Strategic Outsourcing: Evidence from the British Companies

Outsourcing has become an increasingly popular option for many organisations. But they vary in terms of activities being outsourced, reasons for and benefits from outsourcing, and how the decision was made. This article presents an empirical research on fourteen companies. It found out, a) in most cases it was the ‘peripheral’ support activity being outsourced with cost reduction as the primary driver; b) outsourcing decision was being made early in the process without active involvement of the in-house provider; and c) there were problems in supplier selection and management. The research identified pre-outsourcing decision process and post-outsourcing management as the two key areas that gave cause for concern, and offered recommendations for improvement

Institutional strategies for capturing socio-economic impact of academic research

Evaluation of socio-economic impact is an emerging theme for publicly-funded academic research. Within this context the paper suggests that the concept of institutional research capital be expanded to include the capture and evaluation of socio-economic impact. Furthermore, it argues that understanding the typology of impacts and the tracking from research to impact will assist the formulation of institutional strategies for capturing socio-economic impact. A three-stage approach is proposed for capturing and planning activities to enhance the generation of high-quality impact. Stage one outlines the critical role of user engagement that facilitates the tracking of such impact. Stage two employs an analytical framework based on the criteria of ‘depth’ and ‘spread’ to evaluate impacts that have been identified. Stage three utilizes the outcomes of the framework to devise strategies, consisting of either further research (to increase depth) or more engagement (to increase spread) that will improve the generation of higher quality impact

Youth chances: integrated report

This document provides an overview of the key findings from this five-year ground-breaking research project about the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and questioning (LGBTQ) 16-25year olds in England funded by the Big Lottery Fund and conducted by METRO Charity in collaboration with Ergo Consulting and the University of Greenwich. Methods: The project surveyed 7,126 young people aged 16-25. Of these 6,514 were LGBTQ young people. 612 were heterosexual non-trans young people and 956 were trans young people. 29 commissioners of services for young people and 52 relevant service providers across England were also surveyed. Findings: Show high levels of discrimination, abuse and mental health issues that young LGBTQ people face which indicate a need for more to be done to improve the lives of LGBTQ young people. Sections of the report are: 1. Being different Over half of LGBQ respondents (53%) knew they were LGBQ by the age of 13. Over half of trans respondents (58%) knew they were trans by the same age. When coming out as LGBQ or trans, over four fifths of LGBQ respondents (81%) and nearly two thirds of trans respondents (62%) told a friend first. Over a quarter of LGBQ young people (29%) have not told their mother, nearly a half (45%) have not told their father, and 5% have not told anybody. Approximately half of trans respondents have not told parents or siblings that they are trans and 28% have not told anybody. Young people tell us that they most want emotional support to help them when they are coming out but most are not getting it. The second most important thing to them is to meet other LGBTQ people and again over half of them did not get this opportunity. 2. Participation LGBTQ young people are twice as likely not to feel accepted in the area where they currently live, compared to heterosexual non-trans young people. 59% of LGBTQ young people that would be interested in joining a religious organisation have stopped or reduced their involvement owing to their sexuality or gender identity. Over a third of LGBTQ young people (34%) are not able to be open about their sexuality or gender identity at a sports club they are involved in. 3. Staying safe 73% of the LGBTQ sample agreed that discrimination against LGB people is still common and 90% of the LGBTQ sample agreed that discrimination against trans people is still common. About three quarters of LGBTQ young people (74%) have experienced name calling, nearly a half (45%) have experienced harassment or threats and intimidation and almost a quarter (23%) have experienced physical assault. 88% of LGBTQ young people do not report incidents to the police and when cases are reported only 10% lead to a conviction. 29% of LGBTQ respondents reported domestic or familial abuse, compared to 25% of the heterosexual non trans group. Over a third (36%) of LGBTQ respondents cited their sexuality or gender identity as at least a contributing factor in the abuse. Almost one in five (18%) LGBTQ young people have experienced some form of sexual abuse, compared with one in ten (11%) of non-trans heterosexuals in our sample. Most LGBTQ respondents who have experienced sexual abuse (79%) have not received any help or support. Nearly one in ten LGBTQ young people report that they have had to leave home for reasons relating to their sexuality or gender identity. 4. Enjoying and achieving Nearly half of LGBTQ young people (49%) reported that their time at school was affected by discrimination or fear of discrimination. Consequences reported included missing lessons, achieving lower grades, feeling isolated and left out and having to move schools are all reported. 61% reported name calling because they were LGBTQ or people thought they were. This figure includes the experiences of heterosexual non-trans respondents: it is an issue for all young people. About one in five LGBTQ young people experience physical attack at school on account of their sexual identity or gender identity. The majority do not report this and only a small proportion of those who do experience resolution. For some reporting the abuse means that it gets worse. Around two thirds of LGBTQ young people say they learn a lot about relationships and safer sex between a man and a woman, compared to less than 5% who say they learn a lot about same sex relationships and safer sex. 89% of LGBTQ young people report learning nothing about bisexuality issues and 94% report learning nothing about transgender issues. Only 25% of LGBTQ young people report that they learned anything at school about safer sex for a male couple

Swimming against the tide: a study of a neighbourhood trying to rediscover its ‘reason for being’– the case of South Bank, Redcar and Cleveland.

