, aged 17-24 years (M=18, SD=1.54), with a provisional (intermediate) driver’s licence completed an online survey regarding their perceptions of police enforcement and their driver thrill-seeking tendencies. This study considered whether these factors influenced self-reported transient (e.g. traveling speed) and fixed (e.g. blood alcohol concentration) road violations by the young drivers.

The results indicate that being detected by police for a traffic offence, and the frequency with which they display P-plates on their vehicle to indicate their licence status, are associated with both self-reported transient and fixed rule violations. Licence type, police avoidance behaviors and driver thrill seeking affected transient rule violations only, while perceptions of police enforcement affected fixed rule violations only.

This study suggests that police enforcement of young driver violations of traffic laws may not be as effective as expected and that the authors need to improve the way in which police enforce road laws for young novice drivers.

This paper identifies that perceptions of police enforcement by young drivers does not influence all types of road offences.

This chapter focuses on the nuanced interplay between celebrity culture, fashion, and gender norms, examining how the sartorial choices of actors Timothée Chalamet, Paul Mescal, and Barry Keoghan challenge and redefine traditional constructs of masculinity. Through a detailed analysis of their appearances at high-profile events and in fashion editorials, the chapter analyses the implications of their fashion choices. By focusing on the actors’ deliberate deviation from conventional menswear, the analysis illuminates the evolving landscape of gender expression within the realm of celebrity influence. The exploration begins by considering the technological aspects of photography that spotlight the actors, emphasising their attire over other elements within the image. The compositional modality reveals a deliberate challenge to gender norms, as evidenced by Chalamet’s gender-bending ensembles, Mescal’s avant-garde choices, and Keoghan’s playful engagement with traditionally feminine aesthetics. The social modality contextualises these choices within broader societal and cultural trends, highlighting the role of celebrity culture in shaping public perceptions of gender and fashion. Ultimately, this chapter argues that these celebrities’ fashion decisions not only reflect personal style but also contribute to a cultural shift towards more fluid and inclusive expressions of masculinity. By straddling the line between personal expression and societal influence, their public appearances offer a rich site for examining how contemporary celebrity culture both challenges and perpetuates traditional gender hierarchies. The analysis underscores the potential of celebrity-driven fashion to serve as a catalyst for redefining masculinity in the modern age, suggesting a gradual, yet significant, shift in societal norms and expectations.

This chapter examines how leader–member dyadic communication in the Malaysian workplace operates at the leader–member dyadic level in the context of cultural norms. We propose a model of leader–member dyadic communication based on the cultural norms of budi bicara, which in turn influences the perception of workplace mentoring in Malaysia. The model is tested by using hierarchical multiple regression with data obtained from a sample of 510 employees in three Malaysian organizations. Results show that leader–member dyadic communication in the workplace is linked with the career mentoring perceptions. These findings partially validate our proposed model and provide empirical support for the central roles of communication exchange processes in mentoring.

This study utilizes an expected utility framework to conceptualize the risk‐adjusted valuation of cash versus share leases for farmers and landowners. Farm‐level data then are used to empirically estimate the rental spread between these leases in Illinois, and to econometrically evaluate how these spreads are related to risks and other farm characteristics. The results indicate that non‐risk factors likely are the primary determinants of the magnitude and sign of the rental spread. In particular, high cash rent may be a bidding strategy to control additional leased acreage and thus expand farm size.