The intrinsic value of agency: the case of Indonesia

This paper analyses the relationship between agency and Indonesian women’s well-being. The existing debate on empowerment mostly focuses on agency's instrumental value, how agency benefits development and household/women's welfare. We depart from this debate by considering the intrinsic value of agency for women using the Indonesia Family Life Survey. We measure agency based on the decisions women make within their households. We find the effects of agency are not unambiguously positive. Agency has intrinsic value, seen in its strong relationship to well-being in certain spheres, which is moderated by the 'burden of responsibility' that seems to be felt by decision-makers.

Generational and cultural indicators of technology and innovation in family business

The internet revolution has affected everybody in some way. Technologies used in business range from telephones to industry-specific machinery. Mostly though, business technology has come to mean the internet. In literature concerning innovation and the adoption of technology in business, research invariably centres on small to medium businesses (SI'v1Es), as these can be defined reasonably easily. Statistics on family businesses are limited, however, because family businesses are so difficult to categorize and define.

The Australian Family Business Survey of 1993 (Institute of Chartered Accountants) determined that family business is the largest form of business ownership in Australia and represents 83% of all business enterprises, although Basu (2004) believes that over two thirds of all world-wide businesses are owned or managed by families and around half of all businesses in Australia are family businesses. The Australian Institute of Management (AIM) (2004) states that the wealth of family and private businesses is estimated at $3.6 trillion and that family firms generate 50 per cent of Australia's employment growth, account for 40 per cent of Australia's private sector output, and are a seed bed for innovation and the information of large companies.

The difficulty in defining a family business is heightened because family businesses can take many forms ranging from sole traders to private companies to public companies. Hence, when talking about family business, you could be referring to the sole trader dealing with organic produce to an IT organisation employing hundreds of staff. Basu (2004) thinks that while ordinarily, in non-family businesses, the business and family domains remain separate, the key distinctive characteristic of family businesses is that family members work together for economic purposes. In other words, the family is not merely a social unit but also an economic unit. Craig and Lindsay (2002) believe that family involvement in the business is what makes the family business different... researchers, however, cannot seem to agree as to what constitutes 'family involvement' in a business so that it can be defined as a family business and that family business is ... a business that is governed and/or managed with the intention to shape and pursue the vision of the business held by a dominant coalition that is controlled by members of the same family or a small number of families in a manner that is potentially sustainable across generations of the family or families.

Development of national statistical systems and the responsibilities of national statistical offices

Includes bibliography

The Comal County Needs Assessment Youth Survey

A crucial link in preserving and protecting the future of our communities resides in maintaining the health and well being of our youth. While every member of the community owns an opinion regarding where to best utilize monies for prevention and intervention, the data to support such opinion is often scarce. In an effort to generate data-driven indices for community planning and action, the United Way of Comal County, Texas partnered with the University Of Texas - Houston Health Science Center, School Of Public Health to accomplish a county-specific needs assessment. A community-based participatory research emphasis utilizing the Mobilization for Action through Planning and Partnership (MAPP) format developed by the National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) was implemented to engage community members in identifying and addressing community priorities. The single greatest area of consensus and concern identified by community members was the health and well being of the youth population. Thus, a youth survey, targeting these specific areas of community concern, was designed, coordinated and administered to all 9-11th grade students in the county. 20% of the 3,698 completed surveys (72% response rate) were randomly selected for analysis. These 740 surveys were coded and scanned into an electronic survey database. Statistical analysis provided youth-reported data on the status of the multiple issues affecting the health and well being of the community's youth. These data will be reported back to the community stakeholders, as part of the larger Comal County Needs Assessment, for the purposes of community planning and action. Survey data will provide community planners with an awareness of the high risk behaviors and habit patterns amongst their youth. This knowledge will permit more effective targeting of the means for encouraging healthy behaviors and preventing the spread of disease. Further, the community-oriented, population-based nature of this effort will provide answers to questions raised by the community and will provide an effective launching pad for the development and implementation of targeted, preventive health strategies. ^

Early consumption of liquids different to breast milk in Mexican infants under 1 year: results of the probabilistic National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012

Introduction: Studies on infant dietary intake do not generally focus on the types of liquids consumed. Objective: To document by age and breastfeeding status, the types of liquids present in the diet of Mexican children under 1 year of age (< 1 y) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012 (ENSANUT-2012). Methods: Analysis of the infant < 1 y feeding practices from the ENSANUT-2012 survey in non-breastfed (non-BF) and breastfed (BF) infants by status quo for the consumption of liquids grouped in: water, formula, fortified LICONSA milk, nutritive liquids (NL; thin cereal-based gruel with water or milk and coffee with milk) and non-nutritive liquids (non-NL) as sugared water, water-based drinks, tea, beans or chicken broth, aguamiel and coffee. In this infants < 1 y we analyzed the not grouped consumption of liquids in the first three days of life (newborns) from the mother's recall. Percentage and confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated adjusting for survey design. Statistical differences were analyzed by Z test. Results: We observed a high consumption of human milk followed by formula (56.7%) and water (51.1%) in infants under 6 months of age (< 6 mo). The proportion of non-BF infants consuming non-NL was higher than for BF infants (p < 0.05). More than 60% of older infants (6 mo and < 1 y) consumed formula and were non-BF. In newborns formula consumption was predominant, followed by tea or infusion and water. Conclusions: Non-breast milk liquids are present undesirably in Mexican infants' diet and non-NL are consumed earlier than NL, revealing inadequate early dietary practices.

