Browse Items (20 total)

In developing countries, informal firms (those that are not registered with the government) account
for about half of all economic activity. We consider three broad views of the role of such firms in
economic development. According to the romantic view, these firms would become the engine of
economic growth if not stopped by government regulation. According to the parasite view, informal
firms, by avoiding taxes and regulations, unfairly compete with the more efficient formal firms and,
by taking away their market share, undermine economic progress. According to the dual view, informal
firms are highly inefficient, do not pose much threat to the formal firms, but also do not contribute
to economic growth, which is driven by the efficient formal firms.
Using data from World Bank firm level surveys, we find that informal firms are small and extremely
unproductive, compared even to the small formal firms, and especially relative to the larger formal
firms. Compared to the informal firms, formal ones are run by much better educated managers. As
a consequence, they use more capital, have different customers, market their products, and use more
external finance. Hardly any formal firms had ever operated informally. This evidence is inconsistent
with the romantic and parasite views, but supports the dual view. In this "Walmart" theory of economic
development, growth comes from the creation of the highly productive formal firms. Informal firms
keep millions of people alive, but disappear over time.

When speaking about profit, good management means everything, but in the same time, without healthy people it could also turn into nothing. And more than this, health is in fact the driving asset and the most valuable one in every domain, in any company, at all times. In order to achieve the goal, management of health services should be a healthy management, a one which operates using the most appropriate techniques and methods in order to obtain best results. The problems themselves should be transformed in order to make a virtuous complex out of a vicious circle. This is very important since otherwise the vicious circle affects the present health status and will affect the future one also. More than this, turning problem circle into a virtuous complex resides in managements power and would help valuating a good health status and all information related for the interest of the entire economy and society according to knowledge based economy trend in order to be competitive on a very tough market and especially into the present worldwide crisis situation.

The good news for multinationals is that globalization is creating more universal standards of business conduct, and these are becoming more rigorous. As more companies adopt these standards, it becomes increasingly important for every multinational to establish companywide core values, standards of behavior, and relevant policies in tune with the rest of the world's ethics and compliance environment. The benefits of an ethical culture outweigh the costs. Globally ethical companies will be those that maintain a strong reputation in all their markets, experience increased employee commitment and loyalty, garner advantages in attracting and retaining customers, and generate superior levels of performance and success.

Social studies teachers cannot avoid teaching about war. They must consider how they can teach about war and related topics meaningfully instead of relegating wars to a body of facts, such as dates, places, names, or casualties. Teaching about war helps students comprehend (de)colonization, cultivates their critical thinking skills, and facilitates student understanding of conflict and peace.

In Teaching about War in International Contexts, the contributors adopt the literal meaning of war—a state of armed conflict between nations, states, or groups within a country or state. While there are books out there focusing on how to teach a specific war, such as the Vietnam War or the Korean War, no books highlight the pedagogical practices of teaching global wars. Thus, Teaching about War in International Contexts fills the gap in the existing literature.

This edited book is an invaluable pedagogical resource highlighting the teaching of war in an international context in secondary (grades 6–12 or equivalent) social studies classrooms worldwide. Featuring the voices of classroom teachers, graduate students who used to be classroom teachers, and teacher educators, this book provides readers with classroom-tested practices for teaching about war. Readers will find examples of lesson planning, teaching strategies, teachers’ reflections, and further teaching resources on specific wars. This edited volume is an invaluable resource for secondary social studies classroom teachers, graduate and undergraduate social studies education students, and social studies curriculum and instruction experts.

What do teenage boys read, and why? Little study has been done specifically of boys′ reading habits, leading to the suspicion that much public library selection for this group has been based on guesswork and intuition. This study sought to fill this gap in our knowledge through 60 one‐to‐one structured interviews of a stratified sample of 13‐15‐year‐old boys, approached through four Essex secondary schools. Discovers that reading compares favourably with other leisure pursuits,most boys reading regularly for 40 minutes per day on average, or one book per fortnight. Selecting fiction by genre, author and series, but chiefly by the blurb, boys are diverse in their tastes. Fifteen‐year‐olds read predominantly adult novels or have effectively ceased reading. The boys read reflectively, and are equally divided between those who imagine the story unfolding in their imaginations,those who imagine their own involvement, and those who do neither. Finds that the use of non‐fiction is lower and less important to teenage boys than had been believed. Draws implications for library provision for this group.

Procurement processes for automated library systems need examination to determine if libraries are choosing the best methods for getting the best return on their investment. Understanding the costs involved and how typical decisions in procurement procedures add to the costs of systems will allow libraries to judge if the process better serves the library than using the money in other ways. Alternative processes including standardized request‐for‐proposals, contracts and understanding how to utilize lawyers and consultants are suggested in an attempt to show that procurement processes could achieve the same goals using different methods while allowing libraries to use their money to purchase other goods and/or services. The benefits of the implementation of such processes are also reviewed.

This paper reviews some recent professional and academic publications on aspects of the theory and practice of knowledge management, with particular reference to the curriculum of professional education for library and information management and the career roles and prospects of information professionals. Some commentators dismiss knowledge management as a fad; others view it as a major paradigm shift in the management and exploitation of “intellectual capital”. It is concluded that many aspects of knowledge management practice bear a close resemblance to well‐established practices in librarianship and information management. However, the emphasis by knowledge management theorists and practitioners on the importance of knowledge elicitation and knowledge creation, groupwork and team work, greater involvement in organisational strategy development and support and IT may require greater attention to the personality, motivation and career aspirations of potential entrants to the profession in order to prepare them better for wider‐ranging, multi‐role careers.

The article examines the existence of institutionalised racism in the LIS sector. The author maintains that the profession in Britain is caught in a time warp which prevents any meaningful change to the status quo. He compares British experience with that in the USA. The article goes on to examine ways in which racism can be combated. The concept of Black librarianship – as a concept and work practice – needs to be accepted as part of the solution to racism. Areas for action include empowerment of Black community and library workers. Self‐empowering Black staff, and communities need to be part of the real decision‐making process in a structured, organised way. There is an urgent need to create more friendly working conditions for Black staff, which in itself can result in improved services to Black communities. It concludes on a positive note by saying that the Government’s initiatives in addressing issues of “social exclusion” provide a new framework for the LIS workers to take a strategic approach.

The "Hours of Étienne Chevalier" is one of the most famous and lavishly illuminated manuscripts of the fifteenth century. It was painted for the treasurer of France by Jean Fouquet, court artist to kings Charles VII and Louis XI, who worked not only as a miniaturist but also as a panel painter. The Lehman miniature decorates the page that contains the opening words of the evening prayer (vespers) for the Hours of the Holy Spirit. It shows the faithful standing in the foreground on a terrace, looking up at the hand of God, as demons flee to the left and right. The subject is highly unusual, as is the topographically accurate depiction of medieval Paris, in which the cathedral of Notre Dame, the spire of Saint-Chapelle, the Pont Saint-Michel, and other monuments of the Île de la Cité (including the Hôtel de Nesle, where the figures stand) are immediately recognizable.