Louise McArdle, John Hassard, Paul Forrester and Stephen Proctor
The 1980s was a decade of far reaching change in the relations between management and the workforce. Flexibility can no longer be considered a ‘flash in the pan’, while the…
Abstract
The 1980s was a decade of far reaching change in the relations between management and the workforce. Flexibility can no longer be considered a ‘flash in the pan’, while the ‘Japanisation’ of production is probably the most influential concept since Fordism. Combining these two elements has enabled employers to introduce whole packages for the organisation of work and production where quality of product and process are no longer considered optional, rather a pre‐requisite for firms competing on a global scale.
Louise McArdle and Pete Thomas
This paper aims to consider the impact of Fair Trade on producers with particular reference to women involved in Fair Trade production.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to consider the impact of Fair Trade on producers with particular reference to women involved in Fair Trade production.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper considers Fair Trade as an alternative to rational economic models of free trade and as a tool for development. A gender and development (GAD) perspective is used to assess whether Fair Trade empowers women in developing nations.
Findings
Fair Trade offers an alternative to free trade within capitalist production and has a positive impact for producers. The impact on gender relations within producer communities is limited although there are benefits for some women involved in Fair Trade production.
Research limitations/implications
The paper is based on secondary data and highlights the need for more focused research, which explores the links between gender, cultural relations and Fair Trade.
Originality/value
Understanding that while Fair Trade is usually considered as a positive developmental tool, its impacts are not homogeneous and are subject to the cultural gender relations that exist in producer communities. The paper highlights the need for a more systematic and longitudinal analysis of the impact of Fair Trade for women.
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Diana Whitney, Amanda Trosten-Bloom and Maria Giovanna Vianello
Adrian Wilkinson and Barry Witcher
Quality concerns for management was one of the key themes of the Fifth Annual British Academy of Management Conference which was held in Bath in September 1991. This brought…
Abstract
Quality concerns for management was one of the key themes of the Fifth Annual British Academy of Management Conference which was held in Bath in September 1991. This brought together a number of writers from a range of disciplines including production management, marketing and industrial relations. The sessions were chaired by Barbara Lewis from Manchester School of Management, UMIST, and papers were a mixture of reporting empirical findings and those being more conceptual in their approach. This short review summarizes the papers based on the abstracts with the aim of encouraging those interested to contact the authors concerned and also make a few general remarks on the state of TQM research.
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E.E. Lawrence and Virginia Sharpe
The purpose of this paper is to determine how we ought to distinguish between reference and readers' advisory (RA) service, given the latter’s turn toward a whole collection…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to determine how we ought to distinguish between reference and readers' advisory (RA) service, given the latter’s turn toward a whole collection approach. In other words, the paper answers this question: If both reference and RA librarians aim to meet patrons’ information needs and may theoretically do so using the same materials, then how are we to differentiate the two services conceptually?
Design/methodology/approach
In this conceptual paper, we posit that we can distinguish between RA and reference using Louise Rosenblatt’s theory of the aesthetic transaction. With this theory in hand, we can redefine the service distinction in terms of the stance – aesthetic or efferent – that the patron expects to take toward the material they seek.
Findings
On our account, the reader’s desired stance becomes a kind of hermeneutical lens through which a library worker may productively evaluate plausible pathways and materials. An aesthetic lens is characteristic of RA; it makes features of potential aesthetic transactions between a particular reader and a particular text (or genre or author’s oeuvre) salient.
Originality/value
The proposed account constitutes a novel application of Rosenblattian response theory, one that grounds and refines the going view that RA’s proper focus is on supporting a particular sort of experience rather than providing particular sorts of texts. This theoretical emendation also better aligns the service distinction with contemporary conceptualizations of RA as a “whole collection” service. Important practical and philosophical implications follow from the new account.
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Rosie Gloster, Jonathan Buzzeo, Annette Cox, Christine Bertram, Arianna Tassinari, Kelly Ann Schmidtke and Ivo Vlaev
The purpose of this paper is to explore the behavioural determinants of work-related benefits claimants’ training behaviours and to suggest ways to improve claimants’ compliance…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the behavioural determinants of work-related benefits claimants’ training behaviours and to suggest ways to improve claimants’ compliance with training referrals.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 Jobcentre Plus staff and training providers, and 60 claimants. Claimants were sampled based on whether or not they had been mandated to training and whether or not they subsequently participated. Along with general findings, differences between these groups are highlighted.
Findings
Claimants’ behaviours are affected by their capabilities, opportunities, and motivations in interrelated ways. Training programmes should appreciate this to better ensure claimants’ completion of training programmes.
Originality/value
Whilst past papers have largely examined a limited number of factors that affect claimants’ training behaviours, this report offers a synchronised evaluation of all the behavioural factors that affect claimants’ training behaviours.
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There is a lack of evidence for effective school-based prevention programmes to reduce alcohol misuse in adolescents. The purpose of this paper is to explore teacher’s views about…
Abstract
Purpose
There is a lack of evidence for effective school-based prevention programmes to reduce alcohol misuse in adolescents. The purpose of this paper is to explore teacher’s views about alcohol education in secondary schools in order to inform the subsequent development of new educational and intervention measures.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine female teachers from a range of schools who had responsibility for designing and delivering personal social, health, and economic education (PSHE).
Findings
Three main themes were identified in a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts. The themes demonstrated the importance of PSHE to these teachers, who faced challenges in delivering a comprehensive enough curriculum. Alcohol unit knowledge and responsible drinking were priorities for the teachers. However, given the many pressures faced by young people, alcohol could be viewed as just one challenge amongst many.
Research limitations/implications
Interventions may be seen as too compartmentalised by teachers if they fail to address the wider concerns of adolescents. Intervention developers should consider gaining input from teachers on the content of their programmes prior to running a trial to enhance feasibility and acceptability.
Originality/value
There are few studies that have explored what teachers think about alcohol education in general or about the content of specific interventions prior to their implementation. This study adds their voice to the literature and highlights the importance of considering the views and first hand experiences when developing new alcohol interventions aimed at adolescents.