Medium‐sized regional building contractors in the UK are exhibiting poorer performance in the 1980s and the 1990s and are less likely to survive than their larger or smaller…
Abstract
Medium‐sized regional building contractors in the UK are exhibiting poorer performance in the 1980s and the 1990s and are less likely to survive than their larger or smaller counterparts. The market structure of contracting appears to be changing, putting pressure on these intermediate firms. Evidence drawn from the Department of the Environment (DoE) statistical series shows industry composition is changing, in particular the gradual decline over time of the middle market. An analysis of company accounts for a sample of approximately 200 contractors shows that medium‐sized firms are also displaying inferior business ratios. Possible explanations are offered, including barriers to entry, such as capitalization, economies of scale (pecuniary and market), along with changes in construction demand.
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In October 2016, Timothy Sloan, the newly appointed CEO of American banking giant Wells Fargo, faced a massive public-relations crisis. A few weeks earlier, a United States…
Abstract
In October 2016, Timothy Sloan, the newly appointed CEO of American banking giant Wells Fargo, faced a massive public-relations crisis. A few weeks earlier, a United States government agency had announced the results of its regulatory review of the bank and exposed a shocking practice common in the retail division, in which aggressive community bankers had created more than a million fraudulent accounts and credit card applications on behalf of unaware customers for the past several years. Over the next few weeks, the bank—and Sloan's predecessor, John Stumpf, in particular—suffered from harsh criticism from politicians, journalists, and former employees alike, ultimately forcing Stumpf's resignation. As Sloan sought to minimize the public-image backlash and restore general trust in Wells Fargo, he struggled to construct the best communication strategy for the bank's next chapter.
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It has been argued that the UK has the reputation of operating a complex set of immigration laws to the extent that the constantly changing laws and regulations lead much to…
Abstract
Purpose
It has been argued that the UK has the reputation of operating a complex set of immigration laws to the extent that the constantly changing laws and regulations lead much to confusion and lack of accountability. It has further been argued that the ever-increasing and shifting pattern of deportation laws (some of which are retroactive) violates the basic principles of human rights norms. This paper aims to raise the query as to whether legislation associated with deportation is constantly enacted and revised to achieve deportation without regard to the remit of the doctrine of legitimate expectation encapsulated under the principle of legal certainty.
Design/methodology/approach
This research applies the doctrinal research methodology in addition to somewhat reliance on anecdotal evidence. Doctrinal research is library-based and reliance will be placed on primary and secondary materials such as legislations, case laws, soft laws on the one hand and textbooks, journals, articles, legal encyclopaedia, databases and many valuable websites on the other hand.
Findings
While it is accepted that the State enjoys the discretion or prerogative to deport migrants that violate the State’s immigration laws, the author posits that the issue of constant changes breed uncertainty, which in turn breeds unpredictability leading to unaccountability. Drawing on the UK’s state practice, the author will submit that contrivance of deportability and/or removability is adumbrated by the legal production of migrant irregularity exemplified by inconsistent and uncertain laws that vary like the “Chancellor’s foot”. In addition, the research found that crimmigration heightened the velocity of deportation by expanding deportability grounds by way of triggering broader, harsher and more frequent criminal consequences leading to conviction, thereby creating a suitable avenue for deportation and reducing the scope for challenging deportation decisions.
Originality/value
The research is an original piece of work that contributes to scholarship and knowledge in the area of migration as it concerns international human rights law given that wider matters within the boundaries of immigration and nationality laws do have effect on individual possession of rights to be in the UK, by way of lawful presence or as a matter of discretion.
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The librarian and researcher have to be able to uncover specific articles in their areas of interest. This Bibliography is designed to help. Volume IV, like Volume III, contains…
Abstract
The librarian and researcher have to be able to uncover specific articles in their areas of interest. This Bibliography is designed to help. Volume IV, like Volume III, contains features to help the reader to retrieve relevant literature from MCB University Press' considerable output. Each entry within has been indexed according to author(s) and the Fifth Edition of the SCIMP/SCAMP Thesaurus. The latter thus provides a full subject index to facilitate rapid retrieval. Each article or book is assigned its own unique number and this is used in both the subject and author index. This Volume indexes 29 journals indicating the depth, coverage and expansion of MCB's portfolio.
