The financial practices and perceptions behind separate systems of household financial management

Qualitative research in the UK has revealed a diversity of financial arrangements underlying separate systems of household financial management. One factor, identified in previous work, is perceived ownership of money, with financial practices differing according to whether couples have distinct, blurred or shared ownership perceptions. The present work aims to build on and extend this research, using data from an online survey study with 190 cohabitants in the UK. The findings reveal that ownership perceptions transcend separate money management categories, and can be a significant predictor of the type of contribution cohabitants make towards joint household expenses.     

Money in marriage: how patterns of allocation both reflect and conceal power

This paper examines perceptions of money within marriage, focusing upon the concepts of control and ownership. It considers the criteria involved in Pahl's (1983; 1989) typology for the allocation of income, and their ability to capture the dynamic perceptual elements associated with change. These issues were explored by means of data from semi-structured interviews, using mainly middle-class couples (thirteen women and nine of their partners) in the 30–50 year age-range. Most of the women were in the process of returning to the labour market following an absence of at least eight years. The findings demonstrate, on the one hand, that Pahl's revised typology (1989), which includes an emphasis on the person possessing overall control, can be used to trace major shifts in the balance of economic power as a function of the life-cycle and associated changes in the source of income. On the other hand, the findings also show that a couple's report of their financial arrangements, concerning the Spooling’ of income, can yield the erroneous impression that resources are equally shared. In particular, the ‘rights’ of ownership associated with having earned the income may remain hidden, and lead to patterns of overall control with potential consequences for a non-earning, dependent partner.     

Quality assurance

The QA process is recommended to anyone seeking to upgrade patient care delivery. It clarifies theories and gives substance to progressive ideas being considered for adoption. Certainly it tends to prevent premature and ill-conceived presentations. When an action is instituted, QA provides the framework that can be used to facilitate the change. As an afterthought, but as a welcome benefit, QA can foster teamwork and camaraderie among staff who assist in problem solving or bringing an idea to fruition.     

Being in two minds about a single currency: A UK perspective on the euro

Recent public opinion polls show that the majority of UK citizens are opposed to replacing the pound by the euro. In this paper, we report an initial attempt to elucidate some of the psychological bases of this adherence to the status quo. We tested a latent variable model which postulates that there are two kinds of attachment to national identity, cultural and instrumental attachment, each having both direct and indirect influences upon anti-euro sentiment. The former kind of attachment reflects the symbolic aspects of nationhood, whilst the latter captures the benefits of citizenship, such as the quality and delivery of social goods. Secondly, we investigated the extent to which people's expectations about euro benefits mediates the impact of attachment on anti-euro sentiment. It was found that only cultural attachment had a direct, amplifying effect upon anti-euro sentiment, whilst both forms of attachment had indirect effects via their opposite influences upon euro benefits. Cultural and instrumental attachment respectively had attenuating and amplifying effects on the latter, which itself tended to act as an attenuator on the level of anti-euro sentiment.     

Towards an evaluation of a business school graduate programme

An evaluation research methodology, which has been validated in a previous study, and which was developed to be both scientifically defensible and feasible from a practical point of view, is described. This involves collecting course participants' judgements about the effects of the course, and taking steps to ensure that the process by which the participants arrive at these judgements is sound. The application of this methodology to a course in business administration revealed the following effects or consequences: (1) Access to and progress in successful careers; (2) Flexibility and mobility in careers; (3) Ability to take overall view of problems; (4) Personal confidence; (5) Awareness of own aspirations and career fit; (6) Frustration from unused skills and unfulfilled expectations; (7) High salaries; (8) General reasoning and problem solving ability; (9) Economic/commercial understanding; (10) Understanding of organisation and human behaviour; (11) Useful work, career and personal contacts; (12) Social skills.     

Money in remarriage: keeping things simple – and separate

This paper investigates money matters in remarried couples. The number of such couples is on the increase, and their financial affairs are likely to be more complex and conflictual than for first-married couples, but there has been little research attention paid to this group in Britain. The present study explores patterns of control and management of money by means of data from semi-structured interviews with 20 couples in which one partner or both had been married before. The men and women were interviewed separately, but in the majority of cases, simultaneously, in separate rooms. This yielded data from 38 interviews since two men declined to take part in the study. Ages of respondents ranged from 28 to 83, with the majority in the 30–55 range. At the time of the study, only half still had dependent children, and not all of the latter were co-resident. A key finding of the study is a degree of separateness in financial arrangements that is in sharp contrast to earlier findings. As many as half of the couples were using an Independent Management system, compared with less than 2 per cent of couples in general. For those with children from previous relationships, this separateness was especially marked in the way they wished their assets to be treated after their death. However, in line with earlier studies, the balance of economic power in second and subsequent marriages still appeared to favour the men, who generally had larger incomes and owned more assets in their own names.     

Towards Best or Better Practice in Corporate Leadership Development: Operational Issues in Mode 2 and Design Science research

The research reported here was part of a UK government initiative to improve management and leadership capability. Corporate leadership development was one element of this initiative. The researchers, also the authors of this paper, were tasked with developing a best practice guide in leadership development. The aim was to establish current best UK corporate practice in order to inform similar organizations striving to improve their approach to leadership development. The aim of this paper is to present the findings of this inquiry as an example of Mode 2 research, i.e. that which is co‐produced with practitioners in a rigorous yet actionable way. The paper addresses operational issues by exploring the tensions inherent in Mode 2 research and makes some additions to previous literature on conducting Mode 2 research. It introduces the notion of technological rules derived from the concept of management research as design science, which enables the authors to articulate the way in which output can be developed in a form readily acceptable to end users of Mode 2 research. Actionable research products and accompanying dissemination issues are proposed as central operational concerns for Mode 2 research.     

Some debates and challenges in the literature on action learning: the state of the art since Revans

Action learning has travelled in some new directions and become an evolving practice since Revans first articulated his great idea. This paper focuses on some key challenges in the literature, some of which relate to these more recent directions in theory and practice. In particular, we consider the persistent problem of defining action learning and the varieties in practice which are in evidence, the nature of ‘action’ in action learning and the developing theory and practice of critical action learning as contrasted with the ‘classical’ approach to action learning. These debates are chosen for consideration here because they appear to strike at the heart of what action learning is for and because they are in evidence across a range of action learning literature. Some implications of these debates for human resource development (HRD) are also considered, including the potential action learning has for making a contribution to organizational learning, especially in treating ‘wicked’ problems and ill-structured challenges.