SPEC kit on performance review and development.

Comprises photocopies of evaluation guidelines and forms used by eight academic libraries.

Judicial system performance and economic development

The role of judicial systems in determining economic perfonnance has gained increasingly attention in recent years. Nonetheless, the literature lacks a clearly articulated framework to examine how judicial systems influence the investment and production decisions of economic agents. This paper tries to till in this gap. It examines what constitutes a well-functioning judiciary, analyzes how dysfunctional judicial systems compromise economic growth, and reviews the relevant empirical literature. It concludes with some remarks about why, despite the widespread perception that well-functioning legal and judicial systems are key to the success of market-oriented reforms in developing and transition countries, judicial refonn has lagged so much behind other reforms.

Development social policy for youth with special reference to young men in Saint Lucia

Includes bibliography

Erfolgskontrolle in der kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderung : Analyse und Modifikation einer fragwürdigen Forderung

Seit Jahren werden Diskussionen über Erfolgskontrolle in der kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderung geführt. Im Vordergrund steht dabei die Suche nach Indikatoren und Verfahren, die es den kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderungen ermöglichen sollen, Erfolge zu messen. rnDa die Wirtschaftsförderung zu den freiwilligen Leistungen einer Gemeinde zählt, erhöht sich der Druck der Rechtfertigung gegenüber der Öffentlichkeit oder der Politik, das gilt insbesondere in Zeiten knapper öffentlicher Haushalte. Firmenansiedlungen, eine positive wirtschaftliche Entwicklung oder eine geringe Arbeitslosenquote sind sowohl im öffentlichen Bewusstsein als auch in der Politik wesentliche Kriterien einer erfolgreichen Wirtschaftsförderung. Sich ständig ändernde Rahmenbedingungen im wirtschaftsstrukturellen Gefüge haben dazu geführt, dass diese klassischen Nachweise von Erfolg immer seltener als solche präsentiert werden können. Erfolge sollten dennoch gemessen werden, um Maßnahmen und Instrumente einer kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderung zu überprüfen und gegebenenfalls an die geänderten Bedingungen anzupassen. rnEs ist schon mehr als 30 Jahre her, als in den 1970er Jahren die Suche nach Methoden und Verfahren der Erfolgskontrolle in der öffentlichen Verwaltung begann. Erfolge von kommunaler Wirtschaftsförderung können nicht einfach und ausschließlich an den markantesten wirtschaftlichen Ziffern der Kommune gemessen werden, z. B. der Zahl der sozialversicherungspflichtigen Arbeitsplätze. Seit Jahren wird um einen Lösungsweg bei der Durchführung von Erfolgskontrolle in der kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderung gerungen, abschließend wurde jedoch noch kein vollends befriedigend praktikabler Weg gefunden. Zu hinterfragen ist vor dem Hintergrund, inwiefern die vier Elemente einer Erfolgskontrolle, nämlich die Zielerreichungs-, Vollzugs-, Bedingungs- und Wirkungskontrolle, tatsächlich und hinreichend zum Einsatz kommen können.rnDie vorliegenden empirischen Untersuchungen beleuchten nun das Thema aus Sicht der kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderer und liefern Ergebnisse, die zu einem veränderten Bewusstsein gegenüber der Durchführung von Erfolgskontrolle in der kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderung führen müssten. Unabhängig von der Organisationsform und der Größe einer kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderung lässt sich empirisch nachweisen, dass der Anspruch, den der Begriff der Erfolgskontrolle in seiner gängigen Beschreibung erhebt, nicht hinreichend von einer kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderung erfüllt werden kann. rnMit Hilfe des neu entwickelten Prozesses einer modifizierten Erfolgskontrolle wird in vorliegender Arbeit ein idealtypischer Ablauf für eine kommunale Wirtschaftsförderung dargestellt. Der neue Ansatz einer modifizierten Erfolgskontrolle ist eine konsequente Reduzierung der Anforderungen auf das Praktikable und führt dazu, dass Erfolge der kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderung dargestellt werden können, ohne dass das Verfahren mehr Fragen offen lässt, als es beantwortet. Durch die modifizierte Erfolgskontrolle können die spezifischen Erfolge einer kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderung dargestellt und dokumentiert werden. rnEine modifizierte Erfolgskontrolle kann zweierlei: Sie ist eine Hilfestellung für die politisch Verantwortlichen bei der Erkenntnis, dass eine Notwendigkeit nach konkreten und der Ist-Situation sowie den Randbedingungen angepassten Zielformulierungen besteht. Sie bietet aber auch eine Möglichkeit, dass die kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderungseinrichtungen dem in der öffentlichen Diskussion formulierten Anspruch nach Erfolgskontrolle mit einem hohen Grad an Praktikabilität gerecht werden können. rnBevor also viele kommunale Wirtschaftsförderungen durch die fragwürdige Forderung an eine Erfolgskontrolle aufgrund der zu hohen Anforderungen an Methodik, Zeit und Personal aufgeben, sollte ihnen die Konzentration auf das Praktikable wieder Anreiz sein, eine modifizierte Erfolgskontrolle nach dem neuen Prozessschema in Angriff zu nehmen. rnrn

The Impact of Proactive Strategies on Market Performance in Economic Downturn: the Case of Hungary

Recession in 2008/09 affected almost all the European countries seriously but some of them were hurt to greater extent. The timing of economic downturns can never be appropriate but it found Hungary at the time when it was in a vulnerable condition leading to a prolong struggle to find the way out. However, each company’s own experience and approach in crisis can differ from what the whole economy would explain. This study aims to contribute to the emerging research field regarding the concept of proactive marketing. We investigated the relationship between approach to crisis as an opportunity and market performance. Based on a survey of 173 companies we demonstrated that proactive marketing can lead to better performance but larger companies have the advantage of implementing this strategy more successfully.

