Shared Service Organizations (SSOs) are of growing relevance in research and corporate practice since they combine a number of benefits for multinational corporations, such as cost reductions and an improved risk management. However, managers voice concerns about potential negative impacts on the firm's effectiveness due to a lower service quality. A major reason for the ongoing controversy of the SSOs' outcome is closely related to the shortcoming of measuring their performance. This study analyzes Performance Measurement System (PMS) design in SSOs and sheds light on its effectiveness. Furthermore, the findings reveal which determinants increase PMS effectiveness. This empirical analysis yields practical design recommendations for practitioners working in a shared service environment.

This book analyses the implementation of global pharmaceutical impact standards in the European risk regulation framework for pharmaceuticals and questions its legitimacy. Global standards increasingly shape the risk regulation law and policy in the European Union and the area of pharmaceuticals is no exception to this tendency. As this book shows, global pharmaceutical standards set by the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for the Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH), after they are adopted through the European Medicines Agency (EMA), are an important feature of the regulatory framework for pharmaceuticals in the EU. In addition to analysing the influence of these global standards in the EU legal and policy framework, the book questions the legitimacy of the Union’s reliance on global standards in terms of core administrative law principles of participation, transparency and independence of expertise. It also critically examines the accountability of the European Commission and the European Medicines Agency as participants in the global standard-setting and main implementation gateway of the global pharmaceutical standards into the European Union.

Migration has emerged as an important issue in contemporary global politics and in the discourse around human development. This book highlights the role of migration in socioeconomic development and its interdependence with urbanization, employment, labour and industry. This volume identifies the challenges which migration and the subsequent dynamism in population and spatial parameters pose to land-use patterns, ecology, social politics and international relations. Through a study of migration patterns and trends in different parts of India, this collection analyzes the relationship of migration with social and occupational mobility, poverty and wealth indices, inequality, distribution of resources and demographic change. It also explores policy measures and frameworks which can bring migration into the fold of national development strategies. Timely and comprehensive, the book underscores the importance of migration and urbanization, sustainability and inclusivity to economic growth and development. It will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of migration studies, political studies, sociology, urban studies, development studies and political sociology.

Outeur en historikus Karel Schoeman skets in hierdie werk 'n lewende beeld van Susanna Smit: nie net van haar persoonlike wedervarings nie, maar ook die agtergrond waarteen haar lewe afgespeel het: die onrustige tyd aan die Oosgrens, Susanna se verbintenis met Bethelsdorp en die vroee werksaamhede van die Londense Sendinggenootskap, die Groot Trek en die opkoms en ondergang van die Republiek Natalia. Susanna Smit was die suster van die Trekkerleier Gert Maritz en die vrou van die Trekkerpredikant Erasmus Smit. Dit is aan haar dat die kreet "Liewer barrevoets oor die Drakensberge ..." (teen die Britse oorname van Natal) toegeskryf word. Susanna Smit was ook die skrywer van 'n omvangryke dagboek wat in sy behoue vorm die jare 1843-1851 dek en hoofsaaklik haar geestelike belewenisse vasle.

This timely volume presents a rich picture of the lives of parents with young children in the U.S. Using the first national survey on parents with young children, a diverse group of scholars present new information about what parents do, the economic and social challenges they face, and the resources they use to improve their children's health and development. The analyses and insights provided by this book will be invaluable for policy makers as well as others involved in public health, social work, law, medicine, psychology, sociology, and child development.

The contributors to this book investigate migration governance in Asia through a multilevel analysis, addressing its local, national and regional dimensions as well as placing it in the wider context of global migration governance. Core case studies include migration to and within Japan, the migration of Burmese and Tibetan refugees to India, and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar. Evaluating the rules, norms and processes put in place by state and non-state actors to cope with international migration, the contributors focus especially on migration flows and the extent to which Asian cases are distinct from those elsewhere. This includes comparative cases from Europe and the United States to provide a comparative context for the analysis of Asia. A valuable resource for students and scholars of migration studies, especially those with a particular interest in Asia.

