scholarly journals Implementation of a local authority workspace strategy in the UK

Facilities ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 196-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bob Giddings ◽  
Vladimir Ladinski
Keyword(s):  
Asset Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Borough Council ◽  
Reduced Space ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to examine the implementation of a workspace strategy within Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council. It identifies the efficiencies that were achieved through the increase in office workspace numbers, as well as the associated advantages of locating more people within the Civic Centre. Equally, this study examines the users’ perspective. Design/methodology/approach A survey was carried out in 2013, with Property and Design Services as a sample Council Department, to identify employees’ level of satisfaction with the implementation of the strategy. A paper-based questionnaire was handed to all participants. The primary comparison was their experience before and after changes to the workplace. Findings The results show that government targets for office space utilisation have been exceeded, thus supporting more efficient property asset management. The research has also established that the employees are generally satisfied with their new workspace. Research limitations/implications The issues are whether the reduced space per person can be mitigated by the design, and whether efficiency gains can be introduced without adversely affecting the users’ perception of their workplace. Practical implications The findings can guide future trends within the Council, as well as informing the implementation of similar workspace strategies in other organisations. Originality/value The originality of the study lies in a workspace strategy where the responses of users were taken seriously. Despite some concerns about distractions and lack of privacy, the employees responded that their overall satisfaction, and perceived productivity were unaffected by the strategy and reduced space per person.

scholarly journals Accrual and real-based earnings management by UK acquirers

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 492-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talie Kassamany ◽  
Salma Ibrahim ◽  
Stuart Archbold
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Governance Code ◽  
Management Behaviour ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Logistic Regressions ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to investigate the occurrence of pre-merger earnings management for a sample of 197 stock- and cash-financed UK acquirers between 1990 and 2009. It also examines the earnings management behaviour around the change in the Corporate Governance Code in 2003 based on the Higgs recommendations. Design/methodology/approach Mean and median accrual- and real-based manipulation are examined in the period before the announcement of a merger and acquisition. These are compared across stock and cash acquirers as well as before and after the implementation of the Higgs recommendations. Logistic regressions are also run to examine accrual- and real-based manipulation across stock and cash acquirers after controlling for variables that may affect the acquisition type. Findings The study found some evidence of upward pre-merger accrual-based earnings management by stock-financed acquirers, which is in line with the findings of Botsari and Meeks (2008). Furthermore, no significant changes were found in the post-Higgs period, which indicates that the recommendations put forth by Higgs may not have been successful in mitigating earnings management. The evidence also shows that cash bidders engage in pre-merger real earnings manipulation through lower discretionary expenses, possibly to enhance cash availability for the bid. Practical implications The findings in this study confirm earnings management exists around mergers and acquisitions and provide some evidence that the recommendations set out in the Higgs Report do not appear to have mitigated earnings management activities. This is of interest to regulators as well as investors and academicians. Originality/value This provides the first analysis in the UK examining the use of real-based earnings management activities by UK acquirers. It also extends prior research around corporate governance changes that occurred in the UK.

Fifty years of the UK Misuse of Drugs Act 1971: the legislative contexts

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Blaine Stothard
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
People Who Use Drugs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Before And After ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the history of relevant legislation before and after the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA). Design/methodology/approach A chronological narrative of laws and reports with concluding discussion. Findings That UK legislators have not made use of the evidence base available to them and have favoured enforcement rather than treatment approaches. That current UK practice has exacerbated not contain the use of and harms caused by illegal drugs. Research limitations/implications The paper does not cover all relevant documents, especially those from non-governmental sources. Practical implications The practical implications centre on the failure of consecutive governments to reflect on and review the impact of current legislation, especially on people who use drugs. Social implications That the situations of people who use drugs are currently ignored by the government and those proven responses which save lives and reduce harm are rejected. Originality/value The paper attempts to show the historical contexts of control and dangerousness of which the MDA is one instrument.

Reuse, recycle … reduce: a greener library with print management

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 408-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan E. Dempsey ◽  
Alex Palilonis
Keyword(s):  
Management System ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of a print management system to control costs and reduce waste associated with printing practices.Design/methodology/approachA paper collection study found that 8 percent of pages printed in the library were never claimed. A print management system was implemented requiring print jobs to be manually released by users. Statistics on toner lifespan and number of pages printed before and after the system was implemented were compared.FindingsThe print management system reduced the total number of pages printed in a semester by 32 percent from Fall 2009 to Fall 2011 and increased the lifespan of toner cartridges so they would perform more efficiently.Practical implicationsImplementing a print management system without charging students a printing fee reduces the amount of wasted paper and the costs associated with purchasing paper and toner for printing services.Originality/valueThe paper describes the implementation of a print management system in a library that has substantially reduced the number of pages printed from library computers and the amount of toner used. The authors believe they have made a significant impact on reducing a primary area of waste.

