This thesis examines how quality social economy organisations reproduce their organisational values. The `social economy' sector is of growing importance in the European Union for employment and as a deliverer of public services. Others see social economy organisations as an important component of civil society: as advocates for the disadvantaged, as critics of social injustice, and as innovators of social changes (Korten 1990; Putnam 1993). These organisations are seen as distinctive in being independent of government and commercial enterprise, and because they are value-based. This study examined a crucial issue for social economy organisations: how they reproduce their distinctive values. The research examined six social economy organisations in the voluntary and cooperative sector in the UK using an exploratory case study strategy. Semi-structured interviews, documentary evidence and group discussions were used to illuminate the understandings of organisational actors. Organisations were chosen in a range that stretched from a worker co-operative operating in commercial markets; through to social enterprises using a mixture of public, private and charitable income streams; to charities using grants and government contracts. The study assumed a realist ontology. It drew from institutionalist and management culture theories informed by the not-for-profit research literature. The argument has been that economically orientated value-based organisations will face inevitable degeneration in the face of market pressures with a loss of their distinctive values (Webb 1930). A parallel argument has suggested that charitable organisations face threats to their independence from statutory funding regimes particularly with contracts for welfare services (Taylor 1990). This study suggests that a decline of values may occur, but that it is not inevitable, and shows some of the processes operating in social economy organisations which can enable and encourage the reproduction of values. These included integrated organisational structures which gave space to embed values in practise and enabled key values to influence decision-making processes.

The present Military Service System of Taiwan consists of both Conscription and Recruitment and the period for conscribed serviceman is 1 year and 10 months and earlier discharge may be requested after serving one year. The frequent discharge and new joiners prevent the passing down of skills and experience and it becomes the needs for high quality and specialized manpower can hardly be satisfied. In order to exercise the effectiveness of weapons and equipment, it becomes more a necessity to acquire skillful, specialized manpower for the operations and maintenance of equipment through recruitment. Since 2002 / 2003, Ministry of National Defense started to recruit voluntary servicemen and the outcome is quite poor and recruited only 271 and 128 respectively. In 2005, to meet with the needs of various services, with incentives and preference enlarged, the outcomes are 10228 in 2006 and 15231 in 2007. Number of person recruited has increased significantly. In analyzing the sources of recruited in 2006 and 2007, 50.97% and 60.14% are of social youth and education level are most highly school graduate, 76.21% and 77.89% respectively. In geographical distribution of sources, 40.14% came from southern Taiwan and 9.2% of it from Kaohsiung City, 3.2% from Taipei City. Both the cities are the difficult area. It is reasonable to believe that the source of servicemen when recruitment is implemented overall, young person of high school graduate will be the main source, hence, the key to success of recruitment system will be in promoting their motive to join military services voluntarily. In this study, we target at the young person of Kaohsiung reported camp for military services to study their decision process of volunteer in military services. Through empirical study, we should be able to find out the behavior behind the decision making for young men to opt for voluntary service. The findings should have real effectiveness in the implementation of recruitment system as well as the marketing strategies in recruiting voluntary military service. Marketing in metropolitan areas should bring specialized and quality military servicemen. It is suggested that a proper compensation structure shall be established, working environment shall be improved and fringe benefit shall be in place, and there shall be career planning of assistance in occupational training prior to discharge for building the market incentive for recruitment system. On the other hand, it is necessary to build spiritual value applying market discrimination and attract with skill training to maximize the effectiveness. These approaches will build internal identification and expand to overall recognition, so that the channel of recruitment may be expanded and the message may be passed to help the success of recruitment system.

200,000 voluntary coaches ensure that the large investments in sports facilities in the UK are effectively used and that the athletes experience a healthy life. In a socioeconomic period in which volunteering may be diminishing, more coaches to successfully implement the national strategy for sport. Yet very little is known about how individuals, in particular parents, decide to become voluntary coaches. The research set out to test if a quantitative model could represent such a decision process. It formulates a model of the process and tests the model against field data. From Social Exchange Theory, a conceptual model was developed of the decision process to enter a coach education programme. It was clear that the process was multi-dimensional. The research then showed how this multi-dimensional conceptual model could be mathematically represented by a logistic regression model. Published work on volunteering, sport and coaching was reviewed. From this literature review, a set of potential explanatory variables was obtained which previous researchers had suggested to be involved in decision processes involving volunteering and coaching. Hypotheses were made for these potential explanatory variables. Data was collected by personal interview of a sample of 112 individuals associated with athletics in the UK. The sample was taken from qualified, voluntary athletic coaches, from adult members of two amateur athletic clubs, and from parents of children in these clubs. The building of the logistic regression model showed the relative importance of each of the explanatory variables to the decision process. It also showed whether or not variables were independent or associated with another variable. Tests were conducted to indicate how well the mathematical model fitted the data and, hence, how well the conceptual model represented the sample. The use of logistic regression allowed the potential explanatory variables to be ranked in order of influence on the decision to become a coach. It also allowed the hypotheses to be tested. Qualitative information was also obtained from the interviews. These allowed the logistic regression model to be triangulated. The qualitative data gave further insights into the perceptions of adults, especially parents, and of coaches. It also indicated the key events which triggered a decision to coach. The logistic regression model provided a satisfactory fit to the data indicating the adequacy of the conceptual model. It indicates that the two genders have differing sets of significant explanatory variables. Some variables were found to be more complex than suggested by the published literature, others to be non linear and some not significant. The degree of fit suggested that one or more unknown, but significant, variables still need to be identified. The research suggests how the models could be improved and developed. There are implications for the future recruitment, training and retention of voluntary athletic coaches. By extension, the conceptual and mathematical models can be adapted for other adult education decision processes where the choice of course is voluntary.

