Melanie Simms, Jane Holgate and Carl Roper
The purpose of this paper is to reflect on how the UK’s Trade Union Congress, in the 150th year of its formation, has been responding to the significant changes in the labour…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reflect on how the UK’s Trade Union Congress, in the 150th year of its formation, has been responding to the significant changes in the labour market, working practices and union decline. The paper considers Trades Union Congress (TUC) initiatives to recruit and organise new groups of workers as it struggles to adapt to the new world of work many workers are experiencing. Although the paper reviews progress in this regard it also considers current and future challenges all of which are becoming increasingly urgent as the current cohort of union membership is aging and presents a demographic time bomb unless new strategies and tactics are adopted to bring in new groups of workers – particularly younger workers.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a review paper so it mainly draws on writings (both academic and practitioner) on trade union strategy and tactics in relations to organising approaches and in particularly the TUC’s initiatives from the period of “New Unionism” onwards.
Findings
The authors note that while unions have managed to retain a presence in workplaces and industries where they membership and recognition, there has, despite a “turn to organising” been less success than was perhaps hoped for when new organising initiatives were introduced in 1998. In order to expand the bases of organisation into new workplaces and in new constituencies there needs to be a move away from the “institutional sclerosis” that has prevented unions adapting to the changing nature of employment and the labour market restructuring. The paper concludes that in order to effect transformative change requires leaders to develop strategic capacity and innovation among staff and the wider union membership. This may require unions to rethink the way that they operate and be open to doing thing radically different.
Originality/value
The paper’s value is that it provides a comprehensive overview of the TUC’s role in attempting to inject an organising culture with the UK union movement by drawing out some of the key debates on this topic from both scholarly and practitioner writings over the last few decades.
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Isaac Animah, Mahmood Shafiee, Nigel Simms, John Ahmet Erkoyuncu and Jhareswar Maiti
A substantial number of production assets in the offshore oil and gas industry are facing operation beyond their anticipated design life, thus necessitating a service life…
Abstract
Purpose
A substantial number of production assets in the offshore oil and gas industry are facing operation beyond their anticipated design life, thus necessitating a service life extension program in the future. Selection of the most suitable strategy among a wide range of potential options to extend the lifetime of equipment (e.g. re-using, reconditioning, remanufacturing, refurbishing and adding on safety/process control measures) remains a challenging task that involves several technical, economic and organizational complexities. In order to tackle this challenge, it is crucial to develop analytical tools and methods capable of evaluating and prioritizing end-of-life strategies with respect to their associated costs and quantifiable benefits. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a life-cycle cost-benefit analysis approach to identify the most suitable life extension strategy for ageing offshore assets by taking into account all the capital, installation, operational, maintenance and risk expenditures during the extended phase of operation. The potential of the proposed methodology is demonstrated through a case study involving a three-phase separator vessel which was constructed in the mid-1970s.
Findings
The results from the application case indicate that the capital expenditure (CapEx) accounts for the largest portion of life cycle cost for the replacement strategy, while risk expenditure (RiskEx) is the major contributor to costs associated with life extension. A sensitivity analysis is also conducted to identify factors having the greatest impact on the optimum life extension solution, including oil price, production rate and money interest rate.
Practical implications
In the past, the decisions about life extension or replacement of in-service equipment were often made in a qualitative way based on experience and judgment of engineers and inspectors. This study presents a “quantitative” framework to evaluate and compare the costs, benefits and risks associated with life extension strategies and subsequently to select the best strategy based on benefit/cost ratios.
Originality/value
To the best of authors’ knowledge, no studies before have applied life cycle assessment and cost-benefit analysis methods to prioritize the potential life extension strategies in the oil and gas industry sector. The proposed approach not only assists decision makers in selecting the most suitable life extension strategy but also helps duty holders reduce the costs corresponding to life extension execution.
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The use of CO2 as a replacement for conventional air in combustion gas streams of gas turbine power‐generation equipment is a novel idea and a potential method of providing an…
Abstract
Purpose
The use of CO2 as a replacement for conventional air in combustion gas streams of gas turbine power‐generation equipment is a novel idea and a potential method of providing an almost pure CO2 stream for subsequent disposal/sequestration. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of this novel gas environment on conventional gas turbine component part materials over the same range of temperatures found in service.
Design/methodology/approach
Test samples of candidate materials were tested in simulated environments using controlled gas and steam supplies to sealed horizontal laboratory furnaces. Conventional weight change tests, metal loss tests and electron microscope examination were used to assess the performance of the materials and compare the oxidation morphology. Spectra of the oxidation products were also used to determine the nature of the oxides formed on selected materials.
Findings
It is found that changes in the percentage of steam in the novel gas environment made little difference to the performance of the selected alloys. However, when the results of the program are compared with typical data from previous works, where the same alloys are exposed in air, there is a distinct trend. Comparison between the data from air exposed samples and data from those in this paper show the high CO2 environment, envisaged for the GAS‐ZEP concept, to be more aggressive to all of the alloys tested.
Originality/value
This paper describes the first investigation into the performance of candidate materials for the various components around a GAS‐ZEP system in the novel operating environments anticipated. The work has shown that current power plant materials can be considered for use in first generation GAS‐ZEP systems, but that care is required in their selection at the higher operating temperatures.
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Victor Dulewicz and Malcolm Higgs
The need for effective leadership has become paramount to meet the challenges of the 21st Century and a growing number of academics and senior managers have recently come to…
Abstract
The need for effective leadership has become paramount to meet the challenges of the 21st Century and a growing number of academics and senior managers have recently come to recognize the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) for effective leadership. Furthermore, Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee (2002) have contended that the higher up one advances in an organization, the more important EI becomes. In this paper the authors have focused on evidence at the very top of the organization, the Board. They review the findings from a major study of UK boards and re‐analyze the data on tasks and competencies relating to EI constructs. Their results show that EI competencies are considered to be extremely important according to the majority of a large sample of UK directors in a survey and they go on to argue that many of the tasks (outputs) of the Board require EI competencies, as well as many aspects of Team Process (for Organizing and Running the Board). The authors also produce new findings which support Goleman's hypothesis that the higher one advances, the more important EI becomes. Possible explanations for the findings are discussed and the paper concludes with a review of important current and future research such as the full integration of EI elements into instruments to assess leadership competence and style, and the effect that organization culture has on these constructs.
To consider side‐by‐side various arguments as to why Coca‐Cola's performance has dwindled over the past decade.
Abstract
Purpose
To consider side‐by‐side various arguments as to why Coca‐Cola's performance has dwindled over the past decade.
Design/methodology/approach
Review of three previously published articles on Coca‐Cola, drawing out the similarities in their arguments
Findings
Coca‐cola's core market is increasingly difficult to please and senior managers are not confident or quick‐moving enough in their strategies to reach them.
Practical implications
Managers should ensure strong communication and a confident approach.
Originality/value
Draws together detail of oversees, marketing and product strategies.
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Barbara Tocco, James A. Cunningham, Amelia Magistrali, Jeremy Phillipson and Matthew Gorton