Explicit versus Implicit Profit Sharing and the Determination of Wages:

ABSTRACT: This paper considers the claim that explicit profit sharing reduces the marginal cost of labour This is contrasted with the view that implicit profit sharing occurs through wage bargaining Using a microeconomic data set from the UK we find no evidence that the introduction of profit sharing reduces base wages and hence the marginal cost of labour However firm profitability is found to have a positive effect on wages which supports the hypothesis of implicit profit sharing through wage bargaining These findings suggest that it is hard to justify the favourable tax treatment of profit related pay found in the UK     

Complaining Our Way to Quality: Complaints, Contracts and the Voluntary Sector

The research on which this paper is based is part of a wider study of quality assurance and the voluntary sector. The focus of this paper is on complaints procedures, as part of quality assurance mechanisms, where voluntary agencies are the contracted service providers. The authors argue that, with the introduction of contracting and particularly with its further development, the way in which complaints mechanisms currently operate will need to be revised if they are to be an effective part of the quality assurance process.     

The black community of Salford and Hull 1919–21

Although some attention has been paid to the collective violence which occurred in Liverpool and Cardiff in 1919 other examples of racial violence at that time have been relatively ignored. This study concentrates upon events in two other centres, Salford and Hull. Moreover, by taking a three‐year time span it is shown that such violence continued after 1919. In other words ‘the riots of 1919 were not simply isolated incidents to be touched upon by historians as a convenient way to round off the war period in the history of Blacks in Britain’ but evidence of a persistent anti‐Black sentiment in British society which, at times, in specific circumstances, spilled over into violence.     

Refusal of recommended maternity care: Time to make a pact with women?

Background

The right to refuse medical treatment can be contentious in maternity care. Professional guidance for midwives and obstetricians emphasises informed consent and respect for patient autonomy, but there is little guidance available to clinicians about the appropriate clinical responses when women decline recommended care.

Community Resilience to Change: Development of an Index

Social Indicators Research - Structural economic change is inherently impacting upon community systems. Sustainable and adaptive processes are critical for community systems to respond and manage...     

Maternity services and the discharge process: A review of practice in Queensland

BackgroundEfforts to increase postnatal support available to women and families are hampered by inadequate referral mechanisms. However, the discharge process in maternity services has received little research attention.AimTo review current discharge practices in Queensland, in order to identify mechanisms to minimise fragmentation in the care of women and families as they transition from hospital-based postnatal care to community-based health and other services.MethodsA survey of discharge practices in Queensland hospitals that offer birthing services (N = 55) and content analysis of discharge summary forms used by those hospitals.FindingsFifty-two Queensland birthing hospitals participated in the study. Discharge summaries were most commonly sent to General Practitioners (83%), less commonly to Child and Family Health Nurses (CFHNs; 52%) and rarely to other care providers. Discharge summaries were usually disseminated within one week of discharge (87%), but did not capture any information about care provided by domiciliary services. Almost one-fifth (19%) of hospitals did not seek women's consent for the disclosure of their discharge summary and only 10% of hospitals had processes for women to check accuracy. Significant gaps in the content of discharge summaries were identified, particularly in psychosocial and cultural information, and post-discharge advice. The format of discharge summaries diminished their readability.ConclusionDischarge summaries (format and content) should be consistent, comprehensive and specific to maternity services. Discharge summaries should be generated and disseminated electronically at the time of discharge from the maternity service. Women should review their discharge summaries and direct and consent to its dissemination.     

Australia's Individualised Disability Funding Packages: When Do They Provide Greater Choice and Opportunity?

Australia's new National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) uses individualised funding packages instead of traditional block‐funded disability services to support people with disability. The NDIS works with the person and their family to assess the person's needs and develop a plan that determines their funding allocation. Funding can be used to purchase support from a disability service or from the open market. People can purchase support that suits their cultural and personal preferences. This paper examined whether individual funding packages met their aims in Western Australia, where they had been the primary mechanism of disability support for over 25 years. An exploratory case study was conducted consisting of face‐to‐face, in‐depth interviews with 11 key participants: people with disability, senior government administrators, service provider managers, and a support worker. Complex systems theory was used to review the data and findings showed that individualised funding packages did not automatically result in more choice and greater opportunities. People needed information to make informed decisions; supportive and creative support from social workers and other professionals; and welcoming communities. The findings can inform policies and assist social workers facilitate maximum choice and opportunities for people with disability and their families.     

Black British history and the issue of race

Andy R. Brown, Political Languages of Race and the Politics of Exclusion (Aldershot: Ashgate, 1999). Pp.xxix + 341. £42.50 (hardback). ISBN 1 84014 516 1

Diane Frost, Work and Community among West African Migrant Workers since the Nineteenth Century (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1999). Pp.v + 278. £32 (hardback); £15.95 (paperback). ISBN 0 85323 523 6 and 533 3

Michael Rowe, The Racialisation of Disorder in Twentieth Century Britain (Aldershot: Ashgate, 1998). Pp.x + 211. £37.50 (hardback). ISBN 1 84014 528 5