Multidimensional analysis of temporal and layered microclimatic behavior of subtropical climber green walls in summer

Urban Ecosystems - Existing studies emphasizing the magnitude of green-wall thermal benefits paid little attention to temporal microclimatic behavior. To bridge the knowledge gap, we employed...     

The future of HRD research: Strengths,weaknesses, opportunities,threats and actions

This article clarifies the boundaries of human resource development (HRD) with respect to other concepts frequently used and misused in HRD literature. Through a proposition, a set of criteria for human resources is presented. A cross-culture literature comparison of the criteria demonstrates the consistency of the connotation in two contrasting cultures. This study has important implications for HRD research, practice and continued theory development effort. It relates to the identity and distinctiveness of HRD discipline, as well as the domain of HRD research and practice.     

The UK research assessment exercise

Abstract

This article examines and critiques the UK research assessment exercise (RAE) and its implications for research and writing in HRD. It describes the process and identifies weaknesses in some of the concepts and related criteria applied in assessing and grading research outputs and in particular the notions of ‘international’ and ‘world class’ as standards against which to judge those outputs. The article argues that the process has detrimental effects for emerging subjects such as HRD, for those engaged in research in such subjects and for journals such as HRDI which are relatively new to business and management. It concludes that UK academics working in the field of HRD are mistaken if they allow the RAE to drive their research and choice of publications and outlets, and that it is important to support the journals which are playing a critical role in establishing the subject.     

International Perspectives on the Use of Community Treatment Orders: Implications for Mental Health Social Workers

Substantial changes to mental health law and policy have occurredthroughout the Western world during the last decade. The drifttowards control, particularly in the form of Community TreatmentOrders (CTOs), has profound implications for the role of mentalhealth social workers, yet this issue is rarely discussed inacademic literature. This paper seeks to redress this gap inknowledge by examining aspects of law, policy and practice usingthree case studies: Victoria, Australia; Ontario, Canada; andregions of the UK. The paper begins by critically reviewingselected literature on CTOs, revealing competing claims aboutefficacy and their impact upon service users¹ and practitioners.A discussion of policy and practice contexts in the three jurisdictionsis then presented and supported with a typology, to illustratecontrasts and comparisons. In their conclusions, the authorsassert that mental health social workers often have a crucialpart to play in the implementation of CTOs but that this isnot always acknowledged in law and organizational policy. Socialworkers’ roles and responsibilities need to be more explicitlyidentified in mental health law. At the same time, there shouldbe a continuing debate about how such coercive powers fit withcodes of ethics and practice standards, at national and internationallevels.     

Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples and Attachment Theory

Emotionally focused therapy for couples (EFTC) is an important framework for couples therapy. It provides an integrative model, drawing upon experiential, systems and attachment theory to understand the dynamics of the couple relationship and to describe the therapeutic process. The aim of this paper is to ask how EFTC uses attachment theory, and whether it draws as fully as it can upon the richness of that theory to inform the process of therapy. This is set in the context of the evolving importance of attachment theory for therapeutic work.     

Business Perspectives in Southeast Europe

This paper deals with economic development in Southeast Europe and the effect of the European Union and its likely enlargement eastwards on socioeconomic expectations in the entire area. The EU factor introduced in the literature indicates that an EU enlargement could have a positive and significant impact on business and economic expectations of international investors. The acquis communautaire and the process of new candidate countries will be analyzed, as well as EU attention and a regional dimension of stability. The focus should be maintained on common fundamental issues, such as regional cooperation as a means that in effect could produce positive effects for promoting reconciliation and combating organized crime and corruption.     

Talking about Work: School Students’ Views on their Paid Employment

Seventy 15‐year‐old students in rural and urban Scottish schools, who had previously answered questionnaires about the extent of their part‐time employment, were interviewed. Work appears to be the norm in their communities, 79 per cent having worked and most of the others anticipating working before leaving school. Although the interviewees’ accounts of their jobs give some support to those who argue that most of the paid employment school students undertake is routine and boring, it was also found that most of the young workers found their work satisfying and believed that their experience of working helped to prepare them for adult life. It is proposed that research on the meaning of employment for school students should be extended and that the self‐report techniques currently employed might be supplemented by observational studies. © 2006 The Author(s). Copyright © 2005 National Children's Bureau.     

The Use of Remittance Income in Mexico

Immigration affects sending countries through the receipt of remittance income. The impact of these cash transfers on households and communities has brought attention to remittances as a development mechanism. This study attempts to understand the degree to which household consumption is affected by the receipt of remittance income and the ways in which the broader communities may be impacted. Using household income and expenditure data for Mexico, expenditure patterns of remittance‐receiving households are analyzed. Regression analysis indicates that remittance‐receiving households spend a greater share of total income on durable goods, healthcare, and housing.