Overseas Involvement Research Articles

Overseas recruitment activities of NHS Trusts 2015-2018: Findings from FOI requests to 19 Acute NHS Trusts in England.

Migrant nurses form an increasing proportion of the nursing workforce, with the United Kingdom (UK) being the third most popular destination for overseas nurses in the world. The migrant nurse workforce is highly susceptible to policy changes at the macro or professional level of the donor and recipient countries. Freedom of information requests were issued to 19 National Health Service [NHS] Trusts in England to determine their involvement in overseas nurse recruitment activity from 1998 onwards. These indicate a notable shift away from active European Union (EU) recruitment and towards overseas countries particularly the Philippines and India. Reasons given were as follows: diminishing returns from EU sources, high attrition among EU nurses and the introduction of English language tests for EU nurses in July 2016. This led to Trusts revisiting their recruitment strategies by increasing more direct/less resource-intensive methods and expanding their focus outside of the EU. Trusts frequently utilised private recruitment companies for their recruitment drives, including consulting and influencing the Trusts' workforce strategies. Policy adjustments have numerous influences on the composition of the overseas nursing workforce. While the NHS continues its efforts in expanding its international nursing workforce, this should not be at the expense of ethical and sustainable recruitment practices, which may be compromised indirectly as a result.

The Contingent Effect of Patriotic Rhetoric on Firm Performance

Drawing on resource-dependence logic, we frame a firm’s use of patriotic rhetoric as a strategy for absorbing external resource constraints. We argue that strong nationalist sentiment positively influences the performance effect of using patriotic rhetoric, whereas a firm’s involvement in overseas markets negatively influences this effect. To test our hypotheses, we capture U.S. firms’ patriotic rhetoric using earnings calls and press releases for 456 firms in the S&P 500 during the period 2002−2015. We find that the effect of using patriotic rhetoric on performance is more positive under conditions of high levels of nationalist sentiment in the home country and more negative for firms that are highly involved in overseas markets.

Saint Brigid of Kildare: Life, Legend and Cult by Noel Kissane (review)

reference to many original sources and the contemporary anecdotal accounts are valuable and bring the texts to life. Specialist articles on sister physicians including their medical training curricula (Barbra Mann Wall), together with new perspectives on religious in Ireland through the lens of translations from French by Catholic women religious in nineteenth century Ireland (Michèle Milan), will be of interest to scholars of these topics. An historical article on the Presentation Sisters (Catherine Nowlan-Roebuck) deals with what will be familiar to many concerning the founding and early days of the congregation but also informs us of the involvement of the bishops in regulating affairs, sometimes with a heavy hand. For the non-expert, like this reviewer, the overseas involvement in religious education in countries which today are rich first-world countries, makes the book particularly interesting. One gets an historical insight from contemporary sources of how new countries were dealing with their problems of integration and education and which factors eased or contributed to the difficulties encountered. Áilín Doyle has practised as a solicitor and lectured in moral theology at the Milltown Institute in Dublin. Saint Brigid of Kildare: Life, Legend and Cult, Noel Kissane (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2017), 357 pages. This is a comprehensive account of St Brigid, the Mary of the Gael. It is the fruit of a life time of research. The author became academically involved with St Brigid when he completed a doctoral dissertation under the supervision of the distinguished Austrian medieval scholar Ludwig Bieler. Subsequently, in 1977, he edited and published the Metrical Life of St Brigid, which had been written in Latin by an Irish bishop in Italy in the ninth century. Since then he has been pursuing the elusive St Brigid. At the outset Kissane describes the Ireland of St Brigid’s time, its culture and its identity. Then he surveys the extensive literature on the saint. He begins with seven extant early lives, dating from the seventh to the twelfth century.The first of these, by Cogitosus, is the most important, because it is the closest to Brigid’s life-span. Kissane urges caution in assessing it, however. He highlights the fact that Cogitosus, a cleric resident at Kildare, was keen by his account to enhance Brigid’s reputation as a means of promoting the status Studies • volume 107 • number 426 248 Summer 2018: Book Reviews of Kildare, at a time when it was in competition with Armagh for precedence in the Irish church. All the extant lives represented an oral tradition and were primarily concerned with Brigid’s way of life rather than her life as such, and focused on her saintliness and the alleged miracles that testified to this. Kissane points out that for some scholars, including Pádraig Ó Riain, the foremost authority on the early Irish saints, St Brigid was not a real person. He rehearses the arguments for and against her historicity. In the end he states that, ‘while here is no conclusive evidence that Brigid actually existed, taking everything into account, the balance of probability suggests that Brigid was a real person, albeit of uncertain origins and manifesting many of the attributes of her namesake, the pagan goddess Brigit’. Acknowledging that hagiography is not history and is generally not given much credence in historical studies, Kissane claims that the contemporary or near-contemporary lives of early Irish saints contain a stratum of biographical information, some of which may be generally accurate. On that basis he sets out his putative biography of St Brigid. He fixes her life cycle at c. 450–530. Her father was Dubthach, a member of the Fothairt, a tribe who acted as mercenaries for the Uí Fhailge dynasty. He resided close to Croghan Hill in present-day County Offaly, hence this would seem to have been Brigid’s birthplace. She was born of an illicit union of Dubthach and his slave Broicsech. She grew up in her father’s household and was engaged in caring for farm animals. A Christian from an early age, she was later a leading figure in the Irish church and was involved in the establishment of convents, churches and monasteries while being mainly associated...

