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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact on household and farming systems of government efforts to modernise production, build scale and develop specialisation in the Tibet dairy industry.

An overview of policy strategies and industry developments is used to frame detailed micro-level analysis of household and farming systems where impacts on households are explored from both a comparative static and dynamic perspective.

Specialisation and intensification improve household returns but elicit major changes in the farming and household systems and engagement with external markets. For instance, scaling up from three to ten improved cows increases returns from farm activities by one-half but shifts households from a state of food self-sufficiency to one where they need to sell two-thirds of their dairy products and buy three-fifths of their livestock feed.

The diversity among Tibetan farm households and the dynamic changes occurring in farm productivity, product markets and agrarian systems means that the empirical results are used as illustrative rather than definitive.

Relative to the large attention on the Chinese dairy industry with regard to food safety and industry development, the impacts of dairy specialisation on smallholders especially in western China have been overlooked. The case highlights several issues relevant to agrarian transition and development including changing labour use, risk exposure and engagement with external markets.

Briefly reviews previous literature by the author before presenting an original 12 step system integration protocol designed to ensure the success of companies or countries in their efforts to develop and market new products. Looks at the issues from different strategic levels such as corporate, international, military and economic. Presents 31 case studies, including the success of Japan in microchips to the failure of Xerox to sell its invention of the Alto personal computer 3 years before Apple: from the success in DNA and Superconductor research to the success of Sunbeam in inventing and marketing food processors: and from the daring invention and production of atomic energy for survival to the successes of sewing machine inventor Howe in co‐operating on patents to compete in markets. Includes 306 questions and answers in order to qualify concepts introduced.

It is now forty years since there appeared H. R. Plomer's first volume Dictionary of the booksellers and printers who were at work in England, Scotland and Ireland from 1641 to 1667. This has been followed by additional Bibliographical Society publications covering similarly the years up to 1775. From the short sketches given in this series, indicating changes of imprint and type of work undertaken, scholars working with English books issued before the closing years of the eighteenth century have had great assistance in dating the undated and in determining the colour and calibre of any work before it is consulted.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of the size of the audit firm and compliance with Section 404(b) on how audit fees change over time.

This study uses panel data and an OLS regression to examine the relationship between audit fee changes, firms’ size and Section 404(b) compliance.

Section 404(b)-compliant companies experience a larger change in audit fees if they are audited by Big 4 firms than second-tier firms. Second-tier audit firms increase the fees primarily for the companies which do not comply with Section 404(b).

Regulators have been concerned with the Big 4 fee premium for four decades. This study informs regulators that the Big 4 continue increasing their fees at a higher rate than second-tier firms for their Section 404(b)-compliant clients (even though recent research shows that second-tier firms have increased quality to match the Big 4). This suggests that the Big 4 fee premium increases for this subset of clients, adding to the regulatory concerns.

While prior research has established the existence of the Big 4 fee premium, little is known about how this premium changes over time. Prior research shows that audit fees increase when internal controls are weak; however, little is known about how Section 404(b) compliance (once control effectiveness is controlled) affects fee changes. This paper addresses these voids in research.

The purpose of this paper is to examine partner specialization effects on audit fees in the US audit market.

This study exploits the unique environment created from the demise of Andersen to examine the effect of partner specialization on audit fees in the US audit market. An ordinary least squares regression was estimated from a sample of ex-Andersen clients that assumingly followed their ex-Andersen audit partner to the new audit firm.

The results show significant positive relations for both audit partner- and office-level specialization and audit fees and suggest that auditor specialization at both the partner- and local office-level demand a fee premium in the US audit markets. Furthermore, the results do not show a significant difference between partner- and office-level specialization effects on audit fees.

This study contributes to the audit quality literature by examining the effects of auditor specialization at both the office and partner levels on audit fees within a developed market. The results of this study should be of interest to academics, investors and regulators and help them in their assessments of audit quality.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of the Enron scandal, Arthur Andersen's demise and the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act on audit fees.

The paper uses empirical methodology (univariate and multivariate).

Audit fees and the Big‐4 premium increased in 2002. Increase was larger for bigger and riskier clients. Evidence is also consistent with a competitive market for former Andersen clients.

Data requirements might bias the sample towards larger sized firms. Data availability limits the number of observations.

The research findings on audit fees in post‐Enron and Arthur Andersen period reported in this paper are important for policy makers.

It is found that the premium charged by Big 4 over non‐Big 4 has increased in 2002, and that the ability of an auditor to charge a premium is adversely affected when its reputation is tarnished. It is also reported that the frequency of voluntary switches within the Big 4 is lowest in 19 years. The audit fee model was also refined by adding two ownership variables to control for agency aspect of client firms; inside and institutional ownership.

THE Electronic Computer Exhibition and the B.I.M. conference have provided material for serious contemplation. Sir Harold Gillett, Lord Mayor of London, opening the Exhibition suggested that we are living in the age of the second industrial revolution. There are some who share the Lord Mayor's view and others who take the whole matter in their stride. One thing is certain, we shall be able to do more—and do it more efficiently.

SOCIAL scientists have not yet been able to formulate any general laws about behaviour in industry that are capable of broad application. In recent years, however, they have made many useful case studies of which the one just published by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is typical. It is an approach to the problem which can do much to increase the understanding of the way in which people react to common industrial situations.

In the House of Commons recently Sir Kingsley Wood, the Minister of Health, was asked by Mr. Rickards, the member for the Skipton division of the West Riding, whether “the new process of adding germicide to milk for destroying bacteria had been brought to his notice?; whether he would have the process tested and investigated?; and consider whether any modification of the Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act would be required to permit of milk so treated being sold on a commercial scale?”—Sir Kingsley Wood in reply disclaimed all official knowledge of the germicide. He also pointed out that to treat milk with a germicide would be contrary to the provisions of the Preservatives Regulations, and of the Food and Drugs (Adulteration) Act. We understand “germ” to be a more or less popular term frequently and somewhat loosely used when reference in general is made to pathogenic organisms; and a germicide is a material something that kills, or is supposed to kill, germs when it comes in contact with them, or the medium in which they exist. A disinfectant is a germicide. In the simple judgment of the ordinary householder the more it smells the better it is for purposes of disinfection. When a germicide is used in cither medicine or surgery the term antiseptic is frequently employed. Familiar instances of both disinfectants and antiseptics are chloride of lime, carbolic acid, iodine, boron compounds, formalin, sulphur dioxide, or sulphites.