“To be a business and to keep our humanity”

In recent years, the political nature of nonprofit funding has been well established, with research focusing on increased demands for accountability (Eikenberry and Kluver, 2004), difficulties in selecting accountability measures (Reed, Jones, and Irvine, 2005), and the shift from organizational mission that can occur while trying to adhere to funding requirements (Adcroft and Willis, 2005; Parsons and Broadbridge, 2004). This article examines the dynamics between a funder and the nonprofit organizations it funds within an evolving accountability process. Specifically, we use qualitative methods to examine the negotiations between the funder and the nonprofits. Both sides in the funding relationship face tensions as they attempt to work within the constraints of this specific funding regime while trying to maintain their focus on social justice outcomes.     

An Analysis of Switching and Non-switching Slot Machine Player Behaviour

Learning theory predicts that, given the repeated choice to bet between two concurrently available slot machines, gamblers will learn to bet more money on the machine with higher expected return (payback percentage) or higher win probability per spin (volatility). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether this occurs when the two machines vary orthogonally on payback percentage and volatility. The sample comprised 52 first year psychology students (mean age = 20.3 years, 20 females, 32 males) who had played a gaming machine at least once in the previous 12 months. Participants were administered a battery of questionnaires designed to assess level of knowledge on the characteristics and operation of poker machines, frequency of poker machine play in the past 12 months, personality traits of impulsivity and capacity for cognitive reflection, and gambling beliefs. For the experimental task, participants were instructed to play on two PC-simulated electronic gaming machines (EGMs or slot machines) that differed on payback percentage and volatility, with the option of freely switching between EGMs after a practice phase. Results indicated that participants were able to easily discriminate between machines and manifested a preference to play machines offering higher payback or volatility. These findings diverged from previous findings of no preference for play on higher payback/volatility machines, potentially due to of the current study’s absence of the option to make multi-line and multi-credit bets. It was concluded that return rate parameters like payback percentage and volatility strongly influenced slot machine preference in the absence of betting options like multi-line bets, though more research is needed to determine the effects of such betting options on player distribution of money between multiple EGMs.     

Immigration without adaptation: The psychological world of Russian immigrants in Israel

This study examines new immigrants from the former USSR, their attitudes, expectations and the awareness of change in themselves and in their fellow immigrants. Participants demonstrated attitudes toward the new society which differed dramatically depending on the sphere of life being examined: cultural, institutional, or quotidian. Participants displayed a tendency toward integration in the institutional and quotidian spheres, but not in the cultural. An attitude toward integration did not automatically lead to an awareness of change in the new immigrants themselves. Participants consistently reported higher degrees of change in fellow immigrants in comparison to themselves. The issue of preservation of self‐identity through socio‐cultural conservation is discussed, as well as the relevance of these findings for Vygotsky's cultural‐historical theory and Feuerstein's theory of mediated learning.     

Strategic management of consumer services

A period of more rigorous strategic management is under way in consumer service businesses. In banking, insurance, lodging, media, retailing, housing, restaurants and education, more growth must come from competitive share shift. This paper b shows the need for a different set of strategies to win in services than have been shaped in the product business context. Specific illustrations show how leading U.S. consumer service companies are building strategic advantage while also improving the value of their business.     

Museums, friends, and lovers in the New South: Laura's Web, 1909-1931

Laura Bragg, a member of the first graduating class at Simmons College, journeyed to Charleston as a New Woman in 1909. As the first woman director of a major scientific museum in the United States, Bragg transformed the Charleston Museum into a public education institution and became an innovative leader in museum education. This article documents Bragg's contributions within the context of antebellum culture where the Southern Belle was placed on a Victorian pedestal and Boston marriages were an unknown phenomenon. Using extensive and hitherto unpublished correspondence, the authors detail Bragg's lesbian relationships and describe her network within the homosexual male community during the era of the Charleston Renaissance.     

Investigation of Children's Custodial Wishes

One of the criteria used by judges of the Family Court in reaching custody decisions is the wishes of the child. A total of 104 children who were subjects of custody disputes were interviewed for the purpose of trying to ascertain their custodial wishes. Most children expressed a wish, and this preference was usually to remain with the parent the child was already living with. Children's wishes as to whether to remain where they were living or to move to live with the other parent, and their preferences as to whether to live with the mother or the father, did not differ according to age or sex.