This paper examines the regulatory regime of the Financial Services Authority towards the credit union movement in Great Britain as contained in the Credit Union Sourcebook. The…
Abstract
This paper examines the regulatory regime of the Financial Services Authority towards the credit union movement in Great Britain as contained in the Credit Union Sourcebook. The author discusses the merits of a strong regulatory regime towards credit unions within Great Britain and concludes that such an approach could improve the traditional perception of credit unions, increase the protection of members and increase awareness of the benefits of joining a credit union.
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The provision of library services to thehousebound in the United Kingdom isextremely diverse. Local authorities vary intheir attitudes to priorities just as demanditself varies…
Abstract
The provision of library services to the housebound in the United Kingdom is extremely diverse. Local authorities vary in their attitudes to priorities just as demand itself varies. The development of housebound reader services is discussed, along with staffing requirements and also the range and selection of reading material and other requirements such as music and books on cassette.
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Seirgei Miller, Theo C. Haupt and Nicholas Chileshe
The cooperative education model adopted by Universities of Technology in South Africa embodies the notion that both education and training are equally essential. It incorporates…
Abstract
The cooperative education model adopted by Universities of Technology in South Africa embodies the notion that both education and training are equally essential. It incorporates productive work into the curriculum as a regular and integral element of a higher education course. The present model involves three cooperative partners namely, the university, student and employer. It should, therefore, be evident that cooperative education has two main components, namely an academic component and an experiential learning component, both of which are integral to its success. To enable students to understand the relationship between academic subjects and the world of work, cooperative education involves restructuring the educational experience. For some time, industry employer representatives have suggested that education and training offered at Universities of Technology do not always address the needs of industry. They argue that graduates lack the necessary theoretical skills, training and managerial understanding to ensure immediate meaningful employment. These inadequacies contribute to unemployment and the lack of advancement opportunity within their chosen careers. In addition, there is a need to examine the perceptions of students regarding course content before they go into industry. This was the motivation for this research. The aims of the research project are twofold. Firstly, to examine the course content offered within the civil engineering diploma programme, and secondly to measure the levels of subject satisfaction. Using an exploratory approach through a survey of 123 students, this study explores the course content and satisfaction levels based on study areas in the first year program. The results indicate that students generally perceive the subject Communication Skills to be least satisfying whereas Mathematics is considered to be the most satisfying subject. This paper concludes by presenting the subject satisfaction index tool which contributes to the range of intervention strategies as envisaged by the CIDB. This further contributes towards the improvement of the overall quality of University of Technology civil engineering academic programs and also the subsequent productive employability of its graduates.
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Matthias Woeckener, Danielle L. Boisvert, Eric M. Cooke, Nicholas Kavish, Richard H. Lewis, Jessica Wells, Todd A. Armstrong, Eric J. Connolly and James M. Harper
Research reports a positive relationship between parental rejection and antisocial behavior in adolescents and young adults. Studies also report a positive association between…
Abstract
Purpose
Research reports a positive relationship between parental rejection and antisocial behavior in adolescents and young adults. Studies also report a positive association between testosterone and antisocial behavior. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether testosterone moderates the influence of parental rejection on antisocial behavior in a sample of young adults.
Design/methodology/approach
The current study analyzed a sample of undergraduate students (N=322) to examine the interaction between testosterone and parental rejection in the prediction of antisocial behavior. Multivariate ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to explore this association.
Findings
Results from OLS regression models revealed that parental rejection and testosterone were independently associated with antisocial behavior and that the effect of parental rejection on antisocial behavior was stronger at higher levels of testosterone.
Originality/value
This current study is the first to examine how testosterone conditions the influence of parental rejection on antisocial behavior in young adults. Findings from the study add to the growing body of literature examining the interplay between biological and environmental factors.
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Neena Gopalan, Nicholas J. Beutell and Wendy Middlemiss
This study aims to investigate international students’ cultural adjustment, academic satisfaction and turnover intentions using ecological systems perspective and explores factors…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate international students’ cultural adjustment, academic satisfaction and turnover intentions using ecological systems perspective and explores factors that affect academic success and turnover by exploring three stages: arrival, adjustment and adaptation.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample consists of 208 international students enrolled at a mid-Western university in the USA. Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling and mediational analyses were used to test hypotheses.
Findings
Findings indicate that self-efficacy, as a pre-sojourn characteristic, affects adjustment variables inclusive of cultural adjustment, affecting academic satisfaction and turnover intentions. Adjustment variables (coping, cultural adjustment and organizational support) mediated relationships between self-efficacy and turnover intentions.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed model moves the research forward by examining an ecological systems framework describing how individual, social, academic, cultural and institutional factors function in supporting international students’ transitions. Results may be generalizable to other large US universities with varying dynamics and resources available (or not) for international students.
Originality/value
Given the challenges international students face in the USA in adapting to both new culture and academic setting, it is imperative to identify what elements of their transition and academic environment predict academic success. This is one of the first studies testing the propositions derived from Schartner and Young’s (2016) model.
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The need to make the war effort successful encouraged the government to seek as many ways as possible to mobilise resources. The use of the skills of advertisers was recognised in…
Abstract
The need to make the war effort successful encouraged the government to seek as many ways as possible to mobilise resources. The use of the skills of advertisers was recognised in political circles and during the period of Asquith's premiership Le Bas had a major influence. The greatest campaign was to recruit men for the army.
Kit Fai Pun and Surujdaye Jaggernath‐Furlonge
Although many adherents openly praise the importance of quality management practices (QMP) in organisations, others have identified significant costs and implementation obstacles…
Abstract
Although many adherents openly praise the importance of quality management practices (QMP) in organisations, others have identified significant costs and implementation obstacles. Some recent studies showed that QMP have failed due to the ignorance of quality cultures. How to improve the success rate of QMP in organisations has become a critical issue both in the academy and in practice. This paper discusses the common enablers of and cultural impacts on QMP. It explores the dimensions of national versus organisational culture, and identifies the main features of four quality culture models as advocated in the literature in relation to facilitating QMP in organisations. It was found that flat structures, decentralised functions, empowerment, flexibility, innovation, limited rules and regulations and teamwork favor the QMP implementation. For facilitating culture changes for QMP, values associated with low power distance, low uncertainty avoidance and collectivism would have to be nurtured. Further research is needed to incorporate the findings and develop a practical quality culture approach for real applications in industry.