Problems in the assessment and management of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy abuse

SUMMARY: ‘Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy’ describes the abuse incurred by children as a result of their parents inventing false illness stories. It is a complex mixture of emotional and physical abuse which, because of the medical elements, can be particularly difficult to manage through current procedures. The authors have been involved with more than 200 such families and studied the reasons for delay before intervention, problems with placement of the child and access arrangements, and the difficulties encountered by professionals in securing long-term involvement and satisfactory supervision. These are considered in relation to the various outcomes for the children assessed at follow-up 1–14 years after the initial abuse.     

Reconsidering the role of the digital in global production networks

Global production networks (GPNs) have become a key framework in conceptualizing linkages, power and structure in globalized production. However, this framework has been less successful in integrating the influence of digital information and ICTs in production, and this problematic in a world where relationships and power are increasingly mediated by digital information flows and resources. We thus look to adapt the GPN framework to allow more substantive analysis of ‘the digital’. Primarily, this is done through a theoretical analysis of the three core categories of the GPN framework – embeddedness, value and networks – to highlight how these categories can better integrate a more dynamic and contested conceptualization of the digital. Illustrations from research on the digitalization of tea sector GPNs in East Africa highlight how these theoretical advances provide new insights on the digital and its expanding role in economic production.     

Creating a manufacturing environment that is in harmony with the market—the ‘how’ of supply chain management

The inherent instabilityof complex supplychains is well understood and documented; the potential benefits of taking time out of the chain in terms of reduced inventory and lower operating costs are clearly substantial. There is now a broad community of managers and practitioners who know ‘what’ in principle needs to be done. The issue for all is ‘how’ to go about it for their particular business. This paper builds on an organizational trade-off model through which logistics moderates the conflicting demands and culture of manufacturing on the one hand and marketing on the other. The paper introduces three practical techniques for securing the benefits of supply chain management: time-based simulation; cost-to-serve; and piloting change. Used together these methodologies can deliver breakthrough in supply chain effectiveness.     

THE EFFECTS OF UNCERTAINTY ON THE LEVERAGE OF NONFINANCIAL FIRMS

This paper investigates the link between the optimal level of nonfinancial firms' short-term leverage and macroeconomic and idiosyncratic sources of uncertainty. We develop a structural model of a firm's value maximization problem that predicts a negative relationship between uncertainty and optimal levels of borrowing. This proposition is tested using a panel of nonfinancial U.S. firms drawn from the COMPUSTAT quarterly database covering the period 1993–2003. The estimates confirm that as either form of uncertainty increases, firms decrease their levels of short-term leverage. This effect is stronger for macroeconomic uncertainty than for idiosyncratic uncertainty. ( JEL C23, D8, D92, G32)     

WORK‐RELATED ACCIDENTS AND THE LEVEL OF MARKET COMPETITION: AN ANALYSIS OF WORKER INJURY RATES AT U.S. STEEL CORPORATION, 1907–1939

We investigate the relationship between accident rates and industry structure for the United States’ steel industry during the first four decades of the 20th century. We develop a dominant firm theoretical model linking accident rates to number of competitors, showing a positive correlation between accident avoidance and the number of fringe competitors. We then test this theory empirically and, when controlling for other influences, find that reductions in the dominant firm’s market share reduce worker injury rates substantially. (JEL L13, L61, N62, N82)     

THE IMPACT OF ENTITLEMENTS AND EQUITY ON COOPERATIVE BARGAINING: AN EXPERIMENT

In some bargaining situations—for example, collaborative policy making and compulsory arbitration—a third party imposes a backstop position that differs from the status quo. Axiomatic models of cooperative bargaining presume that the status quo in such cases will have no effect on the negotiated outcome, especially if it is Pareto inferior to the backstop. Recent literatures on equity and entitlement, however, suggest that the status quo may establish a focal point that acts as an “anchor” in current negotiations, affecting any ultimate agreement. In a two‐party, two‐attribute experiment, in which subjects jointly select from up to 200 options, we find evidence (1) that the status quo matters, perhaps because of “entitlement effects” and (2) that parties prefer egalitarian outcomes to the Nash bargain. (JEL C92, D74, H44, Q58)     

Social Policy and the Prevention of Suicidal Behaviour

Summary This paper is an attempt to answer the following questions.Can we, and should we, try to prevent suicidal behaviour; howsuccessful are the efforts at suicide prevention of lay andmedical agencies; and what social policies could be employedto prevent suicidal behaviour?