This book argues that the Mongol invasion of China in the thirteenth century precipitated a lasting transformation of marriage and property laws that deprived women of their property rights and reduced their legal and economic autonomy. It describes how indigenous social change combined with foreign invasion and cultural confrontation to bring laws more into line with the goals of the radical Confucian philosophers, who wished to curtail women's financial and personal autonomy. This book provides a reevaluation of the Mongol invasion and its influence on Chinese law and society, and presents a new look at the changing position of women in premodern China.

Poppie is based in the ground-breaking 1978 novel by Elsa Joubert, Die swerfjare van Poppie Nongena, and was adapted for stage by Sandra Kotze. This story follows the trials and tribulations of Poppie, a black woman living in apartheid South Africa and her search for a better future for her children. Poppie is die storie van 'n swart vrou wat in die jare van apartheid met 'n man van die land getroud was. Soos met Joubert se reisbeskrywings, is hierdie drama 'n reis in vele opsigte - enersyds Poppie se lang swerftog op soek na standvastigheid en 'n veilige toekoms vir haar kinders, andersyds 'n reis van twee verwyderde kulture na mekaar toe, maar uiteindelik die reis na die hart van 'n medemens.

"Computer Power and Legal Language" explores the central issues involved in the use of computers to conduct legal business. The contributors, all experts in their field, take as their starting point fundamental questions about the potential utility of computational models of linguistics, intelligence, and logic in the law: Is it possible to use computing to communicate in the manner legal experts do? Can legal language be represented in computational form? How does natural language serve as both a bridge and a major stumbling block for the communication of concepts--both among jurists and computers? In answering these and other questions regarding computers in the law, the contributors present the results of research on the cutting edge of legal informatics, expert systems, and legal language, and they introduce important new applications of computers for lawyers.

Walter begins with an introductory chapter on the ways language is used in law. Subsequent chapters address a wide range of concerns: the relationship between precision in meaning and open texture in legal writing; the application of logic programming to law; a semantic representation of pre-contractual and contractual verbs of exchange; the use of CCLIPS, a computer program that reads and understands the Louisiana civil code; the interface between human users and legal information retrieval systems; and more. A state-of-the-art contribution to current research in the field, this book offers a much-needed synthesis of current theory and practice regarding computers and legal language.

The son of civic-minded immigrant parents, Ralph Nader was taught from an early age to appreciate the citizen's role in a democracy. For over four decades, Nader has dedicated his life to challenging government and industrial practices—from protecting the environment and battling for consumer and automotive safety to blowing the whistle on corporate corruption. In spite of Congressional distaste for Nader, he has sought the presidency three times, most recently in 2004. His work has inspired countless others to follow his example, and many foundations he established and financed continue to challenge corporate, industrial, and government policies. Marcello has captured the public and private Nader in a biography that will intrigue students and general readers. Written with the cooperation of his family, it provides original insight into an icon. The book includes a timeline of his life and achievements.

Plain language, clear explanations, and a focus on practical business applications.

A recent A. T. Kearny study found that information technology is the number-one item on the agendas of a majority of CEOs and boards of directors. However, while senior managers are spending more time keeping abreast of developments in IT, many remain uncomfortable making decisions concerning technology issues that they don't entirely grasp.

Executive's Guide to Information Technology presents a comprehensive, nontechnical model for understanding the IT environment. Focused on the issues that are most important to upper-level managers, this book supplies the big-picture perspective needed to understand IT as a whole, while explaining how various components work together to support business functions. Without getting bogged down in details, it provides clear, comprehensible overviews of:
* Networking and platform technologies
* Software infrastructurE
* Information management systems
* Enabling technologies
* Applications
* Middleware, application servers, and system management technologies

The future belongs to organizations with the knowledge and confidence to exploit their IT resources wisely and use them aggressively. Executive's Guide to Information Technology gives business leaders the tools they need to do both.

