Adoption,personality disorder and parental guilt: Implications of genetic research for social work

Few adoptive parents are aware that serious behavioral and personality problems can occur in adopted children. When such problems are manifested, parents are often guilt-ridden, believing that they are to blame. Recent research suggests that the risks associated with adoption may be genetically linked. Social workers who counsel adoptive parents need to be aware of potential problems, explain possible risks to them, and use these research findings to positive effect.     

Measuring Economic and Social Impacts of Membership in a Community Development Financial Institution

This study uses qualitative and quantitative measures to answer the question: “does a community development financial institution (CDFI) provide a measurable level of social benefit to its members?” Results indicate that a CDFI does change lives in many important ways, from providing members with the ability to get their financial houses in order, to helping members take control of their financial futures, and finally through building a sense of empowerment that reaches beyond the finances of an individual or family. In general, impacts were greater for lower income and less educated households, households with children, households that used more services, and for households that indicated wealth and asset building services were most important.     

Speaking From the Pained Place: Engaging With Frank Dattilio

It was with interest that I accepted the invitation to provide a brief response to Frank Dattilio's article on cognitive restructuring in couples therapy. My reading of the article initially was as a practitioner in couples work for the last 28 years, and who is always curious about what can be helpful with couples. However, I also bring to my reading an understanding of couples work using the framework of the Emotionally Focused Therapy perspective.     

Emotional Abuse in Therapy

This paper presents the experiences of clients who have been emotionally abused in therapy. By this I mean the intentional and unintentional conduct they experienced from therapists towards them that was not in their best interests. By sharing these experiences, I will explore emotional abuse in therapy, how it can be defined, the effects of such on clients and the methods of healing these traumatic experiences. Recommendations will be discussed in the light of this information for practising therapists, professional training and development, standards and ethical committees.     

Turning Three Sides into a Delta at General Motors: Enhancing Partnership Integration on Corporate Ventures

General Motors had enjoyed global operations that were based on exports, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances throughout the 20th century. Its global-programme strategy appeared assured. However, the carmaker came unstuck when it came to creating a large-scale collaborative effort involving its own internal units. The Delta Small Car Program, involving three fully internal GM units, was terminated after its goals failed to materialise. The carmaker’s long-standing cultural tradition of autonomy for its units was what made collaboration between them difficult. We examine this GM global programme, placing it in its historical context. Our primary database consists of the perceptions and experiences offered to us by a cross-section of programme participants. By examining partner integration at the working level, we identify insights and offer recommendations pertaining to venture structure and dynamics and their role in venture success.     

Problems in the application of portfolio selection models

This paper discusses a number of problems which arise in the implementation of portfolio selection models. It is suggested that the effect of errors and biases in expected return forecasts can be reduced by using these forecasts to modify a prior distribution which leads to minimal trading activity. Efficient diversification across industry groups is hampered by the difficulties of predicting covariances. The use of a selection model through time raises the issues of revising forecasts and of the relationships upon which the appropriate investment horizon and portfolio turnover depend. Last, consideration is given to the conflicts which may exist between management objectives and the mean-variance criterion used by most models.