scholarly journals Implications of divergences in adult protection legislation

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorna Montgomery ◽  
Janet Anand ◽  
Kathryn Mackay ◽  
Brian Taylor ◽  
Katherine C. Pearson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Consensus Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Legal Responses ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Protection Legislation ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Adult Protection

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the similarities and differences of legal responses to older adults who may be at risk of harm or abuse in the UK, Ireland, Australia and the USA. Design/methodology/approach – The authors draw upon a review of elder abuse and adult protection undertaken on behalf of the commissioner for older people in Northern Ireland. This paper focusses on the desk top mapping of the different legal approaches and draws upon wider literature to frame the discussion of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the different legal responses. Findings – Arguments exist both for and against each legal approach. Differences in defining the scope and powers of adult protection legislation in the UK and internationally are highlighted. Research limitations/implications – This review was undertaken in late 2013; while the authors have updated the mapping to take account of subsequent changes, some statutory guidance is not yet available. While the expertise of a group of experienced professionals in the field of adult safeguarding was utilized, it was not feasible to employ a formal survey or consensus model. Practical implications – Some countries have already introduced APL and others are considering doing so. The potential advantages and challenges of introducing APL are highlighted. Social implications – The introduction of legislation may give professionals increased powers to prevent and reduce abuse of adults, but this would also change the dynamic of relationships within families and between families and professionals. Originality/value – This paper provides an accessible discussion of APL across the UK and internationally which to date has been lacking from the literature.

scholarly journals Foresight in cities: on the possibility of a “strategic urban intelligence”

foresight ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 469-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe Ravetz ◽  
Ian Douglas Miles
Keyword(s):  
Complex Systems ◽  
Analytical Method ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work In Progress ◽  
Strategic Policy ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The City ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Practical Recommendations

Purpose This paper aims to review the challenges of urban foresight via an analytical method: apply this to the city demonstrations on the UK Foresight Future of Cities: and explore the implications for ways forward. Design/methodology/approach The methodology is based on the principles of co-evolutionary complex systems, a newly developed toolkit of “synergistic mapping and design”, and its application in a “synergy foresight” method. Findings The UK Foresight Future of Cities is work in progress, but some early lessons are emerging – the need for transparency in foresight method – and the wider context of strategic policy intelligence. Practical implications The paper has practical recommendations, and a set of propositions, (under active discussion in 2015), which are based on the analysis. Originality/value The paper aims to demonstrate an application of “synergy foresight” with wide benefits for cities and the communities within them.

Agency costs in the market for corporate control: evidence from UK takeovers

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Jones ◽  
Bing Xu ◽  
Konstantin Kamp
Keyword(s):  
Agency Costs ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Corporate Control ◽  
Sales Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Market For Corporate Control ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Theory Framework ◽  
Made In

Purpose This paper aims to examine whether agency costs predict disciplinary takeover likelihood for the UK listed companies between 1986 and 2015. Design/methodology/approach Using survival analysis, the approach is to identify candidates for disciplinary takeover on the basis of Tobin’s Q (TQ), which is consistent with the approach advocated by Manne (1965). This study then examines how indicators of agency costs affect takeover likelihood within the set of disciplinary candidates. Findings This paper provides evidence of the effectiveness of TQ, rather than excess return, in identifying disciplinary takeover candidates. Takeover hazard for disciplinary candidates is higher for companies with higher levels of asset utilization and sales growth in particular. Companies with stronger agency problems are relatively less susceptible to disciplinary takeover. Practical implications Given the UK context of the study, where anti-takeover provisions are disallowed and when compared to findings of US studies, the results imply some support for the effectiveness of an open merger policy. Originality/value While the connection between takeover likelihood and the market for corporate control has been made in previous studies, the study adopts a more explicit agency theory framework than previous studies of takeover likelihood. A key component of the contribution follows from differentiating candidates for disciplinary takeovers from other forms of mergers and acquisitions.