The framework within which the thesis is located is the shift from the pre-eminence of the voluntary sector in welfare provision in the nineteenth century to the supremacy of the statutory services by the mid twentieth century; a position which is now changing. There are three sections, prefaced by a literature review of' theories of change in voluntary organisations. The concept of organisational growth, then formalisation, and eventual death is challenged; the thesis is concerned with ways in which a voluntary organisation seeks to ensure its survival. The first section, 1884-1908, defines the problem of child abuse within its social context, analyses the organised response to it, and examines the early NSPCC with reference to policing and early social work. Section two, 1908-1948, explores changing relations between the Society and the State. The early innovatory work had become more formalised. The statutory services were expanding into areas originally pioneered by the Society. Attention is focussed on crisis and change within the Society's work as it attempted to redefine its role. In the final section, the post-war period, strategies for survival are analysed. "New ideas" such as the Women Visitor Scheme and the Battered Child Syndrome are discussed as instrumental in the search for a new ima and a continuing function for the agency.

Abstract Smaller companies have less manpower then larger companies to manage administrative tasks. EU has made it possible for member states to reduce the accounting and audit requirements for small companies and Sweden introduced the option of voluntary audit from the fiscal year of 2011 for micro-entities that do not exceed the threshold values of 3 employees, 3 MSEK turnover and 1.5 MSEK balance sheet total. The values are lower than in other countries with voluntary audit. Due to this, previous research on voluntary audit was conducted on larger companies than Swedish micro-entities. The determinant factors for voluntary audit are therefore different in these micro-entities than in SMEs. The purpose of our study is to find what the decision-makers in micro-entities perceive as their reason to retain or dismiss their auditor as it became voluntary.As a starting point, we theorize that some of the relevant factors in previous studies on voluntary audit in SMEs can also have significance for micro-entities. Furthermore, that the relationships between the auditor and client can affect the decision whether to keep the auditor or not, especially as the companies are small enough for the decision-maker to have regular contact with the auditor and the small size of Skellefteå where we conduct the interview study. Our sample is eleven micro-entities in Skellefteå, out of which three have retained their auditor and intend to keep them in the company, four who are registered with an auditor but will not have an auditor next year, three who dismissed their auditor as soon as possible and one who was started after the law came into action and had never had auditor nor accountant. The determining factor for voluntary audit is in all but one case the advice of the auditor or accountant. No other factor was found to have any effect of magnitude.Previous research in the area have found connections between factors such as debt level, firm size, separation of ownership and management, non-audit services, external demand for audited financial statements and net benefits of audit. As the micro-entities in our sample have little or no debt and no separation of ownership and management we found that these factors are irrelevant to the choice of voluntary audit in our sample. Most of the companies perceive these as factors that would be relevant in a larger company, however. It is the largest firms (by turnover) that have kept their auditor, but do not mention this as a determining factor. Almost all companies have non-audit services from the audit firm, which do not seem to affect the voluntary audit decision. Those who had or will dismiss their auditor see no additional benefits by having an auditor than by having an accountant, which is also supported by the fact that only two companies could mention any benefit with audit aside from external demands from the government or tax authority. All companies believe that there are external demands for audited financial statements, but this was not found to be a determining factor.Relationship factors such as trust, interdependence and service quality do not determine the choice for voluntary audit, but do determine if the companies asked the auditor or accountant for advice on retaining or dismissing their auditor. We found that the decision-makers in the micro-entities all asked the professional they have the best and closest relationship with if they should have voluntary audits, and as all auditors replied to continue with the audit whereas all accountants did not consider it as necessary, relationships can definitely be seen as a contributing, but not determining, factor for voluntary audit.

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The National Packaging Covenant is a self-regulatory agreement between industries in the packaging chain and all spheres of government for the management of packaging waste. The aim of this study is to determine whether the Covenant has the capacity to achieve the environmental objectives of the government in its application to the packaging of fruit and vegetables in Western Australia. This resolves into two major questions, whether self-regulation is the appropriate policy instrument and whether the Covenant can achieve the environmental objectives of the government. The analysis proceeds as follows. A literature review of self-regulation and its relationship to Public Choice Theory to establish the theoretical foundations of the Covenant. A study of the implementation of voluntary agreements in Europe to determine alternative models and policies. A survey of growers in Western Australia to establish the extent of knowledge of the Covenant and support for its principles. An analysis of the Action Plans of Covenant signatories within the industry and an assessment of the response to the Covenant by Federal, State and Local Governments. Policy recommendations and suggestions for further research conclude the thesis. The research establishes that the structure of the industry involves a majority of stakeholders (mainly growers) without effective representation, together with small well organised and dominant groups (mainly manufacturers and supermarkets). The Covenant has had little impact, has failed to engage the majority of stakeholders and is characterised by a general lack of commitment by dominant firms within the industry. This analysis supports the public choice explanation and the multi-dimensional approach to the research has produced consistent results. The major finding of the research is that an effective voluntary agreement requires carefully targeted objectives, negotiations with all stakeholders, incentives for innovation and the certainty of penalties for non-compliance. Application of these key features to the fruit and vegetable industry in Western Australia may provide the model for the industry in Australia and a model for other industries.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2005 / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 136, [75] p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 128-136).

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.