An algorithm for computing nonparametric estimators of change‐points

An efficient FORTRAN subroutine for computing three nonparametric point estimators of change-points is offered. Estimates computed from the subroutine are obtained for two classical data sets     

Coping resources,coping strategies and adjustment to organizational change: Direct or buffering effects?

Abstract

This study examined the effects of personal and social resources, coping strategies and appraised stress on employees' levels of anxiety and depression. In relation to the effects of resources and coping strategies, two different models were tested. The main effects model proposes that, irrespective of the level of stress, coping resources and coping strategies have direct effects on well-being. In contrast, the buffering model predicts that the buffering effects of coping resources ad strategies are only evident at high levels of stress. One hundred lawyers completed a structured self-administered questionnaire that measured their personal and social resources, use of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies, and appraisals of the stressfulness of the situation. Results revealed generally strong support for the main effects model in the prediction of employee levels of anxiety and depression. Lower levels of anxiety were linked to judgements of lower levels of organizational change, greater self-confidence, greater internality of control beliefs and less use of emotion-focused coping strategies. Lower levels of depression in employees were also linked to judgements of lower levels of organizational change, greater use of resources and less appraised stress. There was only limited support for the buffering effects model. Due to the small size of the sample, the findings need to be explored further in other contexts.     

The slippery slope of constructivism

While constructivism as both a philosophy and a clinical practice is being embraced by many individual and family practitioners, it remains controversial. This paper examines the difficulties one encounters in trying to balance the client's “relative truths” with those around them, including that of the therapist. Through the use of clinical vignettes, the authors demonstrate the difficulties inherent in dealing with ambiguities in the clinical situation, balancing the client's perspective, with that of a predominant culture or biological “fact,” and considering the issue of the client's “veracity.” Particular attention is paid to the difficulties involved in work with trauma survivors, whose own recollections of events may be ambiguous. Finally, the authors discuss the implications that constructivism holds for research and social action and advocacy. In sum, the authors recognize significant promise in the constructivist perspective, but caution clinicians to consider the inherent difficulties in a theory that relies on the relativity of truth.     

The Performance of Power: Sam Watson a Miners' Leader on Many Stages

This paper draws on the biography of Sam Watson, a miners' leader in the North East of England, to examine the ways in which power relations operated within the British labour movement in the forties and fifties. At that time the Marshall Plan and the concern by the US government to control the spread of communism in Europe provided a critical backdrop with the CIA's labor attaché programme providing links between the AFL and the CIOand the British TUC. Recent research has identified the significant role played in the development of these arrangements by Watson. The reliance of the Labour Party on the networks of national, regional and local trade unions has not been a central concern of students of this period. Certainly in accounts of the Marshall Plan, national figures like Ernest Bevin predominate. The “unveiling” here of Watson suggests the possibility of more fruitful investigations on a wider canvass. His relationship with the US mission in itself raises questions as to the social and political processes that made it possible for a middle ranking trade union official to occupy such a significant position of power and influence. The article draws on archival research and, most significantly, upon interviews conducted by the authors in the late seventies with key trade union officals and polticians. It explores the different ways that Watson dealt with communism and with members of the Communist Party, and the key role he played during critical struggles within the Labour Party. The detail of the “insider” accounts reveals the complex ways in which power was performed across and within different arenas – in North East England as regional secretary of the NUM; in London on the national executive committees of the Labour Party and NUM; and abroad as a member, then Chair, of the Labour Party's International Committee.     

Illegitimate tasks as a source of work stress

Illegitimate tasks represent a task-level stressor derived from role and justice theories within the framework of “Stress-as–Offense-to-Self” (SOS; Semmer, Jacobshagen, Meier, & Elfering, 2007). Tasks are illegitimate if they violate norms about what an employee can properly be expected to do, because they are perceived as unnecessary or unreasonable; they imply a threat to one's professional identity. We report three studies testing associations between illegitimate tasks and well-being/strain. In two cross-sectional studies, illegitimate tasks predicted low self-esteem, feelings of resentment towards one's organization and burnout, controlling for role conflict, distributive injustice and social stressors in Study 1, and for distributive and procedural/interactional justice in Study 2. In Study 3, illegitimate tasks predicted two strain variables (feelings of resentment towards one's organization and irritability) over a period of two months, controlling for initial values of strain. Results confirm the unique contribution of illegitimate tasks to well-being and strain, beyond the effects of other predictors. Moreover, Study 3 demonstrated that illegitimate tasks predicted strain, rather than being predicted by it. We therefore conclude that illegitimate tasks represent an aspect of job design that deserves more attention, both in research and in decisions about task assignments.     

