The re-emergence of political unionism in contemporary South Africa?

African Studies Seminar series. Paper presented March 1987The racially based South African state has always served to buttress severe forms of labour exploitation. It has been, historically and in contemporary struggles, a cardinal force shaping the form, character and goals of the progressive, non-racial, trade union movement. This is not to imply that the state was, and is, a determining force in this regard. Such theorization would deemphasize the dimension of leadership and the potential choices that emerge within tactical and strategic debates. Our own approach in attempting to assess the direction and potential of contemporary trade unionism in South Africa, would be to assert the critical importance of these tactical and strategic debates. We would argue that fundamental differences in the perceptions of the trade union role exist, differences that have divided the trade union movement since unions first emerged in nineteenth-century Europe...

Deployment and impact of support staff in schools : characteristics, working conditions and job satisfaction of support staff in schools (strand 1, waves 1-3 in 2004, 2006 and 2008)

This study was designed to obtain up to date and reliable data on the deployment and characteristics of support staff and the impact of support staff on pupil outcomes and teacher workloads. The study covered schools in England and Wales. It involved large scale surveys (Strand 1), followed by a multi method and multi informant approach (Strand 2).It provided detailed baseline data by which to assess change and progress over time. It sought to understand the processes in schools which lead to the effective use of support staff. This report presents results from the three waves of Strand 1 which took place in 2004, 2006 and 2008. At each wave there were three questionnaires: the Main School Questionnaire (MSQ), the Support Staff Questionnaire (SSQ) and the Teacher Questionnaire (TQ). The DISS project was funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and Welsh Assembly Government

Deployment and Impact of Support Staff in Schools : The Impact of Support Staff in Schools (Results from Strand 2, Wave 2)

This study was designed to obtain up to date and reliable data on the deployment and characteristics of support staff and the impact of support staff on pupil outcomes and teacher workloads. The study covered schools in England and Wales. It involved large scale surveys (Strand 1), followed by a multi-method and multi informant approach (Strand 2). It provided detailed baseline data by which to assess change and progress over time. It sought to understand the processes in schools which lead to the effective use of support staff. The DISS project was funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and Welsh Assembly Government (WAG)

Morphological differences between habitats are associated with physiological and behavioural trade-offs in stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

F.S. and A.J.W.W. were supported by the Australian Research Council, M.M.W. was supported by The University of St Andrews and R.S.J. and J.T. were supported by Coventry UniversityLocal specialization can be advantageous for individuals and may increase the resilience of the species to environmental change. However, there may be trade-offs between morphological responses and physiological performance and behaviour. Our aim was to test whether habitat-specific morphology of stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) interacts with physiological performance and behaviour at different salinities. We rejected the hypothesis that deeper body shape of fish from habitats with high predation pressure led to decreases in locomotor performance. However, there was a trade-off between deeper body shape and muscle quality. Muscle of deeper-bodied fish produced less force than that of shallow-bodied saltmarsh fish. Nonetheless, saltmarsh fish had lower swimming performance, presumably because of lower muscle mass overall coupled with smaller caudal peduncles and larger heads. Saltmarsh fish performed better in saline water (20 ppt) relative to freshwater and relative to fish from freshwater habitats. However, exposure to salinity affected shoaling behaviour of fish from all habitats and shoals moved faster and closer together compared with freshwater. We show that habitat modification can alter phenotypes of native species, but local morphological specialization is associated with trade-offs that may reduce its benefits.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Antecedents and performance consequences of international outsourcing

The outsourcing of intermediate products to international suppliers is believed to improve firm performance. We investigate this claim and test key dimensions of the decision to outsource internationally using survey data on 200 manufacturing firms located in the Netherlands. We find that most international outsourcing is intra-regional in nature. Furthermore international outsourcing is a consequence of a firm‟s ability to search and evaluate foreign suppliers, which is co-determined by its size, multinationality, and frequency of cross-border communications. Finally, no performance effects were observed for international or global outsourcing. We conclude international outsourcing is a balancing act between lower production costs abroad and lower transaction costs locally

Making sense of ‘teaching’, ‘support’ and ‘differentiation’: the educational experiences of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans and Statements in mainstream secondary schools

This paper reports on results from a descriptive study of the nature and quality of the day-to-day educational experiences of 49 13–14 year olds with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All pupils had either an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or a Statement, and attended in mainstream secondary school in England. Pupils involved in the SEN in Secondary Education study were shadowed for several days over a school week. Researchers prepared pupil-level case studies on the basis of data from qualitative observations and semi-structured interviews with pupils and key school staff involved in their learning and development. The case studies were subjected to a thematic analysis. Results are presented in terms of two inter-related themes – (i) teaching and support; and (ii) differentiation – which address approaches to, and expressions of, inclusive practice; the roles of teachers and teaching assistants; and the defining features of teaching and support for SEND. The results are considered in view of the inclusiveness, appropriateness and effectiveness of provision on offer to pupils with high-level SEND. We conclude there has been a systemic and long-standing failure to fully address the educational needs of such pupils, and suggest what schools could do to provide higher quality experiences