Strings Attached

This article discusses reasons for various American startup companies to shift abroad for funding and production, and their impact on the American business scenarios. Founders are accepting funding from overseas investors, setting up supply chains in different parts of the world, servicing customers internationally, and even selling their businesses to foreign government-backed funds. Although the idea of losing American inventions and technologies to international investors and buyers is not generally good for public relations, the current landscape of global startup development has winners on both sides, and overseas involvement in US companies does not necessarily mean a net loss domestically. The US government must find a way to move the US economy forward, preventing predatory pricing and mercantilist practices by exporters while at the same time reaping the international flow of ideas and funds that power innovation. The experts believe that ignoring the rest of the world would not only limit the growth potential of US startups, but over time would reduce America’s global leadership in innovation.

The codes diverge: the establishment of Victorian football, rugby and soccer in Australia, 1860–1900

In the second half of the nineteenth century, three codes of football emerged in Australia – what started as the rules of the Melbourne club and became Victorian and later Australia football, rugby and Association football (soccer). All initially derived from United Kingdom originals, but they developed different trajectories. For much of this period, there was an often confusing interaction between the games as some devotees sought to distinguish them, while others hankered after a composite code to allow for or encourage internal competition in Australia. Others were keen to stick closely to what was developing elsewhere to permit overseas involvement. Many explanations for this complex pattern have been offered but the issues remain unsettled. This article tries to sort out some of what was happening as the codes gradually evolved distinct identities.

Exporting dams: China's hydropower industry goes global

In line with China's “going out” strategy, China's dam industry has in recent years significantly expanded its involvement in overseas markets. The Chinese Export–Import Bank and other Chinese financial institutions, state-owned enterprises, and private firms are now involved in at least 93 major dam projects overseas. The Chinese government sees the new global role played by China's dam industry as a “win–win” situation for China and host countries involved. But evidence from project sites such as the Merowe Dam in Sudan demonstrates that these dams have unrecognized social and environmental costs for host communities. Chinese dam builders have yet to adopt internationally accepted social and environmental standards for large infrastructure development that can assure these costs are adequately taken into account. But the Chinese government is becoming increasingly aware of the challenge and the necessity of promoting environmentally and socially sound investments overseas.

Patterns in strategic joint ventures of selected prominent cross-border contractors for 1999–2003

Scholars have noted that cross-border businesses have been increasingly using alternative forms of overseas involvement instead of going-it-alone. A study was conducted to document and subsequently identify possible patterns from the strategic joint ventures adopted by selected contractors that appeared in the Engineering News Record’s annual top 225 international contractors survey from 1999–2003 inclusively, which was also the framed study period. The modes of strategic joint ventures that became the focus of the study were equity joint venture companies, serial joint ventures, and long-term joint venture contracts. Data was collected entirely from secondary sources, which were triangulated to remove possible biases. The study found patterns in terms of frequency of the various modes, nationality of partners, markets the joint ventures served, and industries the partners belonged to. The findings add to our knowledge on the behaviour of cross-border contractors.

