Revealing the screening: organisational factors influencing the recruitment of immigrant professionals

Little attention has been paid to factors that influence employers in their recruitment behaviour, especially as it affects immigrants. In order to address this gap in the literature, a case study of regional Australian employers is used to examine how organisation-based factors influence the employer screening and recruitment of immigrant professionals. The findings indicate that employers are not primarily driven by a human capital lens during the recruitment process. Rather they seem to be influenced by the place and specificity of the process. Some of the key factors which can either favourably or unfavourably influence employers include the organisational size, type, resource availability, ethnic diversity of clients, level of role criticalness, industry-based culture and management style.     

Homogeneity and heterogeneity in information technology private standard settings – the institutional account

The IT (information technology) standardisation landscape is characterised by the increasing importance of private standard setting consortia, a greater convergence between the structural features of formal and private standard organisations, and greater diversity in standard organisations. Institutional theory has been applied to explain the convergence of standard setting bodies. This paper applies institutional theory to four studies of standards organisations, showing that there are indeed homogenising mimetic, coercive and normative forces in standard setting that lead to the convergence of emergent organisations with the institutional features, but that there are also forces promoting heterogeneity, in particular the multiplicity of institutional fields within which standards consortia operate, leading to a complex, and often conflicting, matrix of institutional norms to be accommodated.     

EDUCATIONAL EXPANSION: THE WORMS IN THE APPLE

Expansion of higher education can undermine rather than enhance the value of education for low income families. Less well qualified children of higher income families are the main beneficiaries of the expansion and the value of the qualifications of those who do not participate in higher education can be undermined. The most obvious practical policy that would expand educational opportunity for all would be to treat all adult students equally and give further education institutions and universities comparable, as well as greater, freedom from government control.     

EU Enlargement to Turkey? The Challenges Anead for Agriculture and Rural Areas: EU Erweiterung um die Türkei? Herausforderungen Füer die Landwirtschaft und ländliche Räume: Elargir I'UE à la Turquie? Les défis en perspective pour I'agriculture et les zones rurales.

EU Enlargement to Turkey? The Challenges Ahead for Agriculture and Rural Areas In December 2004 the European Council agreed that accession negotiations with Turkey could begin in October 2005. Although the Copenhagen political criteria have been decisive so far, the criteria relating to the functioning of markets and ability to implement EU legislation will weigh heavily in the negotiations. Despite recent policy reforms, Turkey's agriculture still enjoys levels of protection similar or higher than those of the EU, but its gross value added per worker is relatively very low. One third of Turkey's employment is in agriculture, where most farms are small. The animal health situation is far below the standard achieved in the EU. Food supply chains are fragmented and inefficient. To survive and compete within the single market of the EU, the agricultural and food sectors must undergo deep structural change, which will have far‐reaching economic and social repercussions. Projections according to current policy trends show that Turkey could take over one‐third of the total cohesion budget allocation. However, the scalingdown or delaying of budget transfers would be short‐sighted. If the EU accepts Turkey as a member, it would be in the interest of the EU as a whole that Turkey's economy ‐ and especially its backward rural economy ‐ should embark on a sustainable growth path as soon as possible. Elargir l'UE à la Turquie ? Les défis en perspective pour l'agriculture et les zones rurales. En decembre 2004, le Conseil de l'Union europ6enne a decide douvrir des negociations d'adhesion avec la Turquie en octobre 2005. A la difference de ce qui s'est passe jusqu'ici, le fonctionnement des marches et la capacite a mettre en vigueur l'acquis communautaire seront les crittres principaux, a la place des crittres politiques de Copenhague. Malgrk des reformes politiques recentes, l'agriculture turque profite toujours d'un taw de protection extkrieure analogue a celui de I'UE ou plus Clevi Cependant, sa valeur ajoutee brute par actifest relativement trks basse. Le tiers des emplois en Turquie se trouve dans le secteur agricole, oi?la plupart des exploitations sont de peute taille. La situation sanitaire du cheptel se situe bien au‐dessous du niveau de I'UE. Les filieres agro‐alimentaires sont fragmentees et peu efficaces. Pour être en mesure de faire face a la concurrence du Marche unique europken, les secteurs agricoles et alimentaires en Turquie devront subir une restructuration profonde, laquelle aura des consequences economiques et sociales de grande envergure. Des projections basees sur les tendances politiques actuelles montrent que la Turquie pourrait bkneficier de plus du tiers des fonds de cohesion de I'UE. Ceci dit, une decision de diminuer ou de dfikrer les transferts budgetaires serait faire preuve d'un manque de prevoyance. Si I'UE accepte la Turquie comme membre, il serait dans I'intkr8t de l'ensemble de 1'Union que I'Cconomie turque ‐ et surtout son economie rurale arrierke ‐ s'engage aussitbt que possible sur un sentier de croissance rapide et durable. EU Erweiterung um die Tükei? Herausforderungen für die Landwirtschaft und ländliche Räume Im Dezember 2004 hat der Europasche Rat beschlossen, dass im Oktober 2005 die Beitnttsverhandlungen mit der Turkei beginnen konnen Auch wenn die Kopenhagener politischen Kriterien bisher entscheidend waren, werden die Kriterien hinsichtlich der Funktionsfhhigkeit der Markte und die Fahigkeit, die EU Gesetzgebung lmplementieren zu konnen, besonderes Gewicht haben. Trotz der letzten Politikreformen 1st die Agrarprotektion in der Turkei gleich hoch oder hoher als in der EU, aber die turkische Bruttowertschopfung le Arbeitskraft ist relativ sehr klein Ein Dnttel der turklschen Arbeitskrafte sind in der Landmrtschaft beschaftigt und die meisten Betriebe sind klein Die Gesundheit der Tiere 1st weit unter den Niveau der EU Die Nahrungsmittel‐Zuheferungskette 1st klem struktunert und ineffizient Der Agrar‐ und Ernahrungssektor kann im Gemeinsamen Markt nur dann uberleben und wettbewerbsfahig sein, wenn em intensiver Strukturwandel mit weit reichenden okonomischen und sozialen Wirkungen einsetzt. Projektionen der gegenwartigen Politikentwicklungen zeigen, dass die Turkei uber ein Dnttel der Mittel des Kohasionsfonds erhalten wurde. Doch wurde die Kurzung oder Veaogerung der Finanzhilfen kurzsichtig sen Wenn dre EU die Turkei als Mitglied akzeptiert, 1st es im Interesse der EU insgesamt, dass die Turkei und insbesondere ihre ruckstandige Agramirtschaft so schnell wie moglich auf einen stabden Wachstumspfad kommt.     

