Union collective action,social movement unionism and worker freedom in New Zealand

Freedom of association can include the right of labour unions to take collective action in the interest of their members. In this regard, it is presumed that unions increase worker freedom. However, there is little literature on how worker freedom as self-actualization is linked to union collective action involving coalition-building with civil society. This article uses the notions of freedom according to Berlin (1969) and MacCallum (1967) to assess the meaning of such coalition-building for worker freedom. It then employs a radical democratic perspective (Laclau and Mouffe 2001) of union engagement with the Just Transition in New Zealand to explore how unions enhance worker freedom.     

UPSTREAM VOLATILITY IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN: THE MACHINE TOOL INDUSTRY AS A CASE STUDY

Cyclicality is a well‐known and accepted fact of life in market‐driven economies. Less well known or understood, however, is the phenomenon of amplification as one looks “upstream” in the industrial supply chain. We examine the amplification phenomenon and its implications through the lens of one upstream industry that is notorious for the intensity of the business cycles it faces: the machine tool industry. Amplification of demand volatility in capital equipment supply chains, e. g., machine tools, is particularly large relative to that seen in distribution and component parts supply chains. We present a system dynamics simulation model to capture demand volatility amplification in capital supply chains. We explore the lead‐time, inventory, production, productivity, and staffing implications of these dynamic forces. Several results stand out. First, volatility hurts productivity and lowers average worker experience. Second, even though machine tool builders can do little to reduce the volatility in their order streams through choice of forecast rule, a smoother forecasting policy will lead companies to retain more of their skilled work force. This retention of skilled employees is often cited as one of the advantages that European and Japanese companies have had relative to their U. S. competitors. Our results suggest some insights for supply chain design and management: downstream customers can do a great deal to reduce the volatility for upstream suppliers through their choice of order forecast rule. In particular, companies that use smoother forecasting policies tend to impose less of their own volatility upon their supply base and may consequently enjoy system‐wide cost reduction.     

THE ROLE OF CONSTITUENT TRUST IN CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS

The purpose of this inquiry is to introduce a new variable intothe study of congressional elections—constituent trust.Constituent trust is defined as the level of confidence thatconstituents have in their elected representative. This analysissuggests a strategy for measuring constituent trust and developsa model that relates constituent trust directly and indirectlyto electoral support. By pooling cross-sectional data drawnfrom the University of Michigan's American National ElectionStudies (1978–84), I demonstrate that when constituenttrust is salient in voter cognitions, it has a significant directinfluence on electoral support and is a better predictor ofelectoral support than the incumbent's party identification.In addition to its direct effects, I show that constituent trustindirectly influences electoral support because of its causalrelationship to incumbent popularity.     

Under New Orders: The Redefinition of Social Work with Young Offenders

Correspondence to Dr. H. Parker, Department of Sociology and Social Work Studies, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Myrtle Street, P.O.Box 147, Liverpool L69 3BX Summary This paper reports on the significant changes in policy andpractice presently being implemented by the Probation Serviceand other social work agencies responsible for work with juvenileand young adult offenders. These changes concern Social EnquiryReport writing, the more intensive supervision of young offendersthrough the attachment of day centre type requirements to Supervisionand Probation Orders and the extension of Community ServiceOrders. Illustrating their analysis with data from a nationalsurvey of the Probation Service, the authors argue that thesechanges which have emanated in various forms from central governmenthave had a mixed reception. Whilst on the one hand, this thrustfrom above has been viewed as an unwelcome extension of communitycontrol through social work practice, it has also been seento contain opportunities to provide genuine alternatives tocustody for young offenders. The authors argue that, taken inthe context of recent overall sentencing trends, it is unlikelythat custody rates will decrease significantly, as Courts willtend to use community service and supervision packages to serveother purposes.     

TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF "RALLY" EFFECTS: PUBLIC OPINION IN THE PERSIAN GULF WAR

Although research has been conducted to document the effectof international events on the popularity of the president,littie work has been done to examine the scope of such effects.This analysis of rally forces during the Persian Gulf War showssignificant changes in the following attitudes: positive evaluationsof George Bush's and the U.S. Congress's performance, trustin the federal government, assessments of personal finances,and expectations for the economy. Most of these attitudes returnto preconflict levels within 10 months.     

Disability, Caring and Marriage: The Experience of Younger Couples when a Partner is Disabled after Marriage

Correspondence to Prof Gillian Parker, Nuffield Community Care Studies Unit, Leicester University, 108 Regent Road, Leicester, LE1 7LT Summary Despite a large literature on marriage and growing ones on disabilityand on caring there is little which specifically examines theexperience of disability and caring within marriage. This paperdraws on evidence from a small-scale qualitative study of couplesunder pensionable age where one partner had become disabledsince marriage. Partners were interviewed both together andseparately allowing exploration of ‘both sides’of the relationship. The paper first examines the couple's sexualrelationship and the ways in which impairment and caring affectedit. Both partners' views about the nature and meaning of marriageand how this related to their continuing relationship are thenexplored. Finally, by comparing different marriage and by comparingthe same marriages at different points in time, factors whichmight predispose marriages to break up after one of the partnersbecomes disabled are discussed. The research shows that marriedcouples are left virtually unsupported, either practically oremotionally, at times when their relationship may be under considerablestrain. Sexual relationships may falter or cease because oflack of knowledge, embarrassment or not knowing whom to approachfor help. Other couples may be left in an empty shell of a marriagebecause no practical alternatives to their situation are offered.     

ANTICIPATED MONEY, UNANTICIPATED MONEY, AND OUTPUT: 1873–1930

Unanticipated money does, and anticipated money does not, influence output for the period between the Civil War and the Depression. These conclusions, reached using a two-step econometric procedure, appear robust for a wide variety of measures of output and for two alternate definitions of money.