Strike strategies and the minimum effective union

Research has shown that in an industry-wide strike, a union must be able to reduce output “by a substantial percentage below competitive levels” to impose hardship on producers. But a union may also be effective by pursuing selective strikes. If some producers are struck while others are free to operate, then the targeted producers may bargain with the union, and holdouts can be targeted for strikes. This article analyzes the effects of selective and general strikes on both a competitive industry and a duopoly. If there are side-payments among producers, then general strikes are easier to mount. If there is no mutual aid among employers, then selective strikes are less costly to implement. It is also shown that strikes are easier to mount in a duopoly than in a competitive industry. This may contribute to union formation and collective bargaining in noncompetitive industries. The analysis is modified to allow for firms of different sizes. The results show that unions must be able to remove more output from larger firms than smaller ones, suggesting that union formation may be focused more on larger firms. The author thanks Mark Loewenstein, James Fain, and Campbell McConnell for thoughtful comments and suggestions. The author gratefully acknowledges a research grant from the College of Business Administration of the University of Nebraska. I am responsible for any remaining shortcomings.     

Developing services to meet the special heeds of children under five: towards collective responsibility

SUMMARY. This article is based on a keynote talk given at a dg seminar on Under Fives: Special Needs, Special Services?held at the National Children's Bureau in June 1987. The purpose of the seminar is sketched as an introduction. Historical evolution of traditions and practice in early childhood education and in special education are traced and common Principles are identified as a basis for reconciling these traditions to form collective responses to young children's special needs. A number of recent and current initiatives are described which attest to the potential for developing policies on under fives and special needs which epitomise working partnerships between statutory and voluntary services and families.     

Urban birds and planting design: strategies for incorporating ecological goals into residential landscapes

Urban Ecosystems - Private residential property occupies a major part of the urban land base, yet considerable potential remains for improving the ecological performance of private gardens and...     

Stakeholder reactions to company crisis communication and causes

Despite the burgeoning number of studies examining stakeholder effects of crisis communication and crisis causes, the varied categorizations used, together with inconsistent findings, has meant that knowledge gaps remain. Specifically, existing studies have not established whether a significant hierarchy of best communicated accounts exist that minimize crisis impact on stakeholder reactions. In addition, whether different crisis causes have different emotional, attitudinal and behavioral outcomes still requires examination. Further, crisis emotion research has been limited and has predominantly investigated anger and sympathy, indicating the need to explore a greater variety of crisis emotions.     

How experiential education relates to college goals and objectives

Goals and undergraduate education objectives related to experiential learning were identified in college brochures and through interviews with selected college personnel. All college faculty were mailed questionnaires asking the extent of their agreement with the goals and objectives and their opinion as to the learning environment most conducive to achieving these objectives.Lack of faculty agreement with experiential learning goals and faculty unwillingness to endorse off-campus learning experiences conflicted with the published philosophy of the college. A Guttman Scale constructed from faculty responses to goals showed that as the degree of abstraction of each goal increased, so did the degree of faculty agreement.Based on college goals, valid and reliable instruments were developed to determine students' attitudes about field experiences, and to assess performance in field placements. As amounts of fieldwork increased, students' attitudes about self became more positive, performances at field sites showed higher achievement, and understanding of college goal-related concepts increased. Any amount of fieldwork appeared to help focus students' professional goals.     

Barriers and facilitators to delivering effective mental health practice strategies for youth and families served by the child welfare system

While the gap between need for and access to mental health services is well documented among children of color in foster care, little is known about why they are sustained. To illuminate barriers of service delivery, thirty-six caseworkers participated in one of five focus group meetings in a large urban Mid-Atlantic City. Ground Theory Methods revealed that there are barriers and facilitators at the macro, meso, and micro practice orientations. At the macro-level, development of effective practice strategies and proximity to effective services are likely to influence dissemination of effective practices. Secondly, at the meso-level, job support is needed to facilitate awareness, but for case managers to feel supported, they need effective training and opportunities to facilitate interagency collaboration. Finally, at the micro-level, cultural competence largely impacts implementation of effective practices. However, increased awareness around the social ills of stigma and the salience of “insider work” are needed to increase cultural competence. A “downstream” effect in which there are numerous barriers identified at the macro level has a direct negative impact on organizational capacity and readiness to deliver and engage youth and families in mental health services served by the child welfare system. Findings underscore the need for child welfare agencies to build supports at the macro, meso, and micro practice levels to ameliorate mental health service disparities.     