Many of the programmes and initiatives to regenerate deprived neighbourhoods appear to have had limited lasting impact. It has been argued that one reason for this is that we still have little real understanding of the nature and scale of the problems some communities face (Bernt, 2009). This article attempts to add to our knowledge through close study of an area with multiple problems and a history of failed regeneration attempts. An in-depth case study, undertaken to explore the current situation and future prospects of South Bank, a small neighbourhood in the North East of England, highlights transferable knowledge which may be applied to other regeneration areas. The analysis considers the nature and consequences of industrial decline; entrenched deprivation; the stigmatization of communities; the value of community consultation and the potential impact of retail-led regeneration. We question whether negative stigma attached to places can be changed and we ask what the future may hold for deprived communities now that public sector funding has largely dried up, and we consider an alternative approach: the potential impacts of private sector retail-led regeneration in the absence of public sector funding

Anisotropic magnetocaloric response in AlFe2B2

Experimental investigations of the magnetocaloric response of the intermetallic layered AlFe2B2 compound along the principle axes of the orthorhombic cell were carried out using aligned plate-like crystallites with an anisotropic [101] growth habit. Results were confirmed to be consistent with density functional theory calculations. Field-dependent magnetization data confirm that the a-axis is the easy direction of magnetization within the (ac) plane. The magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy required to rotate the spin quantization vector from the c-to the a-axis direction is determined as K∼0.9 MJ/m3 at 50 K. Magnetic entropy change curves measured near the Curie transition temperature of 285 K reveal a large rotating magnetic entropy change of 1.3 J kg−1K−1 at μ0Happ = 2 T, consistent with large differences in magnetic entropy change ΔSmag measured along the a- and c-axes. Overall, this study provides insight of both fundamental and applied relevance concerning pathways for maximizing the magnetocaloric potential of AlFe2B2 for thermal management applications

Nonprofit-public collaborations: understanding governance dynamics

As many of the challenges facing society are too complex to be addressed by single organizations working alone, nonprofit organizations are increasingly working in collaboration with public authorities. The governance of nonprofit–public collaborations is important for their effectiveness, yet it remains poorly understood. Drawing on case study research, this article examines and develops an extant conceptual model developed by Takahashi and Smutny that seeks to explain the formation and demise of nonprofit collaborations in terms of “collaborative windows” and the inability to adapt initial governance structures. The research finds that while initial governance structures are an important constraint on development, they can be adapted and changed. It also suggests that the development of collaborations is not only influenced by changes in the collaborative window but also by how key actors in the collaboration respond to important internal tensions

Energy dissipation in soil samples during drained triaxial shearing

The discrete-element method was used to simulate drained triaxial compression of large-scale, polydisperse numerical samples at a range of void ratios while tracing all relevant energy components. The frictional dissipation and boundary work are almost equal regardless of sample density. The volumetric work reaches a steady value at large strain. However, the distortional work increases continually as sample deformation continues post-critical state. There is a preferential orientation for frictional dissipation at around 45° to the major principal stress direction. This matches the orientation at which there is the largest number of sliding contacts. The work equations, which are fundamental in most commonly used constitutive models, are linear when plotted against deviatoric strain. The modified Cam Clay work equation substantially over-predicts the frictional dissipation for dense samples. An alternative, thermodynamically consistent work equation gives a much better description of frictional dissipation and is therefore recommended to ensure accuracy in modelling

A 'Performative' Social Movement: The Emergence of Collective Contentions within Collaborative Governance

The enmeshment of urban movements in networks of collaborative governance has been characterised as a process of co-option in which previously disruptive contentions are absorbed by regimes and reproduced in ways that do not threaten the stability of power relations. Applying a theoretical framework drawn from feminist philosopher Judith Butler this paper directs attention to the development of collective oppositional identities that remain embedded in conventional political processes. In a case study of the English tenants' movement, it investigates the potential of regulatory discourses that draw on market theories of performative voice to offer the collectivising narratives and belief in change that can generate the emotional identification of a social movement. The paper originates the concept of the ‘performative social movement’ to denote the contentious claims that continue to emerge from urban movements that otherwise appear quiescent