Review of interventions to encourage SMEs to make environmental improvements

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are an important part of the world economy but they are thought to be responsible for around 60% of all carbon dioxide emissions and 70% of all pollution. SMEs often have major problems with limited resources, limited knowledge, and limited technical capabilities to deal with their own negative environmental impact. SMEs exhibit widely differing characteristics and commitment where environmental issues are concerned. Yet under these conditions they are all expected to engage in environmental improvement. Interventions that encourage environmental improvement are often polarised between regulation and legislation at one extreme and voluntary environmental agreement at the other. It is clear that a holistic mixture of interventions is necessary to achieve maximum engagement and environmental improvement by all SMEs. In this paper we categorise the different levels of environmental commitment observed in SMEs and develop a selection or &lsquo;toolkit&rsquo; of intervention strategies that might be deployed within each category of SME.<br /

A Review of Economic Consequences and Costs of Male Violence Against Women

[EN] This article focuses on male violence against women. As it takes place in what is often considered to be 'the private sphere' of the home, violence is difficult to prove, to measure, to prevent and easy to ignore. A multi-country study (WHO, 2005, WHO multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence against women: Summary report of initial results on prevalence, health outcomes and women's responses, Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization) shows that there are wide variations between countries resulting in 15 per cent to 71 per cent of women aged between 15 and 49 years saying that they have been victims of physical or sexual violence in intimate relationships. This article reviews and summarises literature that analyse types of economic costs that result from domestic violence and abuse perpetrated against women.The theoretical reflections and findings are from a research project funded by the European Commission through the Leonardo da Vinci Programme named 'Giving Hope to Victims of Abuse through Vocational Guidance', promoted and coordinated by the University Miguel Hernandez of Elche. The content of this paper does not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or the National Agency, nor does it involve any responsibility on their part (Agreement number: 2011/3500-516610-LLp-1-2011-1-ES-LEONARDO-LMP).López-Sánchez, MJ.; Belso-Martínez, JA.; Hervás Oliver, JL. (2019). A Review of Economic Consequences and Costs of Male Violence Against Women. Indian Journal of Gender Studies. 26(3):424-434. https://doi.org/10.1177/0971521519861194S424434263Babcock, J. C., Waltz, J., Jacobson, N. S., & Gottman, J. M. (1993). Power and violence: The relation between communication patterns, power discrepancies, and domestic violence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61(1), 40-50. doi:10.1037/0022-006x.61.1.40Bloch, F., & Rao, V. (2002). Terror as a Bargaining Instrument: A Case Study of Dowry Violence in Rural India. American Economic Review, 92(4), 1029-1043. doi:10.1257/00028280260344588Comijs, H. C., Pot, A. M., Smit, J. H., Bouter, L. M., & Jonker, C. (1998). Elder Abuse in the Community: Prevalence and Consequences. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 46(7), 885-888. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.1998.tb02724.xFord-Gilboe, M., Wuest, J., & Merritt-Gray, M. (2005). Strengthening Capacity to Limit Intrusion: Theorizing Family Health Promotion in the Aftermath of Woman Abuse. Qualitative Health Research, 15(4), 477-501. doi:10.1177/1049732305274590Garbarino, J., & Crouter, A. (1978). Defining the Community Context for Parent-Child Relations: The Correlates of Child Maltreatment. Child Development, 49(3), 604. doi:10.2307/1128227Grana, S. J. (2001). Journal of Family Violence, 16(4), 421-435. doi:10.1023/a:1012229011161HEISE, L. L. (1998). Violence Against Women. Violence Against Women, 4(3), 262-290. doi:10.1177/1077801298004003002Kim, J., & Gray, K. A. (2008). Leave or Stay? Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 23(10), 1465-1482. doi:10.1177/0886260508314307Krug, E. G., Mercy, J. A., Dahlberg, L. L., & Zwi, A. B. (2002). The world report on violence and health. The Lancet, 360(9339), 1083-1088. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(02)11133-0LAMBERT, L. C., & FIRESTONE, J. M. (2000). Economic Context and Multiple Abuse Techniques. Violence Against Women, 6(1), 49-67. doi:10.1177/1077801200006001004Max, W., Rice, D. P., Finkelstein, E., Bardwell, R. A., & Leadbetter, S. (2004). The Economic Toll of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States. Violence and Victims, 19(3), 259-272. doi:10.1891/vivi.19.3.259.65767(2003). Costs of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States. PsycEXTRA Dataset. doi:10.1037/e721242007-001Reeves, C., & O’Leary-Kelly, A. M. (2007). The Effects and Costs of Intimate Partner Violence for Work Organizations. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 22(3), 327-344. doi:10.1177/0886260506295382Roldós, M. I., & Corso, P. (2013). The Economic Burden of Intimate Partner Violence in Ecuador: Setting the Agenda for Future Research and Violence Prevention Policies. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 14(4), 347-353. doi:10.5811/westjem.2013.2.15697Schiamberg, L. B., & Gans, D. (1999). An Ecological Framework for Contextual Risk Factors in Elder Abuse by Adult Children. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 11(1), 79-103. doi:10.1300/j084v11n01_05(1993). World Development Report 1993. doi:10.1596/0-1952-0890-0TOLMAN, R. M., & ROSEN, D. (2001). Domestic Violence in the Lives of Women Receiving Welfare. Violence Against Women, 7(2), 141-158. doi:10.1177/1077801201007002003Wuest, J., Ford-Gilboe, M., Merritt-Gray, M., & Berman, H. (2003). Intrusion: The Central Problem for Family Health Promotion among Children and Single Mothers after Leaving an Abusive Partner. Qualitative Health Research, 13(5), 597-622. doi:10.1177/1049732303013005002Yodanis, C. L., Godenzi, A., & Stanko, E. A. (2000). The Benefits of Studying Costs: A Review and Agenda for Studies on the Economic Costs of Violence Against Women. Policy Studies, 21(3), 263-276. doi:10.1080/0144287002001953

