A cautionary note on methods of comparing programmatic efficiency between two or more groups of DMUs in data envelopment analysis

In some applications of data envelopment analysis (DEA) there may be doubt as to whether all the DMUs form a single group with a common efficiency distribution. The Mann–Whitney rank statistic has been used to evaluate if two groups of DMUs come from a common efficiency distribution under the assumption of them sharing a common frontier and to test if the two groups have a common frontier. These procedures have subsequently been extended using the Kruskal–Wallis rank statistic to consider more than two groups. This technical note identifies problems with the second of these applications of both the Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis rank statistics. It also considers possible alternative methods of testing if groups have a common frontier, and the difficulties of disaggregating managerial and programmatic efficiency within a non-parametric framework.      

After the reforms: how have public science research organisations changed?

Throughout the Western world, the provision of public good science research has undergone dramatic reforms over the past two decades. In the aftermath of these reforms, this paper asks whether the organisations engaged in science research and knowledge production have actually changed, and if so, how? Archetype analysis is used to explore the deep structures of four comparable case study organisations drawn from the New Zealand science sector. The study concludes that no new, stable organisational archetype has emerged following the reforms, but that in fact, a dynamic style of organisation that is in a state of endless transition is the most appropriate response to contemporary demands for knowledge production. The role of organisational leaders in this context is not only to make sense of the organisation's ever‐changing situation, but also to translate this sense into the actions of organisational members and other stakeholders.     

Selling to reluctant drinkers: the British wine market, 1860–1914

Attempts to stimulate wine drinking in Britain in the early 1860s succeeded in tripling wine imports, but this increase proved short lived, and per caput consumption was no greater in 1914 than it had been in 1815. Supply volatility, together with difficulties in establishing impersonal exchange mechanisms in place of those based on the personal reputation of economic agents, made it difficult to create a mass market. Not only did consumers receive insufficient information to identify quality prior to purchase, but the high price of some wines also encouraged cheap imitations, some of which were prejudicial to the health of the drinker.     

The extensive and intensive margins of Spanish trade

Recent empirical research highlights that differences in trade flows across countries, products and years are governed by two margins: the intensive margin and the extensive margin. The analysis of the relative contribution of each margin is very important to determine which policies can be more efficient to foster trade at the aggregate, geographic, product or firm level. We use the whole universe of firm level transaction data to analyse the relative contribution of these margins to changes in Spanish trade flows during the 1997–2007 period. We first apply the methodology proposed by Bernard et al. (2009 Bernard, A.B., Jensen, J.B., Redding, S.J. and Schott, P.K. 2009. The margins of US trade. American Economic Review: Papers & Proceedings, 99(2): 487–93. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]) to decompose trade variation over time into three components: net entry of firms, product-country switching and value growth by regular trading firms. The first two components correspond to the extensive margin and the last one refers to the intensive margin. We find that short-run changes in exports and imports are governed by firms’ intensive margin; however, in the long-run, both the extensive and the intensive margins are equally important to foster trade. We also examine the importance of the trade margins at the cross-sectional level for the year 2007. We find that large differences in the Spanish trade flows across countries and products, especially in the case of exports, are explained by the number of firms that participate in trade, which is consistent with the fact that the number of trading partners decline significantly with distance.     

Poverty,HIV/AIDS and the old age pension in Bhambayi,Kwazulu-Natal,South Africa

To date the international community has tended to direct HIV prevention programmes, treatment, care and supportive services to young adults and children, with little concern about the impact on older people. Since empirical evidence on the socioeconomic impact of HIV/AIDS on households with older persons is lacking, this paper attempts to fill this gap, using data from a household-based survey conducted in Bhambayi, a mixed formal and informal settlement north of eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal. The findings highlight the links between the uptake of the South African old age pension, poverty and HIV/AIDS in households with older persons. The paper makes recommendations for both government and non-governmental organisations in respect of community-based support systems for such households affected by HIV/AIDS.     

The Flexible–Rigid Paradox of Employment Relations at Royal Mail (UK)

This article examines how flexibility and rigidity equally pose a dilemma for management and trade unions. It explores the issue by examining a range of features within the employment relationship at the Royal Mail in the UK. It seeks to demonstrate how, in practice, both management and trade unions can require, pursue and argue for different and competing combinations of flexibility and rigidity. It concludes that it is analytically more useful to examine the content and form of the 'flexible–rigid mix' and explore how this is mediated by political, social and operational/technical processes.     

Rural telework: case studies from the Australian outback

This paper examines the effects of infrastructure and isolation on rural telework, and the potential of telework for rural communities. It draws on findings from two Australian case studies: a government initiative and a community-initiated training project. Differences between the experiences of rural and urban teleworkers are highlighted.     

New communication systems and trade union politics: a case study of Spanish trade unions and the role of the internet

This article shows how engagement with the internet and aspects of the new economy/society require an appreciation of union difference and politics. It shows how union responses vary due to four factors: communication strategies, union identity, forms of internal democracy and a range of organisational and social contingencies. The article will study the phenomena of the internet in the context of one national case study, Spain. It is a country that allows us to view the political dimensions of the internet, and the way they link to communication strategies, due to the manner in which the labour movement has transformed and modernised itself. It is also of interest because methods of communication have been at the heart of the way in which unions have developed and differentiated themselves. This article will argue that a greater sensitivity is required in terms of union history, politics and identity if the impact and use of new forms of communication are to be fully appreciated. It also points to the need to appreciate tensions between different forms of communication.     

What is Alive and What is Dead in the Theory of Corporatism

The term ‘corporatism’ simultaneously designates a particular interest group structure, characterized by monopolistic, centralized and internally non‐democratic associations, and a particular policy‐making process, also known as ‘concertation’ or ‘social partnership’. This paper argues that structure and process may no longer be closely associated. By focusing on the Irish and Italian cases, it shows that concertation is perfectly compatible with a non‐corporatist structure of the interest representation system. Inter‐ and intra‐organizational co‐ordination remains important for the viability of concertation. However, it can be achieved, even in relatively fragmented systems like the Irish and the Italian, through alternative mechanisms relying on democracy and discussion.