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Different Responsibilities (different + responsibility)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Humanities and Social Sciences40%
Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting40%

Selected Abstracts

Fiscal Consolidation and Decentralisation: A Tale of Two Tiers,

FISCAL STUDIES, Issue 2 2005
Julia Darby
Abstract This paper contributes to the established literature on fiscal consolidations by investigating the distinct behaviour of central and sub-central tiers of government during general government consolidation attempts. In the light of different degrees of decentralisation across OECD countries, and the different responsibilities devolved to sub-central tiers, we believe that this approach offers an illuminating insight into the analysis of fiscal consolidations and their success. We show that the involvement of the sub-central tiers of government is crucial to achieving cuts in expenditure, particularly in relation to the overall size of the government wage bill. In addition, central governments appear to exert a strong influence on the expenditure of sub-central tiers through their grant allocations, and control of these allocations appears to have a considerable impact upon the overall success of consolidation attempts. Finally, we demonstrate that there is a skewness in cuts towards sub-central capital expenditure both when central governments cut grant allocations and when sub-central governments engage in lone consolidation attempts. [source]

Welfare Regimes for Aging Populations: No Single Path for Reform

POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, Issue 4 2009
Mehmet F. Aysan
We consider recent trends in pension policies in OECD countries in light of demographic aging associated with welfare regime type (Liberal, Social Democratic, Continental, and Southern European). These regime types represent different responsibilities assumed for social security on the part of the market, the state, and the family. While there are significant differences in labor market characteristics, the demographic similarities in aging bring similar pressures for pension reforms across OECD countries. These reforms address fiscal issues in state pensions, typically by increasing the length of the working life, placing more of the pension responsibility on individuals, or converting to defined-contribution approaches. Our study shows that there is no single path for pension reform. While there are some variations, welfare states tend to follow their traditional paths, which differ across welfare regime types. [source]

Comparative Effectiveness Research and Evidence-Based Health Policy: Experience from Four Countries

THE MILBANK QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2009
KALIPSO CHALKIDOU
Context: The discussion about improving the efficiency, quality, and long-term sustainability of the U.S. health care system is increasingly focusing on the need to provide better evidence for decision making through comparative effectiveness research (CER). In recent years, several other countries have established agencies to evaluate health technologies and broader management strategies to inform health care policy decisions. This article reviews experiences from Britain, France, Australia, and Germany. Methods: This article draws on the experience of senior technical and administrative staff in setting up and running the CER entities studied. Besides reviewing the agencies' websites, legal framework documents, and informal interviews with key stakeholders, this analysis was informed by a workshop bringing together U.S. and international experts. Findings: This article builds a matrix of features identified from the international models studied that offer insights into near-term decisions about the location, design, and function of a U.S.-based CER entity. While each country has developed a CER capacity unique to its health system, elements such as the inclusiveness of relevant stakeholders, transparency in operation, independence of the central government and other interests, and adaptability to a changing environment are prerequisites for these entities' successful operation. Conclusions: While the CER entities evolved separately and have different responsibilities, they have adopted a set of core structural, technical, and procedural principles, including mechanisms for engaging with stakeholders, governance and oversight arrangements, and explicit methodologies for analyzing evidence, to ensure a high-quality product that is relevant to their system. [source]

Whistleblowing and media logic: a case study

BUSINESS ETHICS: A EUROPEAN REVIEW, Issue 2 2003
Robert van Es
Most analyses of whistleblowing are concerned with the whistleblower as an actor or with the act of whistleblowing itself. However, as soon as the whistleblower enters the public arena, a social dynamic emerges of interdependent actors with different responsibilities and different interests. Such a dynamic demands a more comprehensive approach in which the motives of the different actors in the public debate are taken into account. This approach is developed here using an exemplary case of whistleblowing that took place in a Dutch research institute. The intensive media attention damaged both the institute and the whistleblower. In retrospect this could have been avoided. In our analysis we give extra attention to the motives involved and to the inevitability of media logic. In order to avoid unnecessary damage we recommend guidelines to the three basic actors:the whistleblower, the organization and the media. [source]

Variations in the orthotic management of cerebral palsy

CHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2002
Christopher Morris
Abstract Objective Anecdotal reports that children with cerebral palsy were provided different orthoses in two adjacent UK health districts were investigated using an observational comparative case study. Method The populations were compared using an epidemiological register of children with cerebral palsy, which confirmed that a comparable health service response could be expected. Merging data from the register with the orthotic patient database facilitated comparison of the orthoses prescribed in each district. A survey questionnaire was used to gather the perceptions of clinicians in both districts to understand how each team decides which orthosis to prescribe. Results There was considerable variation in the types of orthoses prescribed between districts, and particularly of ankle foot orthoses. Survey respondents from the same profession described having the same roles, although clinicians expressed different responsibilities for initiating and sanctioning orthotic prescriptions in their district programmes. The survey also suggested that most clinicians were uncertain when prescribing orthoses, and clinical practice was therefore largely determined by professional preference. Conclusion Defining the spectrum of activity limitation in geographically defined populations would enhance health services research and assist in the development of trials using different interventions to reduce those limitations. [source]