Teaching tribology and maintenance-related subjects : a hands-on focus

In this paper different aspects of teaching tribology and maintenance-related subjects with a hands-on focus at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) are presented and discussed. As part of the study, a combination of data from core units, such as engineering design units, and elective units, was used, in addition to laboratory experiments, real-life projects, interactive software packages and industry visits. The mechanical engineering curriculum structure used at QUT, consisting of the main specialization (first major) and the second specialization (second major), is also discussed with specific emphasis on the teaching of tribology and maintenance-related subjects. To evaluate students' satisfaction with the novel teaching approaches used, tailored questionnaires were used as well as QUT's online learning experience survey (LEX). Statistical results of these sureveys are presented and discussed. In summary, these showed that students overwhelmingly support the hands-on and practical focus in teaching tribology and maintenance-related subjects and that the teaching approaches used shorten the learning curve and make students better prepared for integration in the workplace.

Critical sustainability factors in industrialised building systems

Purpose – This paper presents findings of a research study aimed at identifying critical sustainability factors for improved implementation of Industrialised Building Systems (IBS). It also highlights the importance of decision support, through the establishment of decision making guidelines, for sustainability deliverables in IBS development. Design/methodology/approach – A broad range of sustainability factors, as perceived by researchers and practitioners, are identified through a comprehensive literature study. A study of the survey and statistical data analysis is conducted to examine the criticality of these sustainability factors in IBS implementation. Findings – 18 sustainability factors are identified as critical to IBS implementation. Their interrelationships and driving forces are explored, which leads to the development of a conceptual model to map these factors for actions or potential solutions. The work provides a sound basis towards a set of decision making guidelines for sustainable IBS implementation. Originality/value – Compared with previous studies that focus on technical or economical aspects, this study extends existing knowledge on construction prefabrication by linking all aspects of sustainability issues with the design process. It also covers industry characteristics of developing countries, as represented by Malaysia’s scenarios.

Job embeddedness and the importance of retaining small firm employees

Small firms identify retention of staff as a significant problem. Voluntary turnover of talented staff can be costly, especially in small firms where there are few slack resources. However, there is scant research on retention in small firms. We use the concept of Job Embeddedness to understand why small firm employees stay. The concept refers to the totality of forces that embed employees in their jobs and it consists of three dimensions: fit, links, and sacrifice. Seven propositions are outlined comparing the ways fit, links and sacrifice might play out for small and large firm employees. Through testing these propositions small firm owner-managers may have a better understanding of what can be done to retain employees and maintain firm performance.

Real Estate Investment and Uncertainty: Econometric Modelling using Finnish Data

The purpose of this paper is to test for the effect of uncertainty in a model of real estate investment in Finland during the hihhly cyclical period of 1975 to 1998. We use two alternative measures of uncertainty. The first measure is the volatility of stock market returns and the second measure is the heterogeneity in the answers of the quarterly business survey of the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers. The econometric analysis is based on the autoregressive distributed lag (ADL) model and the paper applies a 'general-to-specific' modelling approach. We find that the measure of heterogeneity is significant in the model, but the volatility of stock market returns is not. The empirical results give some evidence of an uncertainty-induced threshold slowing down real estate investment in Finland.

O PROEJA na Rede de Ensino FAETEC: um estudo sobre a implementação e organização curricular na ETE Ferreira Viana - caminhos e descaminhos

Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo analisar a organização curricular do PROEJA na Escola Técnica Estadual Ferreira Viana, uma das unidades da rede de ensino FAETEC, suas implicações no processo da formação humana e nos processos de subjetivação balizados em Foucault. Desta forma, buscouse descrever o desenvolvimento das políticas públicas implementadas pelo governo federal no período de 2009 a 2014, para a Educação Profissional de Jovens e Adultos, bem como discutir os efeitos desta implementação nesta rede de ensino. Adotouse a utilização de procedimentos metodológicos inicialmente através de uma análise documental e levantamento de dados estatísticos sobre entrada, retenção e saída de alunos. Após esta identificação foi realizado um registro de campo e entrevistas semi-estruturadas com os agentes envolvidos neste processo, no sentido de maior aproximação com o cotidiano de ensino desta unidade escolar. Por último e como foco principal, foi desenvolvido uma análise sobre a organização curricular do PROEJA na Escola Técnica Estadual Ferreira Viana da Rede de Ensino FAETEC, com o intuito de melhor compreender como se estabelecem as relações neste processo de sistematização curricular, tendo em vista a análise de sua estrutura, as ações estabelecidas pelos docentes na aplicação do ensino, a realidade vivida no processo de aprendizagem dos alunos, e os desafios da integração curricular e suas possíveis reformulações, frente às exigências da educação profissional no contexto atual da educação brasileira

