Fair Job Research Articles

Business associations and better governance in Africa

AbstractAre business associations a cure for or a cause of bad governance in Africa? Pluralists think business associations are needed to bargain and compromise over improvements in public policy, whereas public choice theorists suspect business associations of destructive rent‐seeking. This article reports results of a survey in eight African countries that illuminates these issues. Most business leaders and civil servant respondents see major problems with governance, though across countries there is a perception of improvement. Business associations are reported to work reasonably well as policy advocates for better governance. They are seen as doing a fair job of keeping members updated on the policy environment. The associations also appear to be building ‘social capital’ (the ability to trust and work cooperatively with others) among member firms. Thus, the evidence is that business associations in Africa conform better to the pluralist model of interest group behaviour, as opposed to the more critical public choice viewpoint. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Chaucer's Pardoner's Prologue and Tale: An Annotated Bibliography, 1900-1995 (review)

Short Notices 299 The introduction, though short, is of high interest for its succinct tracing of changes in the definition of the word 'fabliau'. Short and Pearcy find that fabliau humour has as its basis logic, and this is their criterion for inclusion or exclusion of candidates for their collection. The editors justify the existence of this small anthology byfirstreferring to 'linguistic heritage', then to the question of what constitutes a fabliau, from the eighteenth-century edition of Legrand d'Aussy to the latest 'Recueil complef ofW . N o o m e n and N. van den Boogaard, and, finally, to a desire to demonstrate what contribution the Anglo-Norman corpus made to the genre as a whole. Maxwell J. Walkley University of Sydney Sutton, Marilyn, ed., Chaucer's Pardoner's Prologue and Tale: An Annotated Bibliography, 1900-1995 (The Chaucer Bibliographies), Toronto, University ofToronto Press, 2000; cloth; pp. liii, 445; R R P US$95.00; ISBN 0802047440. In 1940, G. G. Sedgewick, reviewing commentary on 'The Pardoner's Tale', observed that 'research and criticism and interpretation have been busy with the noble ecclesiasf; 60 years later, the busy-ness goes on apace, with well over 1,000 items published up to 1995. M u c h of this discussion is sharp and full of interest, as Marilyn Sutton says, treating a figure w h o disturbs, fascinates, but also compels responses that reveal as much about his audience as him. So it always was, from the moment of the Host's retort; the Tale seems to have been admired by its first audience, while thefifteenth-centuryresponse, according to Strohm, was to write out the discordant and disreputable, or to ignore the tale altogether. Sutton's Bibliography performs its necessary, referential task, but also reveals the extraordinary range of issues that have interested critical readers: drunkenness, irony, satire, voice, homodiegetic and heterodiegetic narratives, eunuchry, homosexuality, the plague, post-plague playfulness, animal symbolism, number symbolism, rhetoric, sermon practice, liturgy, institutional context, the 'paradox of art', 'theological despair', transubstantiation, speech act theory, theatricality, masochism, banana-skins (yes), the 'hegemonic discourse ofidentity', and so on. The Bibliography also shows critical discussion turning to dissension, often in reviews Sutton usefully includes, allowing us to mark the shifting patterns of critical fashion. If Vance finds Benson's criticism outdated, that speaks of a 300 Short Notices late twentieth-century obsession with theory; in the most recent critical turn, the Pardoner's much discussed homosexuality is in question again, but, prompted by queer theory, the critic drives the question to radically new conclusions. After sections devoted to editions and bibliographical materials, criticism on the Pardoner is presented according to two chronologies: dates ofpublication, within sequences determined by the Pardoner's several appearances in the 'General Prologue' and the tales. This necessarily complicated arrangement makes for a certain clumsiness and repetition, but Sutton does a fair job of articulating her categories one to another. O n the other hand, her bibliographical practice sometimes buckles surprisingly under pressure to get the book into print. Numbering fails from time to time: so 516 is followed by 516a, and 516b, not 517; this might not matter, but the Index refers under 'Sexuality' to an absent 516c. Item 994 simply reads 'Item canceled'. The Index, crucial to the success of such a volume, is usefully detailed, but often feels cumbersome and again it is not always correct. The survey is comprehensive, but there are omissions: so, the Hieatts' 1964 edition of The Canterbury Tales is described, but not their 1961 illustrated, bowdlerised children's edition. A n d it is regrettable that 'Analogues' could not stretch to m o d e m instances like the film 'Shallow Grave'. Bibliographies, however accurate and informative, necessarily suffer from their own obsolesence, which suggests that the true future of these retrospective publications, as the General Editor recognises, lies not in print but electronic text, where the past becomes an ever reviewed, renewable, present. In the meantime, there is much help to be had from Sutton's Bibliography of scholarship and criticism on Chaucer's Pardoner, and not a little pleasure. Roger Nicholson Department ofEnglish University of Auckland Tread gold, Warren, A Concise History...