Morality in the era of smart devices

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiarui Sui ◽  
Tiantian Mo
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Markets ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Smart Devices ◽  
Moral Foundations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Developed Markets ◽  
Moral Standards ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeDoes using smart devices change people's moral standards? The objective of this paper is to investigate how people's moral behavioral intentions while employing smart devices are modulated by their socioeconomic status (SES; as measured by educational level and income).Design/methodology/approachParticipants were randomly assigned to either the smart devices condition or the non-smart devices condition, and their moral standards was measured by the adapted Moral Foundations Questionnaire. Data were collected from both China and the UK.FindingsIndividuals' SES moderated people's moral standards when using smart devices. Specifically, when employing smart devices (vs non-smart devices), moral standards declined for low-SES individuals. However, the effect of employing smart devices was not significant for high-SES individuals. This suggests that certain demographics may be more inclined to harm others with smart devices.Practical implicationsIn emerging markets, the widespread of smart devices in workplace may lower consumers' and employees' moral standards for certain demographics. Managers and marketers need to be aware of this erosion of morality and employ some preventive measures in advance.Originality/valueThis paper examined morality in the era of smart devices. Even though the use of smart devices has become a norm in developed markets, smart devices usage is still on the rise in emerging markets. The authors findings enhance the understanding of moral behaviors and contribute to the knowledge of how smart devices are changing human behaviors.

London Fire Brigade's screen and treat approach to the Grenfell Tower incident

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig Steel ◽  
Zoe Travers ◽  
Lynette Meredith ◽  
Deborah Lee ◽  
Michael Conti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Response ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Post Disaster ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose is to report on the mental health response to the Grenfell incident within the London Fire Brigade (LFB).Design/methodology/approachThe LFB implemented screening for the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at 28 days, 3 months and 6 months for all personnel directly involved in the incident.FindingsThe prevalence of PTSD within frontline personnel was 13.4% at 28 days, falling to 7.6% at 6 months. The LFB's internal Counselling and Wellbeing Service offered treatment to those scoring above the cut-off for PTSD along with accepting self-referral and referrals from line managers and occupational health. There were 139 referrals within the 12-month period following the incident.Research limitations/implicationsThe outcomes for those who engaged in treatment are broadly in line with other studies evaluating post-disaster interventions. Issues for consideration within national guidelines are discussed.Practical implicationsThe screen and treat approach adopted by LFB was shown to be a feasible approach to use within such a scenario.Originality/valueThe current study reports on a screen and treat approach to one of the largest single incidents in the UK in recent years.

“Give it a Try”: experiences of black, Asian and minority ethnic young men in a prison-based offender personality disorder service

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-26
Author(s):  
Stephanie Hunter ◽  
Eleanor Craig ◽  
Jake Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Minority Ethnic ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose Within the current offender personality disorder (OPD) pathway in the UK, black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) populations are underrepresented. Fewer BAME offenders are engaging with services despite being proportionately identified for inclusion and referred on to the pathway. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study explored the experiences of 11 BAME men engaged in a prison-based OPD service for young offenders to identify the highlights and challenges of engagement within the service and to what extent they experienced a sense of inclusion/belonging. Findings Thematic analysis was used to identify three overarching themes and sub-themes. Why am I going to be an Outcast? describes the barriers to engagement encountered by the participants; and Give it a Try and Nothing but Respect describe the process of overcoming these barriers. Barriers revolved around the experiences of judgement, alienation and hopelessness. These were overcome through peer encouragement, developing relationships with staff and freedom to regulate levels of engagement. Practical implications Practice and policy implications are considered to support similar services in addressing the barriers to engagement faced by BAME individuals. Areas for future research are also recommended. Originality/value Currently, no research has directly explored the under-representation of young BAME offenders with emerging personality disorder in the OPD pathway. The findings provided an insight into some of the difficulties these young BAME offenders faced when accessing this service, alongside aspects which maintained their engagement.

Beyond placement, layering and integration – the perception of trade-based money laundering risk in UK financial services

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 614-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Menz
Keyword(s):  
Money Laundering ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Trade Finance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Proceeds Of Crime ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of trade-based money laundering in Letters of Credit (“L/C”) transactions among trade finance practitioners in the UK banking sector and to compare it to the perception of the same risk by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), the regulator of the UK’s banking sector. Design/methodology A survey was used to carry out research among financial services professionals engaged in trade finance in the UK. Findings This paper contributes to the existing literature in a number of ways. First, it investigates the perception of trade-based money laundering risk from the perspective of financial services professionals, which has not previously been done. Second, it argues that the perception of trade-based money laundering in financial services is overly focussed on placement, layering and integration, and that the full extent of the offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 is less well known. It further found that financial services firms need to improve their understanding of the nature of trade-based money laundering under UK law. Practical implications This study argues that the financial services sector’s perception of trade-based money laundering risk in trade finance is underdeveloped and makes suggestions on how to improve it. Originality/value It provided unique insight into the perception of trade-based money laundering risk among financial services professionals.

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