Exploring the preparation practices of teachers who organise secondary school ski trips in England and Wales

Secondary schools across England and Wales understand the importance of offering young people the opportunity to experience activity-based trips. One of these fundamental trips is the ski trip which enables young people to experience new challenges and adventure. However, within England and Wales, skiing is an atypical activity due to the lack of accessibility to the slopes. Consequently, it is vital to effectively prepare young people for skiing to promote enjoyment and reduce the likelihood of injury. The purpose of this study was to explore the current practices in the preparation of school ski trips within England and Wales. An electronic survey was administered to secondary schools across England and Wales with 270 completed responses of schools which organise ski trips. Analysis revealed that there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) across the regions with information being shared with parents prior to the ski trip. Young people are informed on similar information prior to and during the ski trip across the regions (p < 0.05). However, there was a significant difference between respondents screening (33%) and not screening students (67%) (p > 0.01) and under half (47%) of schools provide their pupils with exercise programmes prior to the school trip. Overall, these findings appear that ski trip organisers are consistent across England and Wales with their education of the young person and the management of the ski trip. Although, the knowledge gained by organisers to prepare young people is gathered from a variety of different sources. Therefore, it is essential for evidence-based information to be shared and disseminated to ski trip organisers to provide best practice and to facilitate other schools in providing ski trips for their pupils.     

Letter from the Incoming Editors

This paper reports a study of the key success factors of what have been recognized as successful service enterprises in China, each considered representative of its respective industry. The grounded theory approach was used to analyze information collected from these enterprises, resulting in the identification of the attributes shared by these enterprises: customer-oriented service, service management, service innovation, and corporate social responsibility. Based on these attributes, a survey was conducted to verify the relationships among these attributes and important outcomes, namely customer satisfaction, perceived service quality, and enterprise reputation. The results of the statistical analysis indicate that the four attributes have positive impacts on service outcomes. The findings are of far-reaching importance in view of the vast potential service markets in China.     

Awash in a Sea of Confusion: Benefit Corporations,Social Enterprise,and the Fear of “Greenwashing”

In the last five years, the majority of U.S. states enacted benefit corporation legislation, creating a new legal form of business that embraces the “triple-bottom line” of people, planet, and profit. Benefit corporation status provides legal protections for directors and officers, who may now balance social and environmental impact with shareholder returns. It also creates rich opportunities for social entrepreneurs, gives investors more socially responsible options, and offers a helpful designation for consumers. I describe the history and purpose of benefit corporations, evaluate their pros and cons, and argue that safeguards against “greenwashing” make benefit corporations a valuable business form of social enterprise.     

On the short-term effects of long-term change in cities: An efficient land markets model

This article develops a model of the determination of urban rent functions in the short-term when the housing stock is assumed fixed. The model suggests that expectations concerning the nature of long-term equilibrium play a central role in determining short-term rents. Open and closed models are discussed as alternative long-term paradigms applicable to different types of exogenous changes. The model suggests, first, that the short-term rent on housing gradient is always below the long-term gradient. Second, depending on whether land-owners have perfect or imperfect information concerning the nature of long-term equilibrium, the short-term rent gradient could signal them to rebuild the housing stock at the correct long-term density level or at too high or too low density levels.     

The greening of the press: A case study of stakeholder accountability and the corporate management of environmentalist publics

The concept of stakeholder accountability and management is increasingly an integral facet of business strategy. This is particularly evident for companies which have a significant environmental impact, be it real or perceived, where public scrutiny of environmental performance is facilitated through heightened press coverage. Effective stakeholder management therefore necessitates an active response to the media's attention in order to manage the public perception of business activities. This article presents data on the exponential growth in both the total number and the proportion of news articles over the past fifteen years which have associated a large forestry company in Western Canada with environmentalist issues. More detailed analyses of these articles illustrate how environmentalist sub-issues can be identified and whether the voice is either that of the corporation or the environmentalist movement. Implications of these findings for the management of environmentalist publics is discussed.     

Contextual factors in the success of reduced‐load work arrangements among managers and professionals

The purpose of this study was to consider the role of contextual factors, particularly those related to HR policies and practices, in the success of eighty‐two professionals and managers working on a reduced‐load basis. Results revealed agreement among senior managers, coworkers, direct reports, and reduced‐load managers and professionals themselves that the alternative work arrangements were successful. The key factors seen as facilitating success included individual characteristics and behaviors as well as contextual factors related to job content, work group, organizational culture, and human‐resource policies and practices. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Enhancing Employee Voice: Are Voluntary Employer–Employee Partnerships Enough?

One of the essential ethical issues in the employment relationship is the loss of employee voice. Many of the ways employees have previously exercised voice in the employment relationship have been rendered less effective by (1) the changing nature of work, (2) employer preferences for flexibility that often work to the disadvantage of employees, and (3) changes in public policy and institutional systems that have failed to protect workers. We will begin with a discussion of how work has changed in the last 20 years in countries like Australia and the United States, and then take up the issue of employees as organizational stakeholders and the ethical duties that are owed them, with special attention given to issues of power. We will then consider whether voluntary action by employers such as social auditing is sufficient to ensure equity for employees, and conclude with a discussion of how changes in public policy might ensure greater fairness in the employment relationship by bringing employers and employees together in partnership.