Risk factors for suicide in Hungary: a case-control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hungary previously had one of the highest suicide rates in the world, but experienced major social and economic changes from 1990 onwards. We aimed to investigate the antecedents of suicide in Hungary. We hypothesised that suicide in Hungary would be associated with both risk factors for suicide as identified in Western studies, and experiences related to social and economic restructuring.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We carried out a controlled psychological autopsy study. Informants for 194 cases (suicide deaths in Budapest and Pest County 2002–2004) and 194 controls were interviewed by clinicians using a detailed schedule.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Many of the demographic and clinical risk factors associated with suicide in other settings were also associated with suicide in Hungary; for example, being unmarried or having no current relationship, lack of other social contacts, low educational attainment, history of self-harm, current diagnosis of affective disorder (including bipolar disorder) or personality disorder, and experiencing a recent major adverse life event. A number of variables reflecting experiences since economic restructuring were also associated with suicide; for example, unemployment, concern over work propects, changes in living standards, practising religion. Just 20% of cases with evidence of depression at the time of death had received antidepressants.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Suicide rates in Hungary are falling. Our study identified a number of risk factors related to individual-level demographic and clinical characteristics, and possibly recent societal change. Improved management of psychiatric disorder and self-harm may result in further reductions in suicide rates.</p

Proposing a Tool for Supply Chain Configuration: An Application to Customised Production

The full implementation of collaborative production networks is crucial for companies willing to respond to consumer demand strongly focused on product customisation. This chapter proposes an approach to evaluate the performance of different Supply Chain (SC) configurations in a customised production context. The model is based on discrete-event simulation and is applied to the case of supply chain in the fashion sector to support the comparison between mass and customised production. A prototype web-based interface is also developed and proposed to facilitate the use of the model not only for experts in simulation but for any user in the SC management field

Barriers to women entrepreneurship. Different methods, different results?

Building on research by Akehurst et al. (Serv Ind J 32:2489-2505, 2012), this study analysed internal and external factors in women entrepreneurship and linked these factors to the barriers that women face when starting businesses. To do so, two contrasting statistical techniques were used: PLS and QCA. After analysing results from each of these techniques, we observed that family duties and difficulties in obtaining financing (both internal and external) were the main factors related to barriers faced by women entrepreneurs

Forget R&D – pay my coach: young innovative companies and their relations with universities

32 p., 8 tables and referencesYoung innovative companies (YICs) are attracting attention in their role of industry regenerators. However, we have little information about their relations with universities as sources of information. This paper explores university-industry interaction involving YIC in the Valencian Community, using YIC founders’ personal attributes and motivations as explanatory variables. The Valencian Community has a relatively high degree of university-industry interaction, but surprisingly little technological innovation. A survey of YICs in the region shows that, in their case, firm size does not affect the probability of contracting with universities, and that R&D intensity is not significant if we consider firm founders’ personal characteristics and motivations. YIC founders exploiting market opportunities recognized in previous business activities, and necessity entrepreneurs, are the least likely to interact with universities. We highlight the role of external advisory services to highlight the benefits of universities.Peer reviewe