No Literal Connection: Images of Mass Commodification, US Militarism, and the Oil Industry, in The Big Lebowski

This chapter examines the political subtext of The Big Lebowski. This subtext critiques the growth of car culture in twentieth century America, and the nation’s resultant involvement in overseas wars for oil. The chapter explores the various formal and narrative elements which are used to construct the subtext, piecing it together from its often oblique references to the changing face of postwar America, its urban geography, its economy, and its ideology. In particular it focuses on the way that US foreign policy is determined by Fordism, the automobile, and the need for oil, as it is represented in the film. Thus the film is examined as a work of national cinema that engages with the reasons behind the first Persian Gulf War. With the rapid developments that have taken place in the Persian Gulf since 9/11, this subtext has become much easier to spot than it was previously. This fact however, does not diminish the importance of understanding its construction.

Can lessons be learned from history? The origins of the British imperial nurse labour market: A discussion paper

The British government's involvement in overseas nurse recruitment originated in its imperial past when the Colonial Nursing Service was established in 1940 by the Colonial Office to unify the administration of British nurse appointments across the Empire. The Colonial Office unified recruitment arrangements for colonial nursing posts, effectively creating an imperial market in nursing labour, which arguably set the historical precedent for the greater flow of international nurse recruitment from and to the United Kingdom (UK). The recent implementation of the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Overseas Nurses Programme to regulate the registration route for international nurse recruits to the UK is symptomatic of growing international nurse migration. In a globalising marketplace, overseas nurse recruitment remains a significant supply factor in meeting the staffing needs of the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. The continuities between the historical case of the Colonial Nursing Service and the current prevalence of transnational nurse migration highlight a pervading tension between the professional agenda of nursing and recruiters’ and governments’ responses to market pressures.

Entry mode, organizational learning, and R&D in foreign affiliates: evidence from Japanese firms

AbstractThis paper develops hypotheses concerning the role of entry mode and experience‐based organizational learning as determinants of the R&D intensity of foreign affiliates and tests these hypotheses on a sample of 420 Japanese manufacturing affiliates abroad. Entry mode has a major impact on R&D activities: the R&D intensities of acquired affiliates substantially exceed those in wholly owned greenfield affiliates, while the R&D intensities of minority owned ventures are higher if Japanese parent firms lack strong R&D capabilities at home. For greenfield operations, support is found for an incremental growth pattern of foreign R&D as a function of organizational learning and affiliate capability building. The results are consistent with the view that part of the explanation for Japanese firms' relative lack of involvement in overseas R&D must be sought in their status as ‘latecomers’ in the establishment of overseas manufacturing networks. At the same time, a number of Japanese firms have actively used foreign acquisitions and joint ventures to gain access to overseas technology and to establish overseas R&D capabilities at a faster pace. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The North‐South Divide in the UK Defence Sector

BISHOP P. and WISEMAN N. (1999) The north-south divide in the UK defence sector, Reg. Studies 33 , 829-841. This paper examines some of the key characteristics of the north-south divide in the UK defence sector. The analysis is based on new data derived from a national questionnaire survey of major defence contractors. Particular attention is devoted to analysis of spatial differences in high technology employment, R&D activity, involvement in overseas markets and civilian diversification. The study concludes that, whilst there is evidence of a domestic spatial divide in the defence sector, the location of the industry is increasingly likely to be affected by developments in the global arms market. BISHOP P. et WISEMAN N. (1999) Le clivage nord‐sud dans le secteur de la défense au Royaume-Uni, Reg. Studies 33 , 829-841. Cet article cherche à examiner quelques-unes des caractéristiques essentielles du clivage nord-sud du secteur de la défense. L'analyse est fondée sur de nouvelles données qui proviennent d'une étude établiè a partir d'un questionnaire auprès des principaux fournisseurs de l'armée. On prête une attention particulièrè a une analyse des écarts géographiques de l'emploi dans les secteurs à la pointe de la technologie, la R et D, les relations commerciales extérieures et la diversification civile. Bien qu'on puisse faire preuve d'un clivage géographique intérieur dans le secteur de la défense, l'étude affirme en guise de conclusion qu'il est de plus en plus probable que l'évolution du marché d'armements international va influer sur la localisation de l'industrie. BISHOP P. und WISEMAN N. (1999) Die Nord-Südscheide in der britischen Verteidigungsindustrie, Reg. Studies 33 , 829-841. Dieser Aufsatz untersucht einige der Hauptmerkmale der Nord-Südscheide in der Verteidigungsindustrie des Vereinigten Königreichs. Die Analyse stützt sich auf neue Daten, die von einer landesweit durchgeführten Fragebogenumfrage bedeutender Verteidigungsauftraggeber abgeleitet wurde. Besondere Aufmerksamkeit wird der Analyse räumlicher Unterschiede in der Beschäftigungslage in der Hochtechnologie, in Forschung und Entwicklung, in Beteiligung am Überseemarkt und Diversifikation für Zivilzwecke gewidmet. Die Studie folgert, daß, obschon es in Irland Anzeichen räumlicher Trennung in der Verteidigungsindustrie gibt, ihr Standort mit zunehmender Wahrscheinlichkeit von Entwicklungen im globalen Waffenmarkt beeinflußt wird.

