The paper aims to describe the career and contributions of Joseph Scanlon in gaining labor‐management cooperation through employee participation and sharing the gains from cost…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to describe the career and contributions of Joseph Scanlon in gaining labor‐management cooperation through employee participation and sharing the gains from cost savings.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper makes use of archives and unpublished sources; correspondence with Scanlon's daughter and a previous colleague; Scanlon's writings; and secondary sources as needed.
Findings
Joseph Scanlon used his experiences to develop a plan that encouraged union‐management cooperation and workers and managers sharing gains from improved productivity. Scanlon's background is examined and how his colleagues at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, especially Douglas McGregor, provided the venue for his ideas to flourish and gain widespread acceptance. An analysis of 117 studies over a period of six decades is used to identify the conditions that appear to promote or to interfere with the Scanlon Plan.
Practical implications
The Scanlon Plan illustrates a means to promote labor‐management cooperation and a means to involve employees through sharing cost savings.
Originality/value
This is the first biographical study to use archival and unpublished sources to provide new insights into Scanlon and how his plan for cooperation and Gainsharing developed.
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The literature available on how communities deal with mass death, in particular body handling procedures, is sparse. Describes the actions of the various people involved in the…
Abstract
The literature available on how communities deal with mass death, in particular body handling procedures, is sparse. Describes the actions of the various people involved in the immediate aftermath of the Halifax (Nova Scotia) 1917 explosion. Also, but in less detail, examples the Rapid City flood, the Gander air crash, the Zeebrugge ferry disaster, the Tangsham earthquake, the Texas City explosion and the Kobe earthquake. Highlights the problems of handling bodies after a mass fatality incident: respect accorded to the dead individual; whether skilled individuals are there to take on the tasks, the tagging and identification procedures required and the setting up of temporary morgue facilities.
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Looks at the way in which public transport is used for evacuation of personnel in the event of emergencies or disasters. Although the work of the emergency services is well…
Abstract
Looks at the way in which public transport is used for evacuation of personnel in the event of emergencies or disasters. Although the work of the emergency services is well documented, it seems that the important task of evacuation, and particularly the planning, operation and documentation is often overlooked. This article looks at how public transport copes with this task, and suggests that this is due to the sometimes unpredictable nature of the transport system due to roadworks, road closures, accidents, etc. Special events, such as football matches, are a regular occurrence, which include the need to move large crowds to and from the venue. This strategy and planning can be used in the evacuation of people in the event of a disaster.
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Productivity gainsharing plans may well experiencea resurgence as firms attempt to meet thecompetitive challenges posed by the new globalmarketplace. This qualitative ethnographic…
Abstract
Productivity gainsharing plans may well experience a resurgence as firms attempt to meet the competitive challenges posed by the new global marketplace. This qualitative ethnographic research investigates the particular problems one US firm experienced when it implemented a Scanlon productivity gainsharing plan. It is argued that such plans should not be treated as simple quid pro quos for collective bargaining concessions because they necessarily pose significant impediments to the maintenance of the status quo. Successful implementation requires both a sound programme structure, especially concerning the bonus formula, and a change in the organisation′s culture whereby all employees are able to participate meaningfully in the decision‐making process.
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Joseph Scanlon and Terry McMahon
There are many differences in how authorities handle the dead during mass death incidents involving disasters and pandemics. These differences would suggest that planning for a…
Abstract
Purpose
There are many differences in how authorities handle the dead during mass death incidents involving disasters and pandemics. These differences would suggest that planning for a disaster death and planning for a pandemic death should be done separately. This may be true to some extent, however, there are many similarities between the two that this article will seeks to examine. The main objective of this study is to show that planning for both disasters and pandemics should either be done by a single entity that coordinates both types of responses, or by agencies that communicate closely and frequently.
Design/methodology/approach
This study compared mass death incidents predominantly within the Canadian historical record, including disasters and pandemics. It took a specific look at the influenza pandemic of 1918 in North America and how the dead were handled.
Findings
Both disasters and pandemics offer unique challenges in handling the dead and documenting the incident. In a pandemic the cause of death is usually clear, while in a disaster it is not always understood. However, the similarities they hold in common must not be overlooked. They will involve immense and complicated amounts of paperwork, cause a shortage of supplies (be it medical, food or otherwise) and create the need for assistance.
Originality/value
The research finds that though disasters and pandemics are often handled differently by the various agencies involved, they should be treated alike and dealt with in the same manner.
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The ancient Chinese believed that the most severe curse was to be condemned to live in interesting times. They define such times as being fraught with rapid change and turmoil…
Abstract
The ancient Chinese believed that the most severe curse was to be condemned to live in interesting times. They define such times as being fraught with rapid change and turmoil. Today's managers must feel they have been subjected to this greatest of all curses. Managers who have survived the recent recession must use their experiences to assist their organisations in adjusting to a changing environment. Although each manager and company will come away from their recent experiences having learned different lessons, several key lessons are common to all organisations. These concern the development of an environment for decision‐making and a system for managing all assets including the most dynamic, people.
Examines the application of total quality management (TQM) in hospitals, where the patient takes on the aspects of a business organization′s customer. Discusses ways of…
Abstract
Examines the application of total quality management (TQM) in hospitals, where the patient takes on the aspects of a business organization′s customer. Discusses ways of implementing TQM through top management and empowerment, and their effects. Examines three examples of TQM already at work within the health care system. Concludes that the quality initiative can be effective in encouraging formal standards of care, which are important in improving a patientbased system.
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Examines, through examples of disasters cited in the text, how response and assistance is given and at what speed, with particular reference to oceans, when applicable. Looks…
Abstract
Examines, through examples of disasters cited in the text, how response and assistance is given and at what speed, with particular reference to oceans, when applicable. Looks particularly at the part played by the Canadian Navy in many of these events.
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Elaine Enarson and Lourdes Meyreles
This article provides an introduction and assessment of the English and Spanish literatures on gender relations in disaster contexts. We analyze regional patterns of differences…
Abstract
This article provides an introduction and assessment of the English and Spanish literatures on gender relations in disaster contexts. We analyze regional patterns of differences and similarities in women’s disaster experiences and the differing research questions raised by these patterns in the scholarly and practice‐based literature. The analysis supports the claim that how gender is theorized makes a difference in public policy and practical approaches to disaster risk management. We propose new directions in the field of disaster social science and contribute a current bibliography in the emerging gender and disaster field.