A systematic approach for improving the quality of official statistics: Case of Korean information and telecommunication industry

With the rapid growth of information and communication technology (ICT) in Korea, there was a need to improve the quality of official ICT statistics. In order to do this, various factors had to be considered, such as the quality of surveying, processing, and output as well as the reputation of the statistical agency. We used PLS estimation to determine how these factors might influence customer satisfaction. Furthermore, through a comparison of associated satisfaction indices, we provided feedback to the responsible statistics agency. It appears that our model can be used as a tool for improving the quality of official ICT statistics. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

los MBA y el reclutamiento de las Escuelas de Negocios en Buenos Aires. Notas etnográficas sobre el mundo del management

In this article I study certain aspects that constitute the “grammar” of the field of management and business. By observing the way in which three prestigious business schools ‒one American, one Spanish and one Argentinean‒ present their offer in executive education ‒management business administration‒, I intend to reconstruct the way in which the reasons, the values and the justifications are structured. The article is based mainly on ethnographies carried out in the informative sessions that these three schools organized in luxury hotels in work of interviews and documentation’s analysis carried out in large Argentinean companies.

Dealing with a problem that doesn't exist?:Professional responses to female perpetrated child sexual abuse

Female involvement in sexual offences against children is more common than is generally thought and has serious implications for the long-term emotional and psychological well-being of victims. Drawing on findings from: a comprehensive review of the literature; an overview of relevant literature and legislation; and an electronic survey of Multi-Agency Public Protection Panels; this paper explores the criminal justice response to female sex offending in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The literature highlights that the way in which professionals identify and respond to child sexual abuse has been shown to be influenced by the gender of the perpetrator. Equally, whilst similar to male sex offending in terms of the intrusiveness and seriousness of the abuse, some aspects of female sex offending can cause particular problems for professionals. The fact that some sexual abuse can be disguised as childcare can make it difficult for professionals to identify this type of abuse whilst high rates of co-offending bring additional difficulties in determining the degree of female involvement and assigning responsibility. The survey findings indicate that risk assessment tools for female sex offenders is a key area requiring development and point towards small inconsistencies in the current practice of risk assessing females in the community. The survey also identifies the lack of treatment programmes for this group of offenders as well as drawing attention to the need for national policies and procedures, staff training and the identification of areas of good practice. Increased discussion and debate about how best to work with this group of sex offenders is also required. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Assessing the environmental performance of English arable and livestock holdings using data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN)

Agri-environment schemes (AESs) have been implemented across EU member states in an attempt to reconcile agricultural production methods with protection of the environment and maintenance of the countryside. To determine the extent to which such policy objectives are being fulfilled, participating countries are obliged to monitor and evaluate the environmental, agricultural and socio-economic impacts of their AESs. However, few evaluations measure precise environmental outcomes and critically, there are no agreed methodologies to evaluate the benefits of particular agri-environmental measures, or to track the environmental consequences of changing agricultural practices. In response to these issues, the Agri-Environmental Footprint project developed a common methodology for assessing the environmental impact of European AES. The Agri-Environmental Footprint Index (AFI) is a farm-level, adaptable methodology that aggregates measurements of agri-environmental indicators based on Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) techniques. The method was developed specifically to allow assessment of differences in the environmental performance of farms according to participation in agri-environment schemes. The AFI methodology is constructed so that high values represent good environmental performance. This paper explores the use of the AFI methodology in combination with Farm Business Survey data collected in England for the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), to test whether its use could be extended for the routine surveillance of environmental performance of farming systems using established data sources. Overall, the aim was to measure the environmental impact of three different types of agriculture (arable, lowland livestock and upland livestock) in England and to identify differences in AFI due to participation in agri-environment schemes. However, because farm size, farmer age, level of education and region are also likely to influence the environmental performance of a holding, these factors were also considered. Application of the methodology revealed that only arable holdings participating in agri-environment schemes had a greater environmental performance, although responses differed between regions. Of the other explanatory variables explored, the key factors determining the environmental performance for lowland livestock holdings were farm size, farmer age and level of education. In contrast, the AFI value of upland livestock holdings differed only between regions. The paper demonstrates that the AFI methodology can be used readily with English FADN data and therefore has the potential to be applied more widely to similar data sources routinely collected across the EU-27 in a standardised manner.