Accuracy of general practitioner's prognosis of the 1-year course of depression and generalised anxiety

A prognosis serves important functions for the management of common mental disorders in primary care. To establish the accuracy of the general practitioner's (GP) prognosis. The agreement between GP prognosis and observed course was determined for 138 cases of ICD-10 depression and 65 of generalised anxiety disorder, identified among consecutive attenders of 18 GPs. Modest agreement between GP prognosis and course was found, both for depression (kappa=0.21) and generalised anxiety (kappa=0.11). Better agreement (kappa=0.45 for depression, and kappa=0.33 for generalised anxiety) was observed between the course and predictions from a statistical model based on information potentially available to the GP at the time the prognosis was made. This model assesses attainable performance for GPs. General practitioners do a fair job in predicting the 1-year course of depression and generalised anxiety. Even so, their performance falls significantly short of attainable performance.

Organizational Citizenship and Mood: An Experimental Test of Perceived Job Breadth1

This study examined the impact of induced mood and fairness on the categorization of Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCBs). Positive mood and perceptions of fair job conditions were predicted to lead to broader categorization of job tasks. Mood, procedural, and distributive justice were manipulated. Participants in a positive mood were more likely than were participants in a negative mood to label extra‐role job tasks as in‐role. This supports the notion that employees in a positive mood may inadvertently engage in OCBs because such behaviors are perceived to be part of the job. No differences in categorization were found between positive and neutral mood conditions, indicating that participants in the negative condition were more narrow in categorization breadth than were those in the positive condition in distinguishing in‐role behaviors from extra‐role behaviors.

Hong Kong: The Road to 1997 (review)

Reviewed by: Hong Kong: The Road to 1997 Danny S. L. Paau (bio) Roger Buckley. Hong Kong: The Road to 1997. Cambridge (England) and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997. xxi, 232 pp. Hardcover, ISBN 0-521-47008-0. Paperback, ISBN 0-521-46979-1. Roger Buckley states that this book is a "survey" by an "outsider" for "other outsiders" (p. xvi). He promises first to provide a summary history of and an accounting for Hong Kong's metamorphosis from an obscure fishing village into a major business hub, and second to "offer estimates" on the fate of the former British colony after reunification (p. xvi). "Synthesizing" the findings of authors of existing academic works (p. xiii), Buckley has done a fair job of delivering on his first promise. Critics, to be sure, may argue whether too much credit is given to the foresight of the British governors and the efficiency of their administrations. In any case, distrusting China as he does (like many other contemporary Western observers), Buckley's "fortune-telling" for Hong Kong is hampered by his inability to understand China's policy priorities or the complexity of Hong Kong-related issues in spite of his having lived there for a year. He has clearly made an effort to understand, from the way he appears to have consulted many relevant sources, but whether he could effectively have utilized Chinese-language sources as well is less certain. Although there is already an abundance of literature on Hong Kong's success, its assumed imminent doom, or the now obsolete Patten-China confrontations, Buckley's year in Hong Kong does seem to have made some difference in his ability to contribute to this literature, and his book still has its deserved place. To begin with, unlike many who have stopped just short of voicing their opposition to Hong Kong's reversion (although he does display a similar fear and distrust of China), he is nonetheless able to offer observations that are more balanced than can be found in other books on Hong Kong. Buckley attributes Hong Kong's phenomenal success to British "arms," "voices," and "administrators" (p. 167) and even to the "Victorian ethos" (p. xvii), rather than to the usually credited Confucian ethics. Yet he is one of few who is able to see, and dare to speak out on, what has been obvious all along—that during their tenure, the British repeatedly neglected opportunities for implementing either democracy or autonomy in Hong Kong. He bluntly points to the fact that, until the very end, Hong Kong remained no more than "a British colony," and that "it serves no historical purpose to disguise this reality" (p. 165). Buckley mercilessly brushes aside all the diplomatic language that may have been used to justify or whitewash this delay of democracy and autonomy under British rule, and dismisses the loudly heralded changes implemented on the eve of the changeover as "largely cosmetic" (p. 166). [End Page 392] Like many of his Western contemporaries, Buckley distrusts China and predicts no brighter future for Hong Kong after its reversion. He laments that in spite of the change of masters, its colonial status will continue "against its volition" (p. xii). Also, like his fellow Westerners, Buckley believes that salvation for Hong Kong means either independence or autonomy. He refers to Hong Kong as a "local state" (p. 180) or a "city-state" (p. xii). Cynical readers may marvel at his enthusiasm for independence for Hong Kong after already admitting that he has found that "no internal demand for independence" has arisen there (p. 170). He worries about "an overly strong Chinese state presence" and frequent "oblique suggestions from the North" (p. 180), yet he does not seem to mind that Hong Kong will continue to "leave its domestic administration in safe expatriate hands" instead of those of the Hong Kong people (p. 173)! Perhaps Buckley differs most from other Western commentators on Hong Kong in his pragmatic attitude toward China, and in his readiness to offer the people of Hong Kong advice as opposed to rhetoric. He does not, for example, advocate confrontation, struggle, or nonacceptance of change since he realizes that "China and Chinese power...