In a business environment increasingly driven by information technology, it is essential for top-level executives to keep abreast of the latest developments in IT. They must understand how information systems can help achieve business goals and be able to use this understanding to make critical business decisions. Unfortunately, many senior-level executives find themselves at the mercy of technicians who have little grasp of business issues, focus on details rather than broader functions, and speak an arcane and mystifying language. There is a clear need for an intermediary to help executives decipher technological language, seek and get the answers that are most important from a business perspective, and develop better working relationships with IT personnel.

Executive's Guide to Information Technology provides a "Rosetta stone" that makes sense of a seemingly chaotic cluster of components-a coherent, trustworthy frame of reference that lays the foundation for more effective working relationships among business executives and technology managers. This book helps executives ask better questions about IT issues and better understand the answers they receive. Using integrated models that illustrate how information technologies form an infrastructure that supports practical business uses of information, it keeps the discussion focused on matters of direct concern to executives. Understanding these models develops a stronger grasp of the evolving role IT plays within organizations and establishes a comfort zone within which managers can develop a keener comprehension of component technologies and the strategic and tactical business decisions that surround them.

Whether it is read from cover to cover or consulted as a quick reference, Executive's Guide to Information Technology is an indispensable tool for CEOs, board members, COOs, CFOs, controllers, treasurers, and other business professionals who need to establish firm control of the governance, direction, and management of two of their most valuable assets: information and the technologies that support it.

This book identifies ways in which Africa can realize its potential to secure a supply of food for affordable and healthy diets through the sustainable use of its own resources. The focus is on investment, cooperation, and policy action. The agenda proposed here is intended to be a long-term one, but one that should be initiated in the short term with concrete actions.

Takes a novel view of urban security and articulates this through rescaled approaches to IR and global politics. Few direct competitors: this book is a multidisciplinary work grounded in contemporary policy dynamics of global scope. Utilises a range of accessible internationsal case studies and written in a clear, accessible style.

* Provides an overview of the Supreme Court-its establishment and history, how it functions, how judges are selected, and its importance in setting precedents. * Teaches readers how to read and interpret the actual text of Supreme Court decisions. * Includes useful pedagogy such as learning objectives, key terms and definitions, critical thinking questions, websites for further research, and multimedia resources.

* Provides an overview of the Supreme Court-its establishment and history, how it functions, how judges are selected, and its importance in setting precedents. * Teaches readers how to read and interpret the actual text of Supreme Court decisions. * Includes useful pedagogy such as learning objectives, key terms and definitions, critical thinking questions, websites for further research, and multimedia resources.

This book explores the effect of the judiciary on the incidence of post-election violence by political actors across Africa and within African countries. It examines how variation in judicial independence can constrain or incentivize election violence among democratizing states. Using case studies and cross-national analysis, the book shows that variation in levels of judicial independence from a non-independent judiciary to a quasi-independent judiciary or from a fully independent judiciary to quasi-independent judiciary increases the likelihood of strategic use of post-election violence by non-state actors. However, the likelihood of post-election violence is significantly reduced in non-independent judiciaries or once countries' judiciaries become fully independent. The author makes the theoretical argument that, within unconsolidated states, non-state actors that view the judiciary as semi-independent are more likely to engage in post-election violence with the purpose of creating political and professional uncertainty in order to influence assertive behaviour from judges in disputed elections. Consequently, the book argues that semi-independent judiciaries or judiciaries that are neither fully controlled by the incumbent nor fully independent from the incumbent can help explain post-election violence among unconsolidated states, all else being equal. This book will be of interest to scholars of election violence, democratic politics, law and politics and African politics.

This comprehensive and innovative volume focuses on the usefulness and relevance of extending the scope of protections already in place for national minorities ('old minorities') to migrant populations ('new minorities') in Europe. Delving into a highly relevant but under-researched issue, the book examines the feasibility of expanding the system of protection for national minorities to migrant groups, as well as considering issues of diversity, security, socio-economic concerns and identity. Taking a multidisciplinary perspective, and combining insights from political science, law, sociology and anthropology, it asks the central question of how far the extension of policies and rights currently specific to national minorities is conceptually meaningful and beneficial to the integration of 'new' minorities. In doing so, it questions the feasibility and appropriateness of extending the scope of the protections already in place for national minorities to other categories of population. This book will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners of European Union politics, migration studies, minority studies and more broadly of sociology, international law and human rights.

