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This chapter will focus on the use of evaluative research in higher education policy analysis. The approach will be illustrated by reference to higher education policy in Scottish higher education, with particular reference to the longitudinal evaluative research of support of teaching and learning (T&L) (the Quality Enhancement Framework or QEF). The chapter will discuss the features of the research process which are shaped by evaluation theory. We adopt a theoretical position on policy research which foregrounds the situated experience of policy as a core research focus. Policy is depicted as being underscored by an implicit theory of change which is used to structure and orientate the research focus. The design of the research is characterised by the involvement of potential users of the research output, with implications on the way in which findings are articulated, presented and ultimately used, along with aspects of the evaluative research design. The case study of the QEF will be contextualised, and the intersection between the design features and theoretical approaches, and the use and usability of research outputs, will be established.

This paper examines the role of cultural values measured as collectivism, face-saving, and conflict-avoidance, in predicting employee voice behavior. Using data (n = 198) collected from automotive-industry employees in the United States (US) and Korea, several interesting findings emerged. First, and most notably, for a “leaver” who chooses the exit option, culture does not matter, such that none of the three cultural values have a significant association with the exit option across countries. Second, for a “stayer,” who chooses the voice, loyalty, or neglect option, culture does matter in that cultural-specific values, such as collectivism, face-saving, and conflict-avoidance were found to affect employees nonexit options in the Korean sample, but not in the U.S. sample. The results of this study suggest that these three cultural values guide and predict employee voice behavior. Additionally, the results of this study confirm that job alternatives are a significant predictor of the exit option across cultures. This study therefore presents strong empirical evidence of the effect of culture on employee voice behavior and increases our understanding of employee voice behavior across cultures.

Barriers to employment are a significant issue in the United States and abroad. As civil rights legislation continues to be enforced and as employers seek to diversify their workplaces, it is incumbent upon the management field to offer insights that address obstacles to work. Although barriers to employment have been addressed in various fields such as psychology and economics, management scholars have addressed this issue in a piecemeal fashion. As such, our review will offer a comprehensive, integrative model of barriers to employment that addresses both individual and organizational perspectives. We will also address societal-level concerns involving these barriers. An integrative perspective is necessary for research to progress in this area because many individuals with barriers to employment face multiple challenges that prevent them from obtaining and maintaining full employment. While the additive, or possibly multiplicative, effect of employment barriers have been acknowledged in related fields like rehabilitation counseling and vocational psychology, the Human Resource Management (HRM) literature has virtually ignored this issue. We discuss suggestions for the reduction or elimination of barriers to employment. We also provide an integrative model of employment barriers that addresses the mutable (amenable to change) nature of some barriers, while acknowledging the less mutable nature of others.

This paper investigates the use of deception in two negotiation studies. Study 1 (N = 80) demonstrates that direct questions and solidarity curtail deception. Study 2 (N = 74 dyads) demonstrates that direct questions are particularly effective in curtailing lies of omission, but may actually increase the incidence of lies of commission. These findings highlight the importance of misrepresentation to the negotiation process and suggest approaches for contending with deception.

This study investigates the effects of fiscal policy on the U.S. economy within the confines of causality testing framework. A unidirectional causal flow is established from nominal GNP to fiscal expenditures and deficits. Further testing of the data indicates that although fiscal policy does not affect real output, it impacts the CPI.

This study demonstrates the analysis and findings of the field research undertaken in Japan in May 1988 on a small sample of Japanese firms with UK subsidiaries. The study examined the factors behind the marketing strengths of Japanese parent companies and the effects on their relationships with their UK subsidiaries. The research indicates that the Japanese companies saw their successes in the specific qualities and thoroughness of their management and labour, with a strong focus to committing resources to marketing, product innovation and R&D. The findings of the research with recommendations are presented.

Examines the processes of cluster analysis and describes them using an example of benefit segmentation, and also discusses other applications suggesting new directions of research in related fields. Bases an example study with 200 early respondents to a survey into sixth formers' choice of degree course, in which students were given 23 criteria which related to their course choice. Comparisons of likeness using Euclidean distance measures were employed. Uses also importance ratings given by three drivers to characteristics of new cars. Proposes that hierarchical clustering can be criticised when used to cluster data that is not naturally hierarchical, but other procedures have similar failings. Posits that clumping and optimisation in conjunction with hierarchical clustering offer the greater potential. Concludes that cluster analysis is a flexible tool, which provides a number of opportunities for marketing, and it is an appealing and simple idea ‐ but there are many technical questions that a researcher must ask before it is used.

Higher education is the main source of executive manpower and professional technology for businesses, yet it is only in the last few months of the education system that firms make contact with the education élite. When a graduate is recruited, a firm obtains two things — the individual and the training. Many firms concentrate on the individual when selecting potential executives, although if a company is seeking technologists, a student's course is more important. Businesses dedicate much effort to obtaining the best of the output of the education system and spend generously on management training, but pay little attention to the mechanism that brings together the two raw materials — sixth formers and courses in higher education. In the long‐run, a business is only as good as the people it employs and the failure to manage the process that ensures a flow of the right people into business is reflected in the failure of British businesses to be competitive.

A true marketing orientation is associated with superior performance in the UK retail financial services industry. This finding runs counter to some recent criticism of marketing influence on the banking sector. Empirical research in the UK retail financial service industry found that successful companies appear to balance a profit orientation with an orientation towards the most difficult market to satisfy, the wealthy. Successful companies focused on a distinct group of customers, and did not rely on traditional methods such as existing family links to attract business. They also maintained tighter control over profitability and costs. Utilizes expert assessment as the basis of performance measurement, and compares this technique with an alternative, peer assessment. Uses the Delphi technique to develop a performance measure, and both performance ratings and findings suggest that the performance of expert assessment and peer assessment as performance measurement methods is similar.