Ergonomics, automation and logistics: practical and effective combination of working methods, a case study of a baking company

The aim of this study was to combine three different analytical methods from three different disciplines to diagnose the ergonomic conditions, manufacturing and supply chain operation of a baking company. The study explores a summary of comprehensive working methods that combines the ergonomics, automation and logistics study methods in the diagnosis of working conditions and productivity. The participatory approach of this type of study that involves the feelings and first-hand knowledge of workers of the operation are determining factors in defining points of action and ergonomic interventions, as well as defining opportunities in the automation of manufacturing and logistics, to cope with the needs of the company. The study identified an ergonomic situation (high prevalence of wrist-hand pain), and the combination of interdisciplinary techniques applied allowed to improve this condition in the company. This type of study allows a primary basis of the opportunities presented by the combination of specialized methods of different disciplines, for the definition of comprehensive action plans for the company. Additionally, it outlines opportunities for improvement and recommendations to mitigate the burden associated with occupational diseases and as an end result improve the quality of life and productivity of workers.     

Where local and national evaluators meet: unintended threats to ethical evaluation practice

The ethical work of program evaluators is based on a covenant of honesty and transparency among stakeholders. Yet even under the most favorable evaluation conditions, threats to ethical standards exist and muddle that covenant. Unfortunately, ethical issues associated with different evaluation structures and contracting arrangements have received little attention in the evaluation research literature. This article focuses on the unintended ethical threats associated with multitiered evaluation contexts. After briefly reviewing the various frames through which evaluation theory and ethics are commonly viewed, we discuss ethical challenges associated with multitiered evaluation designs including examples drawn from our evaluation projects. The article concludes with specific findings and recommendations for evaluators, grantors, grantees, and researchers.     

Beyond the rhetoric: strategies for implementing culturally effective practice with children,families, and communities

Culturally effective practice remains elusive within child welfare agencies. Recognizing the hierarchical nature of becoming culturally competent, this article presents specific strategies that enhance cultural effectiveness at the individual, interprofessional, middle management, and upper management levels. The approaches evolve from a five-stage model of change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. Becoming culturally competent requires a clear assessment of where the individual practitioner and agency are on the change continuum. The article also explores barriers to culturally competent practice, with a focus on multilevel strategies that work within child welfare agencies.     

Developing strategies for the prevention, detection and management of elder abuse: the Irish experience

It is only within the past two decades that elder abuse has received governmental attention in Ireland. There had been little awareness, and no structures in place to tackle this problem prior to this. Media highlighting of particular cases, and an exploratory study undertaken in 1998, prompted the setting up of a governmental working group on elder abuse. Unique to this group was the trialling of a proposed system in two pilot sites. This allowed for recommendations based on actual practice, and has lead to the adoption of a network of elder abuse caseworkers, among other recommendations.     

村企关系的演变:从“村庄型公司”到“公司型村庄”

本文综合正式制度与非正式制度的研究角度,以永联村为例,考察了乡镇企业与乡村社区之间权力的相对变化,重点分析了村企关系的演变及演变的内在逻辑。研究结果表明,在正式制度的作用下,企业家人力资本生产力相对社区权力资本生产力逐渐提高,因此,在村企关系中企业的主导作用日趋凸显;但是在非正式制度,尤其是社会性合约的作用下,村企关系的演变并非按照线性模式进化,而是呈现出多样化。其中一种可能的演变趋势就是从"村庄型公司"到"公司型村庄",并且在正式制度和非正式制度共同作用下,"公司型村庄"模式具有内在的效率机制以及稳定性。     

Relational commitment and threats to relationship maintenance goals: influences on condom use

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined the effects of relational commitment (high commitment versus low commitment) and relationship maintenance goals (high threat versus low threat) on decisions to request the use of a condom. METHODS: The authors conducted a 2-part study using a survey of responses to hypothetical scenarios and decisions in actual relationships. RESULTS: Results indicated that people with high relational commitment were less likely to request a condom than were people with low relational commitment. People who perceived threats to relationship maintenance goals if a condom was requested were less likely to request a condom than were people who did not perceive threats to relationship maintenance goals. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study highlight the influence that relational threats and commitment levels have on condom use decision making.     