The book studies multilateral population security issues and relevant governance strategies caused by international migration in the countries impacted by China's Belt and Road initiative and their border areas. Buttressed by solid data mining and policy analysis, the title looks into the demographic trends of international migration in China and some Asian Belt and Road countries and stresses the urgency for more effective governance practices. Seeking to address the population security crisis triggered by the Initiative, the authors propose the idea of "multilateral population security governance", grounded in the real-world challenges facing Belt and Road countries while also drawing on experiences of migration governance in western countries. As a new governance model, it calls for cross-border joint action and takes into consideration pertinent factors including economy, politics, culture, religion and commerce. Several case studies and comparative studies are offered in the chapters to illuminate the significance and effect of this cooperative mechanism. The book will be of interest to researchers and government officials interested in non-traditional security, international migration and formal demography as well as topics on population, resources and environment.

State intervention in economic activities to drive development requires specific institutional prerequisites that maintain strategic collaboration between the state and businesses. Arguing that the design of institutions of state business relations is critical for successful state intervention in economic activities, this book seeks to understand the nature of the institutions of the state-agribusiness relations in Georgia and its functional compatibilities to the institutions of strategic SBRs. It analyses the nature of SBRs in Georgia through the lens of the New Institutional Economics (NIE). It employs a qualitative research strategy for the systematic collection, organization, and interpretation of the data. Data from 39 interviews, documents on relevant regulations and laws, and the reports from the international organizations are triangulated to address the research question.

Providing accurate and objective information to help make the right decisions during a divorce in Washington, this guide provides answers to 360 queries such as "What is the mediation process in Washington and is it required? How quickly can one get a divorce? Who decides who gets the cars, the pets, and the house? What actions might influence child custody? How are bills divided and paid during the divorce? How much will a divorce cost?" and" Will a spouse have to pay some or all attorney fees?" Structured in a question-and-answer format, this divorce handbook provides clear and concise responses to help build confidence and give the peace of mind needed to meet the challenges of a divorce proceeding.

This book examines how Europe-wide issues - such as immigration, cross-national redistribution and further European integration - have reshaped electoral democracy and party competition across Europe. After decades of scholars and commentators bemoaning the limited politicization of the EU nationally, European issues have come to dominate domestic electoral politics. From the Eurozone crisis to the struggle of dealing with growing numbers of migrants and refugees entering Europe, EU-wide issues now occupy a salient part of the domestic political debate. This book examines what drives public opinion towards some of the key Europe-wide issues of the day and how these EU issues shapes electoral behaviour and party competition. It brings together leading scholars from different fields to explore what shapes preferences towards Europe-wide policy issues, how they influence electoral behaviour and party fortunes and what the implications are for the quality of European democracy. Overall, this book deepens our understanding of the state of European democracy domestically in an era in which national and Europe-wide problems and policy solutions are inextricably linked. The chapters in this book were originally published in the Journal of European Public Policy.

Impoverishment and Asylum argues that a shift has taken place in recent decades towards construing asylum as primarily a political and/or humanitarian phenomenon, to construing it as primarily an economic phenomenon, and that this shift has had led to the purposeful impoverishment, by the state, of people seeking asylum in the UK. This shift has far-reaching consequences for people seeking asylum, who have been systematically impoverished as part of the effort to strip out any possibility of an economic pull factor leading to more arrivals, but also for those administering their support system, and for civil society organisations and groups who seek to ameliorate the worst effects of the resulting asylum regimes. This book argues that within this context asylum support policies in the UK which are meant to help and protect, in fact do serious harm to their recipients. It argues that the shift from construing asylum seekers as economically, rather than politically, motivated migrants across the West, is part of a much broader set of historical and philosophical worldviews than has previously been articulated. The book offers a rigorously researched and richly theorised analysis drawing on postcolonial and decolonial perspectives in making sense of the purposeful impoverishment by the state of a particular group of people, and why this continues to be tolerated in the fourth richest country in the world.