The lives to come: the genetic revolution and human possibilities

The Lives to Come: The Genetic Revolution and Human Possibilities Kitcher, Philip New York: Simon & Schuster. 1996 In The Lives to Come: The Genetic Revolution and Human Possibilities, Philip Kitcher takes a shot at several aspects of eugenics without ever really coming to grips empirically with the data; but he does a fair job of bringing forth relevant issues that need to be debated from all perspectives. Kitcher sounds the alarm with regard to disability activists who are fearful that terminating pregnancies because of genetic disease will worsen the plight of those who are born with conditions, both through the withdrawal of support and through loss of respect. As I noted earlier, this is absurd, as society is marching toward ever greater empathy and concern for others, while improving human chances of a life free of disease. The polio vaccine did not bring about less support or empathy; and there is no evidence that genetic screening and the aborting of children who will have little chance of a meaningful life will do so, either. So we must dismiss such concerns without some evidence to the contrary. Kitcher supports what he calls laissez-faire eugenics (personal eugenics henceforth) while dismissing utopian eugenics (social eugenics henceforth) as going too far. His objection is simply with social eugenics, asking what traits would be enhanced? I would argue that intelligence is the only trait humans are noted for, one that separates us from other creatures, while all other traits are part of the limbic system and are common to other animals; and that we can pick intelligence as the one trait worth selecting for. Free of disease, the human who has a higher intelligence has been shown to be on average more moral, more responsible, freer of violent action, and will be more productive, resulting in making more resources available for the betterment of all people. Kitcher points out that the most money spent on health care in the U.S. is used to treat people in the last 18 months of life. It would seem that this will only become more of a financial burden on society, and we must have a population that is very productive in the short time allotted for production rather than for benefiting from shared resources. That is, people in the future may only work about one-third of their natural lives. The majority must become more productive in order to meet the demands of an ever-aging population. He does feel strongly that children who would be born into the world with little chance of hope should be aborted: abortion would only free the soul from a physical body that has little chance at a meaningful life. That soul may not even be capable of finding salvation because of a lack of cognition. Abortion, it would seem, would save such a soul from eternal damnation and would be the only humane thing to do. God has given all humans free will, according to evangelical Christians, and anyone who holds to that doctrine must believe that a severely retarded person could not have the required faith or understanding to meet the requirements for salvation. How could any Christian send a child to damnation, rather than to spare his soul? (See Nonbelief & Evil: Two Arguments for the Nonexistence of God, by T. …

Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior of PWA 1484 Single Crystal Superalloy at Elevated Temperatures

A study was done to determine the fatigue crack growth behavior of a PWA 1484 single-crystal nickel-base superalloy in a temperature range of 427°C to 871°C. Two distinctive failure modes were observed, which were a function of both temperature and frequency. At lower temperatures and higher frequencies crack growth occurred on the {111} octahedral slip planes at an oblique angle to the loading direction. Higher temperatures and decrease in frequencies favored angle to the loading direction. Higher temperatures and decrease in frequencies favored a Mode I type failure process. The failure mode transitions were explained by invoking arguments based on environmental damage mechanisms. The fatigue crack growth rate data were analyzed using three different crack driving force parameters. The parameters investigated consisted of the Mode I stress intensity parameter corrected for the inclined crack trajectory, and two different octahedral Mode II parameters, which are based on the calculation of resolved shear stresses on the {111} slip systems. The Mode I ΔK parameter did a fair job in correlating the data but did not collapse it into a single narrow band. The two octahedral crack driving force parameters, ΔKRSS and a newly proposed ΔKOCT, collapsed all the data into a single narrow band. In addition to correlating the fatigue crack growth rates, the two octahedral parameters also predicted the {111} planes on which the crack growth took place.

Long-Term Follow-up of Patients With Chronic Back Pain Treated in a Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation Program

The study evaluated the long-term outcomes of 129 chronic low back pain patients who had completed a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program. Two major outcome issues were addressed--one related to the effectiveness of the program as measured by return to work, use of the medical system, and sense of well being, and the other concerning the stability of the outcome effect over time. Other outcome studies have established the short-term effectiveness of rehabilitation programs such as the present one with between 50% and 75% of patients. However, long-term follow-up--i.e., 1 1/2 to 2 years or more--has been lacking to determine what happens later. Graduates of the program were contacted by telephone to complete a 23-item questionnaire. Every effort was made to include all who had completed the program. Many had moved away or were inaccessible, but few of those contacted refused to participate. An attempt was made to classify the job outcome into good, fair, and poor outcomes by weighting return to work, remaining at work, and continuing to look for work. Forty-nine percent of the sample attained a good job outcome, 13% a fair job outcome, and 38% a poor job outcome. Regarding general well-being, 53% reported doing better or much better, 27% reported being about the same, and 20% reported being worse or much worse at follow-up. The results provide support for the efficacy of programs such as this.

Numerical simulation of the aerosound from the viscous layer of an impinging jet

Noise generated by a jet impinging on a surface is of interest in itself for such applications as vertical takeoff. Here we consider the image argument [see A. Powell, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 32, 982 (1960) and W. C. Meecham, ibid. 37, 516 (1965)]. It shows that there can be no dipole sound for a large flat surface, only the volume, quadrupole aerosound. The sound generated by the viscous layer at the surface is neglected, and is examined by us here and shown to be indeed negligible. The simulation was carried out in two separate steps. The first step was to generate the hydrodynamic field which was compared to well-documented experimental results of similar flows. Once an adequate hydrodynamic field was generated, the theoretical treatment of Curle and Lighthill relating surface generated sound and the nature of aeroacoustic sound, respectively, was employed to get order-of-magnitude values for the sound intensity and develop directivity patterns. The source region considered was the viscous region near the surface. The kε turbulence model was employed and did a fair job of depicting the fluid field. Velocity profiles of the free-jet region were very successful, while the model broke down some in the ‘‘wall jet’’ region of the flow. Surface pressure and shear stress distribution was in good agreement with experimental values. The acoustic values were then obtained and the viscous layer was found to generate very low intensity levels, in the neighborhood of 25 dB, much less than the volume sound.

EEO, ADA and Hiring

Many employers are concerned about meeting Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) requirements and adhering to the recent Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). You want to hire the best qualified candidate to fill each position. EEO and ADA require you to ensure that all individuals receive equal and fair consideration when competing for employment. It doesn't seem that these objectives should conflict with one another. They don't—if the employee selection process is properly conducted. This article focuses on the importance of writing fair job descriptions and applications, and conducting proper interviews and tests during the hiring process. Through case histories, the article offers advice on how to conduct meaningful reference checks. Finally, once the employee is hired, performance evaluations become a critical part of the human resources management process. Guidelines for writing performance evaluations are included.