The united kingdom, the commonwealth and the European Union

The Edinburgh Declaration, which closed the 1997 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, emphasized the need to identify and make use of trade and investment opportunities in an increasingly globalized world. Britain, at the centre of the development of the European Union despite its hesitancy over Economic and Monetary Union, also has a role as a foothold for overseas investment in Europe. The Commonwealth is part of Britain's overseas involvement for strong economic and political reasons.

Why Worry About Tomorrow? Steering Canada's Oil Industry Toward Greater Overseas Involvement

Abstract The coming decline in drilling and development activity in the Western Canadian petroleum industry will be a turning point for both old and new firms. As with the most recent series of downturns, it will also take its toll on individuals. However, unlike before, both firms and individuals have appropriate recent history, especially regarding effects on individual careers to reflect upon. However, to add to the concern, a changing world order will give rise to additional ssues and uncertainties to be dealt with. This article seeks to provide some early advice regarding ways that prudent executives can position their firms internationally for reduced detrimental effect and improved beneficial effect. The issue is of fundamental importance to the country, its provinces, cities. towns, citizens, employers, employees, suppliers and manufacturers, both inside and outside of the petroleum industry. It is important to the less well-off as well as the affluent. to the socially responsible as well as to the more self-interested. Just as the current Alberta government may be blazing a new trail for governments that, if successful, may be followed in turn by many other governments, the petroleum industry can also establish a strong beginning for internationalism on a scale not seen before in Canada. If successful, other Canadian industries may follow. The result may well help to reshape the traditional inward view of Canadians toward a more global outlook. The possibility of developing a much more prosperous trading nation with a broad industrial and technological base of world standard is there. Leading Canadian firms must be able to compete with international leaders both to maintain and improve market share at home, but also to establish market share abroad. The potential for success by Canadian firms in the international milieu has been recognized and turned into success by a number of Canadian firms in recent years. At the same time, other Canadian firms who might have enjoyed similar success have remained non-participants and nonbeneficiaries in the international trade scene. The time is ripe for all potential international players to face the challenge. Introduction The Canadian oil and gas sector is no longer a juvenile, but is well into middle age. The maturation of the industry is bringing changes that can be at least partially predicted based on history in other regions. The story of oil industry growth and eventual decline in particular places such as Pennsylvania, Ontario. Oklahoma, California, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Wyoming, pans of Texas and other areas is well known. Many firms which began with initial investments in one or more of those areas eventually expanded their horizons, to places like Mexico, Western Canada and Venezuela. The firms today are successfully and heavily involved globally. The communities which fostered these firms continue to benefit from far flung activities, even though field activity in the immediate home area has long since diminished. At the same time as the Canadian petroleum industry is reaching or has passed peak development prior to inevitable decline, most of the major world trading patterns are changing dramatically.

EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNMENT EXPORT ASSISTANCE FOR U.S. SMALLER‐SIZED MANUFACTURERS: SOME FURTHER EVIDENCE

