Young people's perceptions of complaints procedures in local government

This study examined 46 young people aged 16–24 years and evaluated their knowledge and awareness of the formal complaints procedures used by local government. Two areas in Scotland, one city (Edinburgh) and one town (Stirling), were chosen to participate in the study. Six focus groups, three in each area, were carried out to identify the level of awareness among the respondents and to permit a cross‐section of educational backgrounds to be obtained. A questionnaire was used to assemble a profile on each participant. After analysis of the focus groups, a focused interview with the Corporate Complaints Officers from two councils was undertaken. Each interview incorporated an in‐depth discussion regarding the formal complaints procedure while focusing on the young people within their constituency. The research revealed that young people's knowledge and awareness of local government complaints procedures is low, regardless of educational background and area of residence. For a minority, social factors such as confidence and competence do play a role although it is mainly organizational barriers, such as lack of information and access, which are the main causes of the problem. A number of young people indicated that they would complain if they knew how to execute a complaint successfully. The service providers were knowledgeable that awareness is low among this age group.     

Terrorist threats,information disclosures,and consumer sovereignty

This paper proposes the use of consumers’ preferences in formulating policies for keeping secret information about terrorist activities and threats that might compromise future security. We report the results from two surveys indicating that support for government secrecy varies across situations depending on the threat and context. A majority of respondents preferred full disclosure of some information related to terrorist threats regardless of the consequences for specific industries or future threats, in particular threats involving attacks on commercial airlines. However a majority of respondents were willing to allow government authorities to withhold information about the details of threats to the financial system and to buildings if revealing the information might compromise future investigations. While the public generally recognizes the importance of keeping some information secret, a democratically elected government should seek to understand the preferences of its citizens on important policy issues related to public safety and security.     

Stability of Canadian refinery response to petroleum product prices

The proportion of gasoline in a barrel of crude oil varies in response to changes in relative product prices. This response is found to be significant and stable using the Cooley—Prescott varying parameter technique on Canadian data for 1956–77. When the price of gasoline increases by 1% its share increases by 0.28%. Kerosene and gasoline are found to be substitutes in production while gasoline and residual fuel oil are found to be complements. The US has a different response function with heavier rather than lighter products as substitutes for gasoline in the production process. These variations are attributed to differences in energy product markets and government policies.     

Clinical Governance, Performance Appraisal and Interactional and Procedural Fairness at a New Zealand Public Hospital

This paper explores the conduct of performance appraisals of nurses in a New Zealand hospital, and how fairness is perceived in such appraisals. In the health sector, performance appraisals of medical staff play a key role in implementing clinical governance, which, in turn, is critical to containing health care costs and ensuring quality patient care. Effective appraisals depend on employees perceiving their own appraisals to be fair both in terms of procedure and interaction with their respective appraiser. We examine qualitative data from interviews and focus groups, involving 22 nurses in a single department, to determine whether perceived injustices impact on the effective implementation of the appraisal system. Our results suggest that particular issues had been causing some sense of injustice, and most of these were procedural. Potential solutions focus on greater formalisation of the performance appraisal process, and more training for appraisers and appraisees.     

An exploration of older worker flexible working arrangements in smaller firms

This article explores flexible working arrangements (FWAs) for older workers in smaller UK firms. We address three questions: how far older workers need and value FWAs, the type of FWAs they need, and whether smaller firms can offer these FWAs. We draw on 46 semi‐structured interviews from six smaller case study firms to present a qualitative exploration of both owner‐manager and (under‐researched) worker perspectives. We evidence the offer and importance of temporal and work‐role FWAs, together with the use of i‐deals and ad hoc FWAs in meeting the needs of this diverse group. We make three contributions: first, theoretically, in arguing for an extended definition of FWAs and understanding formality of offer; second, to practice, in highlighting FWA mechanisms appropriate to older workers; third, to policy, in questioning the effectiveness of both the business case approach to older worker FWAs in smaller firms and policy's positioning of older workers as a homogeneous group.     

A theory of exploitative child labor

We develop a model in which some child labor is exploitative.Since exploited child laborers are paid less than the valueof the marginal product of labor, there is scope for policyintervention to be Pareto improving. We illustrate this by showingthat a system of inspection and fines targeted on exploitativechild labor increases the aggregate output produced by children.We also establish that such intervention secures the releaseof children from exploitative working conditions, to their benefit.The distributional implications of the intervention among employersand among children who had not been exploited depends on whethercapital is mobile internationally, and can depend on whetherthe elimination of exploitative child labor is partial or complete.     

Accumulation versus instant loyalty programs: The influence of controlling policies on customers' commitments

Loyalty reward programs play an important strategic role attracting and retaining customers. Surprisingly, reward redemptions receive minimal research attention. Despite widespread reward program offerings, evidence suggests customers increasingly abandon them due to controlling (restrictive) redemption policies, such as blackout dates. The present study considers controlling redemption policies' effect on consumer commitment levels for accumulation-based and instant loyalty programs across social and economic award types. A 2 (low/high controlling) × 2 (accumulation/instant program) × (social/economic rewards) design tests hypotheses informed by cognitive evaluation and rational choice theories. Results show firms employing accumulation programs with highly controlling policies should highlight their social rewards (e.g., a hotel with blackout dates on redeeming rewards would want to highlight their special lounges or dining areas); whereas, low controlling policies work best when offering financial rewards (e.g., free upgrades or percentages off). In instant programs, the type of reward generally does not influence consumers' commitment levels.     

Influence of hospital context on cost and length of stay following cardiac catheterization

This study attempted to link health care activities and outcomes, taking into account characteristics of the health care system, the work group, and the individual. Results indicated that organizational structure and work group process had a greater influence on cost and derived length of stay (a measure of efficiency) than did the individual-level variables. The findings of this study add to the body of knowledge that explains how the processes of nurses' work influence the outcomes of that work.     

Crypto quanto and inverse options

Over 90% of exchange trading on crypto options has always been on the Deribit platform. This centralized crypto exchange only lists inverse products because they do not accept fiat currency. Likewise, other major crypto options platforms only list crypto–stablecoin trading pairs in so-called direct options, which are similar to the standard crypto options listed by the CME except the US dollar is replaced by a stablecoin version. Until now a clear mathematical exposition of these products has been lacking. We discuss the sources of market incompleteness in direct and inverse options and compare their pricing and hedging characteristics. Then we discuss the useful applications of currency protected “quanto” direct and inverse options for fiat-based traders and describe their pricing and hedging characteristics, all in the Black–Scholes setting.