Aids, health, and mental health: a primary sourcebook

I n AIDS Health and Mental Health: A Primary Sourcebook, the authors approach the management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease using a systems theory model. They state, Systems theory is an integrative method at its core, an inclusive way of viewing experience. They do a fair job at being inclusive, but remain limited in their capacities to advance a well-integrated discussion. The book is based on their extensive experience with the AIDS Training Program at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. The authors do not present research-generated outcome data to support their claims of the benefits of using a systems approach. Their discussion of psychotherapy with both HIV-infected persons and people affected by the broader impact of HIV disease are generally excellent, and the case histories presented are well developed and add to the depth of the text. Chapter Two introduces three detailed case histories and discusses the biopsychosocial impact of HIV on the affected systems, ranging from its effects on the cellular level to its role as an evolutionary process affecting the biosphere. The case of Helene, an HIV-infected Haitian woman, is a particularly excellent example of the need for therapists to use a range of treatment interventions flexible to the changing needs of the patient as they negotiate the complex course of HIV disease. Chapter Eight, a detailed discussion of psychotherapeutic interventions, is

Concentration profiles in rich and sooting ethylene flames

Detailed temperature and species profiles in two premixed ethylene flames, one heavily sooting and the other rich but non-sooting, were studied with probes, laser fluorescence and a chemical kinetics model We found that the oxidation reactions leading to CO, H 2 O and CO 2 can be well modeled. The hydrocarbon pyrolysis chemistry of the C 1 to C 4 compounds is reasonably wellknown but gaps remain. No comprehensive attempt was made to model the benzene profiles. The model does a fair job in reproducing experimentally determined H and OH profile shapes. Hydrocarbon chemistry early in the reaction zone plays an important part in determining which species are present in the soot particle inception zone.

Concerning reform in expert testimony: An open letter from a practicing psychologist.

How are things up in the tower? Going well, I hope. I'll tell you, I'm beat. I just drove back through rain and road construction from a rather trying day in court. I pulled the pop-top on a cold one and thought I'd sit down and whip off a quick letter to you guys while my headache, hopefully, abates. I don't know how often you hear from one of us psychologists down in the trenches, but I feel like I know most of you guys fairly well because I've read with interest some of your eloquent and thoughtful dissertations on mental health expert testimony. Now I don't always agree with everything you guys say-which is certainly understandable since you don't always agree among yourselves'-but I do share your concerns about ethical and informative expert testimony. And though contemporary rules of evidence down here place constraints on efforts to implement some of your suggestions, I do try to bridge the gap between the tower and the trenches by heeding your advice in my own testimony where possible. I guess that's why I'm writing this letter. As soon as I open another cold one, I'll tell you about it. You see, in court today a funny thing happened on the way to the ultimate legal issue. The facts of the case aren't particularly important for purposes of my letter; I was appearing as a prosecution rebuttal witness to defendant's claim of legal insanity. Now, in my own humble opinion, the testimony went quite smoothly for a good while. Except for a couple of relatively minor pratfalls, I think you all would've found the testimony acceptable. For example, we went for an hour or better on direct examination with me describing my observations and data which would provide the basis for my opinions or conclusions to come later. Though lacking Morsean eloquence, I did a reasonably fair job of sticking to basically descriptive material culled from my inter-