Introduction and Methodology Current statistics indicate a considerable untapped potential in overseas markets, particularly for the smaller U.S. companies. The role of federal and individual state governments — in spite of current contrary evidence — is potentially particularly relevant and this paper therefore reviews the level of awareness and usage of government assistance amongst a sample — from Oregon, Washington and Idaho — of smaller manufacturers. The sample of 129 respondents (86 existing exporters and 43 non exporters), all with under 500 employees, was supported by a small number of contracts at federal and state government level. Results and Discussions Almost 80% of exporters began exporting as a result of company sales effort or an unsolicited enquiry/order. Only 1 respondent started with a federal government generated lead, whilst none came from state governments. Major problems encountered overseas included documentation, lack of customer leads, foreign competition, locating distributors and markets and financing sales. Surprisingly, lack of government assistance was very infrequently raised which may indicate a low awareness level of governmental services or that little is to be gained by working with governments. The non exporters were neutral about assistance offered because little government activity had been directed towards them and they were unfamiliar with the existing availability and usage of government programmes. Conclusions Contrary to governmental views, their programmes are generally unfavourably viewed and there is therefore a need to reappraise the effectiveness of export assistance programmes as well as the methods used to generate user awareness amongst businesses. Accepting the small sample base, there is evidence of a lack of understanding between government and small business as to the role and value of existing export assistance programmes. Future programmes should consider the real needs of the small exporter and acknowledge their different stages of development, varying periods of overseas involvement and levels of export expertise.

PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION MANAGEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

The International Physical Distribution Environment Involvement in international markets requires an awareness of the variables — both controllable and uncontrollable — which impact on a firm's distribution network. Political, legal, social and economic conditions, market structure and competition and the level of distribution technology available are all uncontrollable factors which influence a firm's distribution planning. Strategy must be directed towards administering physical distribution components so as to minimise costs and provide an acceptable level of customer service. Companies should acknowledge the differences that exist between domestic and foreign activities, and within overseas markets, country variations, regarding levels of customer service and inventory and transportation facilities that can be provided and the associated costs involved. Key managerial elements include packaging and labelling and warehousing and storage facilities dependent upon distribution systems required. Channel of Distribution Strategies Besides market potential, there are a number of reasons for entering international markets — an advanced domestic product life cycle, excess capacity, less internal overseas competition, geographical diversification and, perhaps, for materials/components saving. Four principle strategies for overseas involvement are available: exporting, licencing, joint ventures and ownership. In general firms may follow more than one strategy between markets and as circumstances change in individual market areas. Management of the Export Shipment Export distributors, customs house brokers and foreign freight forwarders are amongst the major organisations involved in exporting activity. Documentation remains of paramount importance. Operating in an unfamiliar financial environment, it is essential that account is taken of exchange rates, tax considerations, levels of inflation and other financial aspects affecting physical distribution; all will impact on profit levels and, if mismanaged or overlooked, will generate losses. Managing International Physical Distribution Activities International distribution management is complex. Success requires the correct answers to a number of difficult issues in order to develop the optimal distribution system for each target market. Planning, implementation and control of all international physical distribution activities is essential to the success of any foreign marketing efforts.

MULTINATIONALITY AND STOCK MARKET VALUATION: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF U.S. MARKETS AND COMPANIES

It should be noted that this growth in overseas profits took place in spite of increasing nationalism in host countries leading to restrictions on overseas operations and increasing uncertainty in world financial markets especially in the seventies. The rewards of going overseas or the penalties of not going overseas must have been more than the difficulties encountered. The reasons for undertaking foreign direct investment are numerous2, and for some companies they certainly include the need to go overseas to stay competitive in the U.S. Whatever the reasons for a particular company, more and more companies must and are becoming multinational while companies that are already multinational are not likely to reduce their overseas involvement significantly. The purpose of this paper is to examine if on the average U.S. investors reward U.S. companies for going overseas. It has traditionally been assumed that a multinational company (MNC) should have a higher Price/Earnings (P/E) ratio than a comparable company that is purely domestic because of the opportunity for international risk diversification offered to investors by MNCs. While recent results of Solnik and others support that hypothesis3, the conclusions drawn by Adler and some others question the optimality of companies diversifying internationally as contrasted to such diversification by investors themselves.4 This paper attempts to provide empirical evidence regarding the stock market valuation of multinationality. The overseas involvement of U.S.-based multinational companies as measured by the percentage of foreign sales, foreign income, and foreign assets are related to the company's cost of equity capital, systematic risk, P/E ratio, and other variables. In the first part of the paper, some of the issues relevant to determining the optimality of international diversification by U.S. multinationals are discussed in view of other investment opportunities available to U.S. investors. Next, the results of other related empirical studies are examined as to U.S. investor reaction to multinationality among U.S. companies, as well as where this study fits in. The second part of this paper details the data