Imagine a social inclusion project that encourages people recovering from mental distress to take risks. Suppose, too, that it was staffed by people with little prior experience…
Abstract
Imagine a social inclusion project that encourages people recovering from mental distress to take risks. Suppose, too, that it was staffed by people with little prior experience of working in mental health services. That's the unorthodox approach taken by the Mainstream project. Mike Carr explains how it works and how, despite initial scepticism from some mental health practitioners, they have amassed a clear body of evidence to show that it works.
In March 1994 British Gas began a major restructuring of its UK gasbusiness. In place of the 12 regions there are now five business units– gas transport and storage, public gas…
Abstract
In March 1994 British Gas began a major restructuring of its UK gas business. In place of the 12 regions there are now five business units – gas transport and storage, public gas supply, contract trading, servicing, installation and retailing. Addresses issues relating to the retailing business. Discusses how selective targeting of customers has helped the company to achieve an increase in sales orders and a more accurate customer profile, and has contributed to the success of The Gas Collection catalogues.
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This index covers all issues between February 2005 (Volume 9, Issue 1) and November 2008 (Volume 12, Issue 4). Numbers in bold refer to yolume, numbers in brackets refer to issue…
Abstract
This index covers all issues between February 2005 (Volume 9, Issue 1) and November 2008 (Volume 12, Issue 4). Numbers in bold refer to yolume, numbers in brackets refer to issue, with subsequent numbers to pages.
Michela Arnaboldi and Irvine Lapsley
The purpose of this paper is to analyse enterprise risk management (ERM), its organizational translation and fit, investigating in particular its impact on a major control…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse enterprise risk management (ERM), its organizational translation and fit, investigating in particular its impact on a major control process: budgeting.
Design/methodology/approach
The research was carried out with a multiple case study approach including three companies in the UK. This approach was chosen to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of ERM within each of the organizations and the factors shaping its achievements.
Findings
Three main issues emerged. The first is related specifically to ERM implementations and its variety in practice. Second, ERM champions emerged as central in shaping the managerial usefulness of ERM. Third, the cases showed diversity of practice in term of integration with budgeting which range from a voluntary full integration to an voluntary separation.
Practical implications
The cases analysed highlighted that the integration between risk and other control processes is a challenge but also a strategic choice. Although conceding that ERM implementation is not linear, companies should reflect upon the type of relations they would like to have between different processes of control.
Originality/value
The results of the paper explored ERM organizational fit, evidencing variety in practice and theoretically discussing how this diversity is linked to organizational and technical issues.
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Group incentive schemes have been shown to be positively associated with firm performance but it remains an open question whether this association can be explained by the…
Abstract
Purpose
Group incentive schemes have been shown to be positively associated with firm performance but it remains an open question whether this association can be explained by the motivating characteristics of the group-incentive scheme itself, or if this is due to factors that tend to accompany group-incentive schemes. We use a controlled experiment to directly test if group-incentive schemes can motivate sustained individual effort in the absence of rules, norms, and institutions that are known to mitigate free-riding behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
We use a controlled lab experiment that randomly assigns subjects to one of three compensation contracts used to incentivize an onerous effort task. Two of the compensation contracts are group-incentive schemes where subjects have an incentive to free-ride on the efforts of their coworkers, and the third (control) is a flat-wage contract.
Findings
We find that both group-incentive schemes resulted in sustained, higher performance relative to the flat-wage compensation contract. Further, we do not find evidence of free-riding behavior under the two group-incentive schemes.
Research limitations/implications
Although we do find sustained cooperation/performance over the three work periods of our experiment under the group-incentive schemes, further testing would be required to evaluate whether group-incentive schemes can sustain cooperation over a longer time horizon without complementary norms, policies, or institutions that mitigate free-riding.
Originality/value
By unambiguously showing that group-incentive schemes can, by themselves, motivate workers to provide sustained levels of effort, this suggests that the “1/n problem” may be, in part, an artifact of the rational-actor modeling conventions.
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Supporting community participation and social inclusion is a key goal of modernised day services but there is a lack of instruments to measure these outcomes. This paper discusses…
Abstract
Supporting community participation and social inclusion is a key goal of modernised day services but there is a lack of instruments to measure these outcomes. This paper discusses issues around the measurement of social inclusion, presents a pilot study and introduces the Inclusion Web, a strategy to record changes in social networks and environment while supporting the concept of a shared perspective of social inclusion. Two aspects of social and community participation are quantified and tallied over eight life domains: people (personal relationships) and places (institutions that matter to the individual).
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To provide an in-depth survey and review of innovation in library and information services (LIS) and to identify future trends in innovative research and its practical application…
Abstract
Purpose
To provide an in-depth survey and review of innovation in library and information services (LIS) and to identify future trends in innovative research and its practical application in the field.
Methodology/approach
An in-depth review and summation of relevant literature over the last twenty years, along with an analysis and summary of the other papers in the volume.
Findings
Innovation in library and information work varies between the evolutionary and the discontinuous. A taxonomy of innovatory approaches to development and provision in the sector is provided, along with a detailed listing of the key elements of successful and not-so-successful innovative practice.
Research limitations/implications
The work is dependent on existing literature rather than direct empirical work. However, because it draws together all major aspects of the topic, it has the potential to be used as a springboard for further generic studies and also specific programmes of work.
Practical implications
The need for innovation in LIS will be ever more pressing. The present chapter provides a necessary and rigorous overview of the necessary elements required for success in this area. It will be useful as a reference tool for intending researchers in library and information provision in a wide range of environments.
Originality/value
Because the chapter brings together a substantial body of information on the topic of innovation, it provides a comprehensive study of major developments and likely future trends in the field.
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The author explores questions of authenticity in the media industry by showing how right-wing media figures look to present their views as authentic by defining themselves as…
Abstract
The author explores questions of authenticity in the media industry by showing how right-wing media figures look to present their views as authentic by defining themselves as citizen journalists and positioning themselves in opposition to mainstream media. Looking at two case studies from the United States, Andrew Breitbart and Mike Cernovich, the author shows how the language of citizen journalism (amateurism, independence, immediacy) is co-opted by such figures to appeal to increasingly distrustful and antagonistic conservative media audiences.