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Sarah L. Jack and Alistair R. Anderson
The enterprise culture is founded on the premise that entrepreneurship is the engine that drives the economy. One aspect of this cultural pervasion is the increase in the numbers…
Abstract
The enterprise culture is founded on the premise that entrepreneurship is the engine that drives the economy. One aspect of this cultural pervasion is the increase in the numbers of educational institutions teaching entrepreneurship courses. Yet this hegemony of the encouragement of new business start‐up, almost for its own sake, needs to be critically reviewed. One aspect is the enigmatic nature of entrepreneurship itself; what is it, and can it be taught? Another aspect is the very different expectations of those stakeholders promoting entrepreneurship education. Argues that the process of entrepreneurship involves both art and science; consequently our students need more than SME management skills. Graduating enterprise students must be innovative and creative to satisfy the need for entrepreneurial novelty ‐ the art. Yet, paradoxically they also need to be competent and multifunctional managers ‐ the science. Explores both these areas to argue that theory can bridge the art and science. The final section explains briefly how the recent research and practice at Aberdeen University attempts this synthesis. The intended outcome of our educational process are reflective practitioners, fit for an entrepreneurial career.
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Posits that every enterprise must institutionalize its workplacelearning systems and opportunities in such a way that it radiates whatit has already achieved and from this moves…
Abstract
Posits that every enterprise must institutionalize its workplace learning systems and opportunities in such a way that it radiates what it has already achieved and from this moves on to realize its full potential – in short, the enterprise itself is the key. Examines in successive chapters: the individual manager and questioning insights (Q); the major systems which the enterprise uses to capture and structure its learning; a SWOT analysis of the enterprise′s total learning; action learning, its contribution to the achievement of enterprise growth, and the role of programmed knowledge (P); the Enterprise School of Management (ESM) as a phoenix of enlightenment and effectiveness rising from the ashes of traditional, less effective management training initiatives; and, finally, the practical realization of the action learning dream, as evidenced by emerging examples of successful and profitable implementation worldwide. Concludes with a selection of pertinent abstracts.
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THE VALUE OF ABSTRACTS AND THEIR USE ‐ MCB is not a company to rest on its laurels. In the vernacular of modern‐day management literature, the company can rightly claim to be a…
Abstract
THE VALUE OF ABSTRACTS AND THEIR USE ‐ MCB is not a company to rest on its laurels. In the vernacular of modern‐day management literature, the company can rightly claim to be a learning organization; one that seeks to regenerate and develop itself in accordance with current trends, most notably customer and market requirements.
Digital piracy continues to be a problem for firms, industry lobby groups and regulators. The purpose of this paper is to report initial findings of a review of the digital piracy…
Abstract
Purpose
Digital piracy continues to be a problem for firms, industry lobby groups and regulators. The purpose of this paper is to report initial findings of a review of the digital piracy literature. To reduce conceptual overlap and duplicated effort, the author aims to identify gaps in understanding for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews prior literature on digital piracy across disciplinary areas.
Findings
Six gaps are identified, being the supply of pirate digital materials, piracy for non‐desktop environments, alternative distribution methods, the quality of pirate materials, the behaviour of piracy groups, and the benefits of digital piracy. These gaps constitute important undiscovered areas of knowledge.
Research limitations/implications
The paper excludes working papers and practitioner articles, which may contain different insight. The paper reports initial findings only, and the ongoing analysis may shed new light on these findings.
Originality/value
The paper contributes by providing a multidisciplinary view of gaps in the literature. No prior study has yet reviewed prior literature with a view to identifying these opportunities for future work.
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Andrzej Krzysiak, Dawid Cieśliński, Robert Placek and Pawel Kekus
The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of two parallel boosters fixed to the ILR 33 AMBER 2 K core rocket stage on its aerodynamic characteristics in the subsonic…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of two parallel boosters fixed to the ILR 33 AMBER 2 K core rocket stage on its aerodynamic characteristics in the subsonic and transonic regimes and for M = 2.3.
Design/methodology/approach
Wind tunnel tests of the rocket model were carried out in a trisonic wind tunnel using a six-component internal balance. Three rocket model configurations were investigated.
Findings
The results of the presented studies showed that the presence of boosters causes a significant increase in the total rocket drag, which depends on both the Mach number and the rocket flight phase. Experimental tests of the rocket model allowed to determine the difference in drag coefficient between active and passive flight versus Mach number. It was found that, in the case of a deviation from the rocket’s flight direction, the aerodynamic coefficients strongly depend on the location of the boosters in relation to the direction of the deviation.
Practical implications
Studies of the rocket model aerodynamic characteristics allow the assessment of the influence of parallel boosters on rocket performance, which is important when the decision of a rocket staging type is taken.
Originality/value
The presented wind tunnel test results of the rocket model equipped with the two parallel boosters are an original contribution to the rocket research results presented in the literature.