Job satisfaction and quit intentions of offshore workers in the UK North Sea oil and gas industry

The North Sea oil and gas industry currently faces recruitment and retention difficulties because of a shortage of skilled workers. One means of retaining existing employees is to improve workers’ job satisfaction. In this paper, we investigate the determinants of job satisfaction and intentions to quit within this industry sector. We find that individuals in good financial situations, those whose skills are closely related to their job and those who received training reported higher levels of job satisfaction. Furthermore, we establish the importance of job satisfaction, promotion prospects and training opportunities in determining workers’ intentions to quit their job.     

The demand for residential domestic service in the London of 1901†

This article concerns the effect of income and other variables on the demand for residential domestic service in London in 1901 and presents the first estimated model of the demand for residential service known to the author. It uses previously unexploited data consisting of the incomes and household details of some 500 civil servants. An extension of Becker's model of household production is set out and an ordered probit statistical model of servant demand is estimated. The results confirm the importance of income but also show that the demographic composition of the household was of significance. These results are interpreted in terms of age‐ and gender‐related differences in the supply of labour and the demand for market goods. The results are consistent with the view that middle‐class Edwardian households should be understood as sites of production as well as consumption. A comparison of the statistical results with contemporary recommendations in manuals of household management suggests that those recommendations were typically over‐optimistic. The article presents a ‘ready reckoner’ whereby household income may be estimated from the number of resident servants, but caution in its use is urged.     

Is it all about money? An examination of the motives behind moonlighting

Multiple-job holding is an important labour market phenomenon. In this article, we examine individuals’ motives for multiple-job holding. Specifically, we estimate an empirical model of the motivation for moonlighting assuming that individuals hold a second job for either financial or for nonpecuniary motives. Our results contribute to a better understanding of multiple-job holding. We find that multiple-job holding is used by individuals as a way to deal with the financial difficulties or the increased financial commitments in their household. Individuals are more likely to moonlight for money in the early stages of their adult life. Finally, individuals with more labour market experience are more likely to moonlight for pecuniary than nonpecuniary reasons.     

The setting up,development and running of a foundation: Implications for a nonprofit organisation

This paper describes the formation and development of a foundation for the National Film and Television School (NFTS). A fundraising strategy was devised to provide capital and an endowment fund. Trustees were appointed from key positions in the film and television world, and the paper outlines the achievements so far of the NFTS Foundation.     

Need,Merit, or Self‐Interest—What Determines the Allocation of Aid?

Previous studies of aid allocation have concluded that foreign aid is allocated not only according to development needs but also according to donor self‐interest. We revisit this topic and allow for donor‐ as well as recipient‐specific effects in our analysis. In addition to comments on the statistical significance of our results we assess the relative economic importance of recipient need, merit, and donor self‐interest. Our results indicate that all bilateral donors allocate aid according to their self‐interest and recipient need. However, most bilateral donors seem to place little importance on recipient merit. Less than 1% of the variance of aid is accounted for by merit, ceteris paribus. The UK and Japan are exceptions: they allocate more aid to countries with higher growth, higher democracy scores, and fewer human rights abuses.     

Chinese resource demand and the natural resource supplier

This article provides empirical evidence on the effects of Chinese resource demand on the resource-rich natural resource supplier using the example of Australia. A structural VAR model is used to examine the effects of Chinese resource demand, commodity prices and foreign output on the macroeconomy with a formally specified mining and resource export sector. The key findings of the article are that shocks to Chinese demand and commodity prices result in a sustained increase in commodity prices and mining investment and a positive impact on the resource sector. However, these shocks eventually lead to lower real domestic output with factors of production moving out of the nonresource sectors and into the resource sector, resulting in a fall in nonresource sector output which is not fully offset by the rise in resource sector output. The results also indicate some market power by the natural resource supplier.     

Reinventing Macau tourism: gambling on creativity?

The paper identifies some major economic, social and environmental effects of gaming-related tourism in Macau, the world’s largest gaming location in respect of casino turnover. The main types of effects of casino development are typically those associated with growth machine theory. The paper also identifies major threats to the sustainable development of Macau as a gaming/tourism destination, arising from a narrow industrial base, competing destinations, community alienation, and what is referred to as the ‘China factor’. The paper discusses the types of strategies that are required if Macau tourism is to counter these threats and develop successfully as a ‘World Centre of Tourism and Leisure’. It is argued that Macau can most effectively achieve this goal if it develops its tourism and gaming industries to be consistent with the key attributes of a creative city.