Can a Development Agency Foster Co-operation Among Local Firms? The Case of the Welsh Development Agency's Supplier Association Programme

IZUSHI H. (1999) Can a development agency foster co-operation among local firms? The case of the Welsh Development Agency's Supplier Association Programme, Reg. Studies 33 , 739-750. There is growing interest in policies promoting inter-firm co-operation to diffuse best practice in manufacturing. Examining the Welsh Development Agency's programme that helps local firms set up supplier associations, this paper demonstrates that it not only facilitated relationships conducive to sharing of knowledge and experience among its participants, but had an impact upon their view on inter-firm co-operation. The paper suggests that in organizing a forum for group learning, a development agency should minimize risks involved and encourage firms to learn how to manage risks. IZUSHI H. (1999) Une agence de developpement, estelle bien placee pour promouvoir la cooperation entre les entreprises locales?: etude de cas du programme de l'agence de developpement du Pays de Galles en faveur de l'etablissement des associations de fournisseurs, Reg. Studies 33 , 739- 750. On s'interesse de plus en plus aux politiques en faveur de la cooperation interentreprise comme moyen de diffuser les meilleures pratiques dans l'industrie. En etudiant le programme de l'agence de developpement du Pays de Galles qui aide les entreprises locales a etablir des associations de fournisseurs, cet article cherche a demontrer que le programme a non seulement permis l'etablissement des rapports favorables au partage de la connaissance et de l'experience entre les participants, mais a eu aussi un impact sur leur point de vue quant a la cooperation interentreprise. Cet article laisse supposer qu'en organisant un forum d'apprentissage en groupes, une agence de developpement devrait minimiser les risques encourus et encourager les entreprises a apprendre a gerer les risques. IZUSHI H. (1999) Kann eine Entwicklungsagentur Zusammenarbeit von Firmen am Orte fordern? Der Fall des Programms der Liefereantenverbande der Waliser Entwickungsagentur, Reg. Studies 33 , 739-750. Das Interesse an Bestrebungen, Zusammenarbeit von Firmen zu fordern, um die besten Herstellungsverfahren zu verbreiten, nimmt zu. Dieser Aufsatz uberpruft das Programm der Waliser Entwicklungsagentur, die ortansassigen Firmen hilft, Lieferantenverbande zu grunden. Er zeigt auf, dass es nicht nur geschaftliche Beziehungen ermoglichte, die dazu beitragen, Teilnehmern Beteilungung an Kenntnissen und Erfahrung zu vermitteln, sondern sich auch auf ihre Ansicht uber zwischenbetriebliche Kooperation auswirkte. Der Aufsatz ist der Meinung, dass eine Entwicklungsagentur durch die Organisation eines Forum fur Gruppenbildung die dabei auftretenden Risiken herabsetzen und Firmen ermutigen wurde, selber mit Risiken fertig zu werden.Supplier Associations, Inter-FIRM Co-OPERATION, Technology Transfer, Enterprise Support, Networks,

A New Perspective on Job Lock

This paper analyses the situation when employees fail to adapt to overall job dissatisfaction. By combining the existing knowledge in economics on job lock and in psychology on employees’ feeling of being ‘stuck’ at work, the paper explains why some employees fail to adapt when dissatisfied with their job. Thus, the paper aims to expand our understanding of why some employees are job locked or are ‘stuck’ at their work even though dissatisfied. Using the British household panel survey, the possibility of falling in a job-lock state is analyzed to outline a set of factors that explain why employees differ in the way they adjust to job dissatisfaction. We divide these factors into socio-demographic features, personality attributes, type of occupation, employment conditions, type of sector, and work-related contextual features. Based on results of probit regression analysis, we provide evidence that all these group of factors can jointly predict the state of job dissatisfaction, the absence of job turnover and job lock (being ‘stuck’ at job). Moreover, our results suggest that the adaptation to job dissatisfaction could be better understood if personality attributes (such as self-esteem) are included in the analysis. Thus, this study expands our understanding of how and why employees might feel ‘stuck’ at work and fall in a state of job lock