Arthur Midwinter and Murray McVicar
Reviews the history of political and professional debates on theoptimum size of public library authorities in the UK. Discussesconclusions on size in the major legislation and…
Abstract
Reviews the history of political and professional debates on the optimum size of public library authorities in the UK. Discusses conclusions on size in the major legislation and reports on public library policy prior to local government reorganization in 1974. Considers the effects of the 1974 local government reorganization and examines the subsequent continuing debate. Concludes that in the light of further impending modification of the UK local government system, further research is required into the structure and size of a public library service.
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Arthur Midwinter and Murray McVicar
Reports professional librarians′ perspectives on the organizationalimplications of local government reform. Considers four main areas ofconcern: joint arrangements, contracting…
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Reports professional librarians′ perspectives on the organizational implications of local government reform. Considers four main areas of concern: joint arrangements, contracting out, service disaggregation and economies of scale. Concludes that many professional librarians would be concerned at the service consequences resulting from a move to a greater number of smaller authorities.
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Arthur Midwinter and Murray McVicar
The political background in the United Kingdom leading to thedevelopment of performance indicators for public libraries is discussed.Corporate planning and value for money models…
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The political background in the United Kingdom leading to the development of performance indicators for public libraries is discussed. Corporate planning and value for money models are examined. A survey is reported of Scottish public library authorities and their use of performance indicators in relation to planning, budgeting and evaluation, and the development of public library objectives in Scotland is outlined. The major problems in applying performance measures to public libraries are considered.
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Arthur Midwinter and Murray McVicar
Discusses the difficulties in trying to assess performance levels of public libraries and argues that indicators can only provide a useful tool for public librarians if the…
Abstract
Discusses the difficulties in trying to assess performance levels of public libraries and argues that indicators can only provide a useful tool for public librarians if the limitations of comparative analysis are recognized. Performance measurement has in the past suffered from a crude political concern with measurement and league tables. The Accounts Commission for Scotland has published its first “result” for Scottish Council Services and has been refreshingly honest about the limitations of these traditional performance indicators, arguing that while they are an important element of decision making in the policy process, they can never be a totally comprehensive or decisive factor. Suggests that authorities could seek to assist in developing a more representative set of indicators for the modern public library service.
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This chapter reviews the existing empirical evidence on how social insurance affects health. Social insurance encompasses programs primarily designed to insure against health…
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This chapter reviews the existing empirical evidence on how social insurance affects health. Social insurance encompasses programs primarily designed to insure against health risks, such as health insurance, sick leave insurance, accident insurance, long-term care insurance, and disability insurance as well as other programs, such as unemployment insurance, pension insurance, and country-specific social insurance programs. These insurance systems exist in almost all developed countries around the world. This chapter discusses the state-of-the art evidence on each of these social insurance systems, briefly reviews the empirical methods for identifying causal effects, and examines possible limitations to these methods. The findings reveal robust and rich evidence on first-stage behavioral responses (“moral hazard”) to changes in insurance coverage. Surprisingly, evidence on how changes in coverage impact beneficiaries’ health is scant and inconclusive. This lack of identified causal health effects is directly related to limitations on how human health is typically measured, limitations on the empirical approaches, and a paucity of administrative panel data spanning long-time horizons. Future research must be conducted to fill these gaps. Of particular importance is evidence on how these social insurance systems interact and affect human health over the life cycle.
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A television comic announces a satiric Golden Fleece Award for the faux pas of some government official. The San Diego Chicken hams it up in the stands of the baseball park. A…
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A television comic announces a satiric Golden Fleece Award for the faux pas of some government official. The San Diego Chicken hams it up in the stands of the baseball park. A Swiss mime troupe advertises the services of a communications corporation. All these may be more familiar to young people today than is a circus clown. These and other entertainers are all in the business of laughter and provide commentaries on current society.
Tommy Foy, Rocky J. Dwyer, Roy Nafarrete, Mohamad Saleh Saleh Hammoud and Pat Rockett
Workplace stress costs £3.7bn per annum in the UK and in excess of $300bn per annum in the USA. The purpose of this paper is to examine the existence, strength and direction of…
Abstract
Purpose
Workplace stress costs £3.7bn per annum in the UK and in excess of $300bn per annum in the USA. The purpose of this paper is to examine the existence, strength and direction of relationships between perceptions of social support, work–life conflict, job performance and workplace stress in an Irish higher education institution.
Design/methodology/approach
The selected theoretical framework consisted of a combination of reward imbalance theory, expectancy theory and equity theory. An organizational stress screening survey instrument was used to survey the staff (n = 1,420) of an academic institution. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between the independent variables (social support, work–life conflict, job performance), the covariates (staff category, direct reports, age, gender), and the dependent variable (workplace stress).
Findings
The results showed a negative correlation between social support and workplace stress, a positive correlation between work–life conflict and workplace stress, and a negative correlation between job performance and workplace stress (p < 0.05). The results also revealed significant relationships between the covariates direct reports and gender and the dependent variable workplace stress.
Practical implications
The findings from this research can trigger an organizational approach where educational leaders can enable workplace change by developing and implementing social support and work–life strategies, and potential pathways to reduce levels of workplace stress and improve quality of life for employees and enhance performance.
Originality/value
The examination and establishment of particular relationships between social support, work–life conflict and job performance with workplace stress is significant for managers.
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Francesco Sofo, Ta‐Yan Leong and Michelle Sofo
The purpose of this paper is to identify from the literature the successful R&D management cooperation factors and then examine their relevance to R&D management cooperation…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify from the literature the successful R&D management cooperation factors and then examine their relevance to R&D management cooperation efforts between China and Australia.
Design/methodology/approach
The case study method is used to encourage a deeper appreciation of the dynamics of R&D management projects. A theoretical framework is constructed based on the literature to highlight factors of successful R&D management, and this framework is then applied to a case study involving the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
Findings
The result is a hybrid multi‐dimensional model incorporating cultural and social capital variables. Several critical success factors were found to exist: funding, government support, institutional support, complementary technology and expertise, mutual respect and strong commitment from leadership. One additional critical success factor was the bilingual expertise of facilitators who manage to help bridge the gaps between both intellectual capital (technical expertise) and cultural differences.
Practical implications
The framework of successful R&D cooperation identified in this study can act as a springboard for applying the successful principles in broader cases of R&D management cooperation.
Originality/value
The value of this study lies in the development of a model for successful cross‐cultural application of R&D management cooperation between China, Australia and (by extension) other countries that may foster successful cooperation, build global empathy and create inclusive competitive advantage.
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