Mechanisms for environmental scanning

Over the past decade long range planning for industrial concerns has needed to take into account an everbroadening spectrum of environmental influences. Whereas at one time planning largely concerned itself with those aspects of the environment to do with the company's markets, nowadays the influence of other parts of the environment may have equal, or even greater influence than markets on the company's operation. The current environment of most industrial concerns appears to be characterized by three main components. Firstly, the environment is increasingly turbulent and uncertain. Secondly, organizations are increasingly less autonomous. Thirdly, other formal organizations are increasingly important components of a company's environment. The environment of most companies is therefore complex and uncertain. This complexity and uncertainty can only be reduced by attempting to analyse and understand the environment as an ongoing process, this process is now being called ‘environmental scanning’. The aim of this article is to describe some of the mechanisms which have been used to help companies scan their environments as a way of planning and controlling their destiny in the turbulent environment in which industry operates.     

The impact of mother's education on indicators of school performance of first through third grade primary school children living in low socioeconomic areas in Khartoum,Sudan

This study examines factors related to school achievement among low-income urban families in the Sudan. Data were obtained during January-February 1992 from a sample of 198 students aged 6-10 years from boys' and girls' schools in Ombada settlement in Khartoum, Elhag-Yousif in Khartoum North, and Arkwait in Khartoum. 53.5% of the sample were first enrolled in school after the age of 7 years. About 30% were enrolled prior to the age of 7 years. 4.5% had repeated a grade. About 25% had perfect attendance. 37% were absent for 1-2% of school days; 18.2% were absent for 3-4% of school days, and a similar percentage were absent for 5% or more of school days. Over 66% were absent due to medical reasons. About 41% of math scores and 58% of language scores were above 50, out of a possible total score of 60. 29% of math scores and 21% of language scores ranged from 41 to 50. 13.5% of math scores and 10.5% of language scores were failing. Class size ranged from 53 to 102 persons per class. Children who were enrolled in the higher grades tended to have been enrolled at a later age. The age of enrollment was negatively related to maternal educational level and weight for age. Poorly educated mothers tended to enroll their children later, and lower weight-for-age children tended to be enrolled later. Students from boys' schools in Khartoum and schools in the Khartoum area had a higher absenteeism rate. Students whose fathers were laborers or self-employed had greater absences. Children whose mothers had lower educational levels had greater absenteeism. Children with lower weight-for-height had more absenteeism. Absenteeism was positively correlated with height-for-age and the number of types of illnesses that the child had during the school year. Students who lived in Khartoum North had higher scores. Findings indicate that educational outcomes were related to home background and health conditions.     

A Contrast of HRM and TQM Approaches to Performance Management: Some Evidence*

Using a survey, this paper provides information about the current state of performance management (appraisal) from a sample of UK‐based EFQM‐affiliated organizations. It particularly focuses on several critical issues of performance management in the context of TQM including: the effectiveness of TQM programmes; the rationale for performance management; degree of internal consistency between TQM assumptions and performance management systems; and the relationship among performance management, effectiveness of TQM programmes, employee satisfaction and overall organization performance. Although the fundamental precepts advocated by founders of TQM appear to be in conflict with performance management practices, however, the article argues that, rather than being contradictory, both can add value to the operations of the other in the interest of the organization as a whole. More precisely, the paper explains how a successful TQM strategy requires a rethinking and changing the organization's performance management system, otherwise it is highly likely to result in a disaster. To conclude, the survey evidence is used, combined with previous literature, to discuss the implications of these results for designing a contextually appropriate performance management for TQM and in the interest of the future research on TQM and HRM.     

A presumption to disclose: new laws on the provision of information about child sex offenders to parents in England and Wales

In England and Wales, agencies managing child sex offenders in the community have long had the power to disclose information on those offenders to other agencies and sometimes to individual members of the public; this process has variously been referred to as ‘discretionary disclosure’ or ‘controlled disclosure’. In 2008, new laws were passed to strengthen this process and allow designated members of the public to request such information and imposed a new duty on agencies considering disclosure to conduct those considerations with a ‘presumption to disclose’. This article looks at the background to the new laws and how they might work in practice. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.