Cultural economic geography and global media studies : the rise of asian media capitals?

This paper considers the scope to develop an approach to the spatial dimensions of media and culture that is informed by cultural-economic geography. I refer to cultural-economic geography as that strand of research in the field of geography that has been informed on the one hand by the ‘cultural turn’ in both geographical and economic thought, and which focuses on the relationship between, space, knowledge and identity in the spheres of production and consumption, and on the other to work by geographers that has sought to map the scale and significance of the cultural or creative industries as new drivers of the global economy. The paper considers the extent to which this work enables those engaged with urban cultural policy to get beyond some of the impasses that have arisen with the development of “creative cities” policies derived from the work of authors such as Richard Florida as well as the business management literature on clusters. It will frame these debates in the context of recent work by Michael Curtin on media capitals, and the question of whether cities in East Asia can emerge as media capitals from outside of the US-Europe-dominated transnational cultural axis.

Review of the nutrition policy of the Arnhem Land Progress Association

The process of implementation and the effect of the nutrition policy of the Arnhem Land Progress Association (ALPA) were reviewed three years after implementation of the policy in five remote Aboriginal community retail stores in May 1990. In 1993, compliance with the policy varied among stores. Recommended foods were available regularly in most communities; however, promotional and educational components of the policy were not widely implemented. Dietary improvements were evident in those communities where stores most complied with the policy. Some aspects of the ALPA nutrition policy require modification, and renewed commitment to the policy is likely to improve further the diet in the Aboriginal communities involved. The ALPA nutrition policy is a potential model for the development of other local food and nutrition policies in remote Aboriginal communities.

Toward a cultural economic geography of creative industries and urban development : introduction to the special issue on creative industries and urban development

The connections between the development of creative industries and the growth of cities was noted by several sources over the 2000s, but explanations relating to the nature of the link have thus far provide to be insufficient. The two dominant ‘scripts’ were those of ‘creative clusters’ and ‘creative/cities/creative class’ theories, but both have proved to be insufficient, not least because they privilege amenities-led, supply-drive accounts of urban development that fail to adequately situate cities in wider global circuits of culture and economic production. It is proposed that the emergent field of cultural economic geography provides some insights into redressing these lacunae, particularly in the possibilities for an original synthesis of cultural and economic geography, cultural studies and new strands of economic theory.

International entrepreneurship and firm performance over economic crisis

Small and medium firms (SMEs) that operate in global markets are vulnerable to external shocks in uncertain, hostile and volatile business environments given their limited resources and inexperience. In such environments entrepreneurial firms respond by making strategic choices to mitigate such vulnerabilities. This research examines one such important strategic choice – entrepreneurial posturing and its link to financial performance in Finnish SMEs during the global financial crisis. Findings suggest that the dimensions of entrepreneurial posturing have a differential effect on firm performance depending upon the severity of the business environment as well as the firm’s degree of internationalization. Implications for theory and practice are discussed and directions for future research provided.

Review of Open Access Policy Dependencies

Knowledge Exchange analysed the extent to which OA policies are dependent on a number of non-commercial, compliance-enabling services used by researchers and institutions. This work offers clear evidence to policy makers on the importance of a number of non-commercial services to the successful implementation of OA policies. It also shows that many of these services are at risk and warrant further support in financial and/or governance terms. The summary report (available here) includes an analysis of a wide range of OA services and policies currently in use and presents: • an analysis of the common elements found in the current OA policies adopted by research funders and institutions • a set of case studies that illustrate the direct or indirect dependency of OA policies on key services • the views of stakeholders on the key services that enable compliance with OA policies • use cases, presented in accessible formats and language for a non-technical audience • a set of priorities for action if OA policies are to be successfully implemented

Review of Legislation and Policy Guidance relating to Adult Social Care in Northern Ireland

Introduction and Background

This research was undertaken by an international team of academics from Queen’s University, Belfast, Leeds University and Penn State University (USA) who have examined models of adult social care provision across thirteen jurisdictions. The aim of this research is to present the Commissioner for Older People in Northern Ireland (COPNI) with possible options for legal reform to adult social care provision for older people in Northern Ireland.

Project Objectives

The agreed objectives of this research were to provide:
• Identification of gaps and issues surrounding the current legislative framework including policy provision for adult social care in Northern Ireland.
• Comparison of Northern Ireland with best practice in other jurisdictions to include (but not be limited to): England and Wales, Republic of Ireland, Scotland and at least two other international examples; Recommendations, based on the above, as to whether there is a need for legislative reform – provision of suggestions other than legislative change (if applicable).
• Recommendations or options based on the above, on how to best change the current framework in Northern Ireland to provide better support outcomes for older people.
• Stakeholder engagement via roundtable event to discuss outcomes/ recommendations.

Structure of Report

The findings from this research are based on an international review of adult social care in the local, national and international contexts. The report will, therefore, firstly present the key recommendations for Northern Ireland which have emerged from a systematic examination and review of adult social care in diverse jurisdictions. Each jurisdiction is then examined in the context of legislative and policy provision and examples of best practice are provided. The final section of the report then compares Northern Ireland to best practice from each of these aforementioned jurisdictions and the discussion entails the background to the report’s final Recommendations. The recommendations in this report are thus directly linked in with the evidence we have gathered across different countries with contrasting systems of welfare.