R. P. Kinsella in a recent note in this journal expresses some doubts about the use of economic analysis to explain various aspects of the behaviour of households. This author…
Abstract
R. P. Kinsella in a recent note in this journal expresses some doubts about the use of economic analysis to explain various aspects of the behaviour of households. This author appears to have two objections to what he calls the “New Home Economics”.
Examines the extent to which 11 knowledge‐based Irish listed companies are adopting methodologies for reporting of intellectual capital in their annual reports. Their market and…
Abstract
Examines the extent to which 11 knowledge‐based Irish listed companies are adopting methodologies for reporting of intellectual capital in their annual reports. Their market and book values were compared and a content analysis of the annual reports of the 11 listed companies was conducted. With the exception of two of the 11 listed companies, significant differences in market and book values were found, suggesting that knowledge‐based Irish listed companies have a substantial level of non‐physical, intangible, intellectual capital assets. The level of disclosure of intellectual capital attributes by the 11 listed companies studied was low.
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The fundamental issue is not, as Miss Papps suggests, whether the family “can usefully be viewed as an organisation which makes choices and allocates resources”. This is pure…
Abstract
The fundamental issue is not, as Miss Papps suggests, whether the family “can usefully be viewed as an organisation which makes choices and allocates resources”. This is pure tautology—of course the family is an “organisation” and all organisations make choices and allocate resources. The real issue is whether the New Home Economics is a useful analytical framework within which to examine family behaviour. In my original note I set out some reasons for thinking that this approach is not a constructive one and is open to serious theoretical and practical difficulties. Unfortunately, Miss Papps does not address herself to these criticisms.
“The importance of the formal results lies ultimately in their relevance to normal communication and to the things that people argue about andfight for”.
A pseudo steady‐state model is developed to study heat transfer, fluidflow, and the interface shape in the liquid encapsulated vertical Bridgmancrystal growth. The model, which is…
Abstract
A pseudo steady‐state model is developed to study heat transfer, fluid flow, and the interface shape in the liquid encapsulated vertical Bridgman crystal growth. The model, which is governed by momentum, heat, and overall mass balances in the system, is solved by a finite‐volume/Newton method. Flow and temperature fields, as well as unknown melt/crystal and melt/encapsulant interfaces, are calculated simultaneously. Sample calculations are mainly conducted for the GaAs/B2O3/PBN system. Calculated results for the Germanium/graphite system are compared with finite element calculations by Adornato and Brown, and they are in good agreement. The effects of some process parameters, including the growth speed, ambient temperature profile and heat transfer conditions, on flow patterns, temperature fields and the interface shape are illustrated through calculated results. Interface inversion from concave to convex, by modifying the ambient temperature profile, is also demonstrated through computer simulation. Particularly, through an inverse problem approach, a flat interface can be easily obtained for various operation conditions.
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John Loan‐Clarke, Grahame Boocock, Alison Smith and John Whittaker
The topic of management training and development (MTD) in small businesses is relatively under‐researched, and an increased understanding of the factors influencing the purchase…
Abstract
The topic of management training and development (MTD) in small businesses is relatively under‐researched, and an increased understanding of the factors influencing the purchase of MTD by small businesses is needed. Therefore, a survey of 551 small businesses in the Midlands region of the UK sought to: identify influences on MTD investment and preferred MTD activities; and establish whether small businesses perceive a link between investment in MTD and business success. Interviews were also conducted with 12 organisations. Results show that the organisational characteristics of ownership, size, number of managers and family management have a significant influence on MTD investment. Of the sample organisations, 85 per cent considered investment in MTD to be linked to business success and 80 per cent of organisations engaged in some form of MTD. However, promoters of MTD to small businesses need to recognise that organisations in this sector are not homogeneous and desire customised training.
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R.J. Bennett and P.J.A. Robson
The size, characteristics and structure of boards of directors have been claimed to be an important influence on the performance of large firms, but have been less examined in…
Abstract
The size, characteristics and structure of boards of directors have been claimed to be an important influence on the performance of large firms, but have been less examined in small firms. For larger firms the role of boards acts more as a substitute for the development of internal staff and management skills, indicating that for large firms directors chiefly support the control role of CEOs. The importance of seeing boards, external consultants and internal management skills as substitutes is demonstrated, and is shown to have a non‐linear relation with firm size. However, a key finding of the paper is that there is little evidence of a strong association of board size, board qualifications, or board structure with firm performance, measured by profitability, employment growth or propensity to innovate.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of an experiential learning approach, available to students in all disciplines that combined a hands-on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of an experiential learning approach, available to students in all disciplines that combined a hands-on entrepreneurial and enterprise experience with professional consultant mentoring by using a competition to win business start-up funding.
Design/methodology/approach
Students at a UK University had the chance to enter a competition in which they developed an entrepreneurial idea and then designed and presented a business plan to win business start-up capital. Students who were entrepreneurially motivated, but who lacked capital to start-up their business, were targeted, as these students have been argued to benefit the most from a combination of business plan training and entrepreneurial development. Feedback and data were obtained from the students at each stage of the process and was thematically analysed to assess the development of students’ entrepreneurial skills and knowledge through the experience.
Findings
The research found that the benefits gained from this approach included both enterprising and entrepreneurial skills, with the greatest impact being on student confidence and belief in their ability to start a business. The practical skills had a “demystifying” effect on students that made them feel like entrepreneurship and enterprise start-up were attainable.
Research limitations/implications
The research focused on students at one UK University and centred on entrepreneurship in a retail business. The competition thus appealed mainly to students who were interested in retail start-up, thus leaving out some enterprising students whose feedback may have been different. In addition, while entrepreneurial skills are assessed in the data, the students who would be interested in the competition would be assumed to be proactive, and this skill was not able to be analysed. This research is a single case, and thus could be enhanced by more cases and looking at other enterprise start-up means beyond retail.
Originality/value
This research makes a case that, in light of literature critical of the use of business plan training in entrepreneurship education, certain students are appropriate candidates for this approach. Specific skills and knowledge can be developed in university students using a live enterprise experience, supported by entrepreneurial mentoring. By making the event extracurricular, the study sought to capture the feedback of students who self-selected into the programme, who can benefit most from combined entrepreneurial and business plan development experience.
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Coral Sirdifield and Sara Owen
The purpose of this paper is to examine how the role in offender mental health for the probation service described in policy translates into practice through exploring staff and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how the role in offender mental health for the probation service described in policy translates into practice through exploring staff and offenders’ perceptions of this role in one probation trust. In particular, to examine barriers to staff performing their role and ways of overcoming them.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative secondary analysis of data from semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 11 probation staff and nine offenders using the constant comparative method.
Findings
Both staff and offenders defined probation’s role as identifying and monitoring mental illness amongst offenders, facilitating access to and monitoring offenders’ engagement with health services, and managing risk. Barriers to fulfilling this role included limited training, a lack of formal referral procedures/pathways between probation and health agencies, difficulties in obtaining and administering mental health treatment requirements, problems with inter-agency communication, and gaps in service provision for those with dual diagnosis and personality disorder. Strategies for improvement include improved training, developing a specialist role in probation and formalising partnership arrangements.
Research limitations/implications
Further research is required to explore the transferability of these findings, particularly in the light of the recent probation reforms.
Originality/value
This is the first paper to explore how staff and offenders perceive probation’s role in offender mental health in comparison with the role set out in policy.