Reasons to have sex, personal goals, and sexual behavior during the transition to college

Emerging adults (M = 18.99 years, SD = .50) completed cross-sectional questionnaires (N = 943) and targeted follow-up telephone surveys (N = 202) across the transition to college. Gender, personal goals (dating, friendship, academic), and past sexual behavior were examined as predictors of reasons to have and not to have sex. Men rated Self-focused reasons to have sex as more important; women rated Partner-focused reasons to have sex and Ethical reasons not to have sex as more important. Importance of Pregnancy/STD reasons not to have sex did not differ by gender. Before college entrance, sexual history and personal goals predicted endorsement of reasons for/against sex. Personal goals predicted first intercourse during freshman year. Limitations of the study include the single university sample and use of closed-ended self-report measures. Personal goals and reasons for/against sex are associated with sexual behavior and should be addressed in programs designed to promote sexual health among emerging adult college students.     

Remittances and Other Financial Flows to Developing Countries

Official estimates of migrants’ remittances are around US$100 billion annually, with some 60 per cent going to developing countries. Any policy making use of migrants as a development resource must understand the size and allocation of remittances, and the roles played by migrants and their communities in the remittance process. This paper examines the flows of remittances in relation to other financial flows to developing countries. The examination is based on data available from official statistics. As discussed in the paper, remittances by unofficial channels are significant by all accounts so the remittance amounts reported here are quite conservative. The paper shows that annual remittances to developing countries have more than doubled between 1988 and 1999. Viewed over the last decade, remittances have been a much larger source of income for developing countries than official development assistance (ODA). The gap is increasing, since ODA has been falling while remittances have increased. Furthermore, remittances appear to be a much more stable source of income than private flows, both direct and portfolio, which tend to be more volatile and flow into a limited set of countries. Remittances to developing countries go first and foremost to lower middleincome and low–income countries. Lower middle–income countries receive the largest amounts, but remittances constitute a much higher share of total international flows to low–income countries. Of the ten countries receiving most remittances, two are low–income (India and Pakistan); six are lower middle–income (Philippines, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Thailand, and Jordan); and two are upper middle–income (Mexico and Brazil). Sub–Saharan Africa received some 8 per cent of remittances in 1980, but only some 4 per cent in 1999. South Asia’s share also declined from what was already a relatively high 34 to 24 per cent. Those who gained most were Eastern Europe and Central Asia, South and Central America, and the Caribbean, which increased their share of global remittances.     

Worker Remittances and Capital Flows to Developing Countries

Worker remittances constitute an increasingly important channel for the transfer of resources to developing countries. Behind foreign direct investment, remittances are the second‐largest source of external funding for developing countries. Yet, literature on worker remittances has traditionally focused on the impact of remittances on income distribution within countries, on the determinants of remittances at a micro‐level, or on the effects of migration and remittances for specific countries or regions. Macroeconomic determinants and effects of remittances have received more attention only recently. Hence, the focus of this paper is on the macroeconomic determinants of remittances and on differences in these determinants between remittances and other capital flows. We find that remittances respond more to demographic variables while private capital flows respond more to macroeconomic conditions.     

Roads and roadblocks to dual commitment: Similar and dissimilar antecedents of union and company commitment

Dual commitment received wide attention during the 1950s and, after a waning of interest during the 1960s and 1970s, interest has grown anew. In this study of dual commitment we used a model of investment and returns, applied referent theory to it, and grounded the investigation in an industrial relations context at an airline carrier in order to examine both company and union commitment. We found that wages were a positive income elastic good with respect to company commitment, but they were a negative good with respect to union commitment. Information obtained from the firm or the union also resulted in divergencies in the commitments. External labor market variables were unrelated to union commitment, but they were related to company commitment. Finally, job influence and perceptions concerning a labor-management program were positive predictors of the two commitments; as such, they have implications for the way firms and unions may want to build dual commitment. We thank Peter Cappelli, Fritz Drasgow, Peter Feuille, Greg Oldham, Lawrence T. Pinfield, and Dean Tjosvold for helpful comments.