Recent Book: A Fair Job: Cases and Statutes on Criminal Law

Recent Book: A Fair Job: Cases and Statutes on Criminal Law

Selection of Students for Graduate Training in Fisheries and Wildlife

There is no method or combination of methods which will invariably identify the student who will succeed in work. The previous academic record and letters of recommendation from people known to the admissions officer constitute the most practicable information on which to base judgments. Aptitude tests tend only to confirm the validity of the undergraduate academic record. A married student may be a greater risk than an unmarried student. Ability to meet the physical demands of work in fisheries and wildlife sciences seems to be inversely related to the age of the student. The student with a rural background, when compared to a comparable student with an urban background, is more likely to have an understanding of ecological relationships, to be more effective in solving field problems, and to have acquired self-discipline, dedication to duty, and a responsible attitude. A human being is a complex organism in an increasingly complex world, and it is exceedingly difficult to predict its response to new conditions. We seem to be able to do a fair job of measuring an individual's knowledge and some of his simple skills, but, when we use this information to estimate probable response to a new situation, we engage in a risky extrapolation. No one yet, to my knowledge, has devised an infallible method for selecting candidates for study who will be certain to succeed. The problem of screening applicants began with the inception of training and has become progressively more difficult. It is an important consideration because education is the most advanced instruction provided by our instructional system and because training is expensive. Today's heavy loads on instructors and instruction facilities and the unprecedented preoccupation of the faculty with research require effective use of the limited time remaining for supervision of students. Further, the problem promises to become more difficult because, as Carmichael (1961: 143) concludes, graduate education is on the eve of its greatest expansion. Those of us in fisheries and wildlife instruction can take some comfort in the fact that difficulty in screening students for training is not limited to our field. Carmichael (1961:144) recently observed that One of the most glaring defects in education is its weakness in recruitment of talent. In an evaluation of graduate-school talent by the Graduate Office at Michigan State University, Tucker and Sloan (1964:12) concluded: Except for ten or fifteen universities of the highest prestige . . . most universities do not seem to have as many top-quality students as they would like. Consequently, the competition for brilliant students has become almost as keen as the competition for outstanding athletes. Superior students are well aware that universities are vying with each other for the privilege of educating them. They place themselves on the market and await the highest bidder.

Corrosion Problems of Motor Coaches

Motor coaches must provide safe and dependable transportation. Quite a variety of corrosion problems present themselves in the construction and operation of motor coaches. Some of those which concern the body are: electrolytic or galvanic corrosion between the aluminum and steel of body and frame; water vapor condensation due to respiration by passengers; abrasion and corrosion of understructure by stones and other debris thrown up by the tires, including chlorides used on the roads for de-icing and dust control; acid attack by battery electrolyte; wear and attack on stanchions, grab rails and other assist handles due to perspiration, rough hands and fabrics. Coach engines have their share of corrosion problems, too, particularly in the cooling and exhaust systems. Although numerous corrosion inhibitors do a reasonably fair job in the cooling system. Exhaust systems suffer from cold corrosion due to acid from condensation of products of combustion of the engine. However, high temperature oxidation is us...

The Problem of Building Code Improvement

In recent years there has been a mounting chorus of criticism about building codes. They have been blamed for increased construction costs, inability of new materials to gain a footing in the construction field, and numerous other undesirable conditions. Statements about them have sometimes been so unfavorable as to cause concern among thoughtful people that public confidence in measures to assure public safety would be seriously undermined. Of late, a slight reaction is beginning to appear to the effect that, after all, many codes are doing a fair job. Whatever the magnitude of their merits or defects, it becomes apparent to anyone who gives much attention to the matter that here is a subject of much importance to the construction industry as a whole and currently to that considerable part that is giving its best efforts to relieving the shortage in housing. The background is simple. Experience has proved that government must act in protection of the public to control the operations of the ignorant, the incompetent, and the unscrupulous in the construction field. Fire, collapse, and other sources of injury and even death traceable to imperfect construction occur frequently enough to remind us that trouble can occur even when regulations are in effect to prevent it. What could happen in the absence of such regulations, or in the event of regulations so weakened that they become inadequate, can readily be imagined. So the state steps in, exercises its police power, and attempts to furnish reasonable safeguards. Workers in the field of building code improvement become accustomed to periodical rediscovery of the subject by others and recurrent demands for sweeping changes which will somehow accomplish a variety of things. They welcome these manifestations of interest for, when no serious disasters are occurring and no economic convulsions are creating demands for drastic measures of all sorts, relatively little interest is displayed in the subject by the general public. It is not always easy, however, when interest is keen to explain the nature of the problems that must be faced and the complicating factors that must be satisfactorily adjusted before a quickening in the rate of progress of improvement is possible. The problems are in part technical,