Consumer motivations and concerns in online auctions: an exploratory study

This investigates the reasons behind the dramatic growth of Internet auction companies such as eBay, exploring into why so many consumers have been motivated to turn to online auctions to purchase and sell goods. It is found that the ability to purchase items at lower prices than from retail stores is the primary motivation, along with having access to previously unobtainable items. Concerns mainly relate to potential fraudulent transactions, although the negative feedback system is found to be vital in the reduction of fears over fraud. Interaction with other auction users is found to be important for practical reasons such as information seeking, rather than for enjoyment. The main conclusion is that the benefits of using Internet auctions far outweigh the risks involved.     

How the automotive insurance claims experience affects customer retention

The authors were commissioned to carry out a study of the way in which the experience of automotive insurance companies of claiming after an accident affected their attitude to companies and their subsequent loyalty. A consumer omnibus study was used to identify relevant market segments and to provide an estimate for the overall number of claims. This indicated that under half of all motorists had claimed on either their own or on another driver's insurance. A telephone questionnaire was then used to determine customers' actual experience of the claims process and their attitudes to insurance companies and to car insurance in general. Three hundred telephone interviews were conducted with motorists using a bought-in list of drivers. These respondents were distributed throughout the UK. There was an equal split of men and women drivers. All those interviewed were responsible for arranging and purchasing their own motor insurance. The study found that whether a replacement car was provided and the standard of the replacement car had a strong effect on customers' subsequent loyalty. It also identified many aspects of the automotive claims experience that could be improved to the benefit of both customers and insurers.     

The construction of control: the physical environment and the development of resistance and accommodation within call centres

The paper explores the impact of the physical environment on employee resistance and accommodation. The findings suggest that the physical nature of call centres, whether purpose built or not, can be a focus of employee dissatisfaction and reflect broader, less concrete conflicts. It notes that the advantage of the physical environment as an arena for resistance lies in its tangibility.     

Antecedents and Outcomes of Diversity and Equality Management Systems: An Integrated Institutional Agency and Strategic Human Resource Management Approach

This study examines the development and impact of diversity and equality management systems (DEMS). A national sample of human resource managers from 155 Canadian firms responded to surveys about their firm's diversity and equality management (DEM) practices. Cluster analysis and latent class modeling identified three distinct approaches to DEM: classical disparity DEMS showing limited development of DEM‐related practices, institutional DEMS involving complex selection mechanisms and monitoring of employment statistics, and configurational DEMS linking diversity to business strategy. Hypothesis‐testing analyses indicated that both institutional and configurational DEMS were predicted by coverage by the Canadian employment equity program, federal contractor status, and the presence of a diversity expert on staff. Only configurational DEMS was predicted by inclusion of HRM in developing business strategy. Configurational DEMS positively predicted the employment of workers with disabilities and members of visible minority groups as well as ROA. These findings support the proposition based on strategic human resource management (SHRM) theory that DEM practices should be considered as bundles and that vertical linkage to strategy is important for DEM effectiveness. As such, SHRM theory explains how managers can structure strategic responses to institutional pressures that go beyond requirements to achieve strategic goals. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.