New Governance and the Case of Activation Policies: Comparing Experiences in Denmark and the Netherlands

This article explores the importance of new forms of governance in active labour market policies (activation) in two countries: Denmark and the Netherlands. Drawing on research with key stakeholders in these countries, we analyse how new governance, and particularly processes of contracting-out and localization, have found expression in recent reforms to activation. We conclude that localization and contracting-out may have a future role to play in the development of more locally responsive and individually focused services. But both countries have encountered problems in promoting joined-up services through local jobcentres, while contracting-out has not always led to the tailored, individually focused services envisaged by policy-makers. In both countries, there are also concerns that the restriction of the Public Employment Service to a 'gatekeeping and signposting' role will lead to inconsistencies in the quality of services, exposing the most disadvantaged to greater social risk.     

Predicting susceptibility to short-term stress with the defence mechanism test

The defence mechanism test (DMT) has been of considerable value in identifying individuals who are likely to show badly impaired judgement in times of sudden stress, yet it is little known outside Scandinavia. The DMT is described in this paper and its rationale fully discussed. There follows a critical review of studies in which DMT scores are related to performance in diverse (non-clinical) applied settings, the outcomes of which are generally most encouraging. A number of theoretical and practical problems are discussed, and suggestions are made for future research.     

Using IT for competitive advantage at Thomson holidays

This article describes how information technology was used to improve productivity and customer services in the travel and package holidays business. Information plays a vital role in services businesses such as this one and its introduction and development had a dramatic impact on turnover. The author emphasises that IT strategy and investment cannot stand still, no matter how successful—and it must constantly be developing and extending to assimilate new technologies.     

Attempting to Work Co-operatively in Queensland

This paper reports the results of a search for groups attempting to work cooperatively in Queensland. Results indicate there is a small number of people attempting to work co-operatively but the initiatives are tiny operations dependent upon a lot of lowly paid hard work and external help from friends or the local community. Four types of co-operative efforts were identified: the traditional, the alternative life style, the welfare oriented and the idealist The growth of worker co-operatives in Queensland will be dependent upon a long process of development, education, research and dialogue, along with the tireless efforts of those committed to the co-operative philosophy.     

Experimental markets for insurance

This article extends the large amount of research on double-oral auction markets to hazards that produce only losses. We report results from a series of experiments in which subjects endowed with low-probability losses can pay a premium for insurance protection. Insurers specify the price at which they are willing to assume the risk of a loss. Insurance prices approach expected value for a large range of probabilities and loss amounts. Subjects seem to realize losses are statistically independent. Prices are not affected by ambiguity about the probability of loss.     

Alternative forms and properties of the score test

TWO different issues relating to the score (S) test are investigated. Firstly, we study the finite sample properties of a number of asymptotically equivalent forms of the S test. From our simulation results we observe that these forms can behave very differently in finite samples. Secondly, we investigate the power properties of the S test and find that it compares favorably to those of the likelihood ratio (LR) test although the former does not use information about the precise forms of the alternatives.