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As increasing numbers of older people retain their teeth for longer, the result is a dramatic change in both the volume and type of dental treatment required. In response to the ageing population issues, changing dental needs, a shortage of NHS dentists, and the creation of new roles in the dental profession, both the UK Department of Health and British Dental Association have emphasised the importance of dental workforce planning and in particular to estimating the size and skill‐mix of the dental team. The dental team includes such professions as dentists, hygienists, therapists and technicians. The purpose of this paper is to present collaborative work between operational researchers and dental public health researchers, and as such is the first academic project to utilise operational research (OR) techniques to address issues surrounding predictions on demand and supply of dental activities in England, with recommendations on the necessary skill‐mix of the dental team.

A three‐stage model has been constructed to predict demand for dental treatment, dental workforce supply and optimisation of the skill‐mix of the dental workforce team over the next 20 years. A cost‐benefit study is included and Monte Carlo simulation is used for sensitivity analysis.

The findings reveal a significant shortage in dental workforce supply, both currently and projected for the short‐term future.

Demand for dental treatment is certain to rise over the next 20 or more years. An ageing population coupled with trends in increased tooth retention will have a significant impact on the need and demand for dental care amongst older people in the future. This research makes a series of recommendations in order to expand public care provision in a cost‐effective manner.

There is an urgent need to provide recommendations on the desirable skill‐mix of dental teams, and their cost‐effectiveness. This paper presents novel collaborative work between operational researchers and dental public health researchers, and as such is the first academic project to utilise OR techniques to address issues surrounding predictions on demand and supply of dental activities.

The purpose of this study is to examine the ways that sin industry companies attempt to utilise CSR reporting for legitimation.

Conventional and summative content analyses were carried out on annual CSR reports in UK tobacco and gambling companies, juxtaposed against analysis of the actual behaviour of the companies, collectively and individually.

The paper concludes that there is an ongoing tension between the business of sin industry companies and their attempts to establish and maintain any legitimacy, using CSR reporting in particular ways to try to prove their credentials to society and to engage salient stakeholder support. Ultimately, they aim to give themselves the scope for strategic choice to enable survival and financial flourishing.

Further research on CSR on other sin industries and in other jurisdictions with different regulatory situations could shed further light on the achievement or denial of different types of legitimacy. Studying different time periods as industries change would be of value.

On a practical basis, the study offers guidelines to stakeholders on the use of CSR reports from sin companies, and suggests the establishment of objective external CSR reports, overseen by accounting regulators.

The paper provides an overview of the role of sin industries in society, and mitigating their harms.

This study allowed for a comprehensive, dynamic and inclusive understanding of the interplay of CSR reporting and legitimacy by addressing conflicting interests between sin companies' social effects and inherent activities at the industry level. The methodology of multiple case study design in two sin industries combined content analysis of CSR reports, juxtaposed against analysis of behaviour in context. Previous research included the juxtaposition of actuality in analysis of only single case studies or particular issues. Thus, this research allows for a broader industry understanding. On a practical basis, the study offers guidelines to stakeholders on the use of CSR reports from sin companies, and suggests the establishment of objective external CSR reports, overseen by accounting regulators. At the social level, the paper provides an overview of sin industries in society, and mitigating their harms.

This study examines healthcare from an environmental point of view using the ecology theory of organizations as the underlying framework. This research attempts to understand how hospital services and their technology affect the community. The focus is on community characteristics, hospital services and technology available within the community and their influence on community mortality rates. The community is defined as a Healthcare Service Area (HCSA) which is determined by the hospital utilization pattern of individuals. Data from the 1995 Area Resource Files are utilized in this analysis. Lisrel, structural equation modeling, was utilized for data analysis. The results indicate that socioeconomic status, presence of teaching hospitals and the age of the population will have a greater influence on crude mortality rates than the actual services and technology that hospitals provide. In summary, the findings suggest that the discussion of healthcare needs to look beyond the hospitals and their high tech services and diagnostics to determine what services will actually benefit the community.