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This paper discusses a case of conflict management in the WSF 2004. The reasons for the explosion of the conflict are briefly discussed and linked to the lack of clear and consistent proactive practices of inclusion in the organisational process of the WSF. The discussion focuses on the attempts to negotiate the conflict generated by the claims voiced by Ahmed (a member of the Indian Muslim community), who deprecates the exclusion from the organisational process of the WSF of which he feels he and his community are victim. The paper shows how such conflicts could be prevented by designing carefully at the outset consistent strategies of outreach and by performing regular practices of inclusion. The core of the argument focuses on the strategies of conflict management in the case of the incident described. The shortcomings of those practices are exposed and discussed. The research shows how the main deficiencies of the conflict management strategies discussed are due to contingent improvisation and to the lack of consistent and thoroughly discussed guidelines in conflict management and communicative strategies in moments of crisis.

Abstract. The Netherlands' policy for flood risk management is being revised in view of a sustainable development against a background of climate change, sea level rise and increasing socio-economic vulnerability to floods. This calls for a thorough policy analysis, which can only be adequate when there is agreement about the "framing" of the problem and about the strategic alternatives that should be taken into account. In support of this framing, we performed an exploratory policy analysis, applying future climate and socio-economic scenarios to account for the autonomous development of flood risks, and defined a number of different strategic alternatives for flood risk management at the national level. These alternatives, ranging from flood protection by brute force to reduction of the vulnerability by spatial planning only, were compared with continuation of the current policy on a number of criteria, comprising costs, the reduction of fatality risk and economic risk, and their robustness in relation to uncertainties. We found that a change of policy away from conventional embankments towards gaining control over the flooding process by making the embankments unbreachable is attractive. By thus influencing exposure to flooding, the fatality risk can be effectively reduced at even lower net societal costs than by continuation of the present policy or by raising the protection standards where cost-effective.

Mixed methods approaches are increasing advocated for researching complex problems in the social sciences, but they are not widely used by postgraduate students of public management. This article describes a study where qualitative and quantitative methods lecturers worked collaboratively to design and teach both methodology courses in an integrated way to encourage public management master's students to see the two methods as complementary, and thus possibly be more open to consider using the mixed methods approach in their research. A multi-method research design was used in this study. Students' prior studies of qualitative and quantitative research methodology were not found to predict their summative course marks significantly on qualitative and quantitative components, respectively, but initial cognitive competence in the study of statistics correlates with summative performance in the quantitative component. Qualitative and quantitative summative scores correlate strongly, with those students with higher qualitative and higher quantitative summative scores tending to score higher on a task where they reflect on the value of both approaches to their own proposed research. However, students with lower scores, who comprise the majority of the sample, are not able to demonstrate appreciation of the possibilities or status of applying both methodologies to their own research. They tend to misunderstand foundational concepts when applied to their research design and/or show limited ability to apply their understanding to design their own work accurately or in a workable way. This study suggests that, where postgraduate students have prior limited exposure to research methods, improving the quality of student research and their engagement with mixed methods may require more mastery of both methods and methodologies than the scope and pacing of taught master's programmes usually allow.

<p>Service Quality has been the focus of many studies in recent years. Previous studies mostly revealed that excellence in services is mostly based on the outcome measurements, and no linkage between internal processes. Based on the literature review and the limitation of applied model in this research (EFQM and SERVQUAL), this study offered an opportunity to investigate the internal elements of excellence. In addition, this study measured the impact of internal excellence elements on patients side externally.<br />This empirical research sought to investigate the Critical Excellence Factors (CEFs) that drive Excellence in selected hospitals in Pune. It measured patients' perception for service quality and it's relation to internal recognized CEFs.<br />The study combines the EFQM excellence model as an internal assessment tool, with the SERVQUAL gap model for external assessment instrument. Analyzing and contrasting the two sets of results allowed the authors to suggest an integrated model which will help to improve driving excellence in healthcare organizations.</p>

Acid Rain Science and Politics in Japan is a pioneering work in environmental and Asian history as well as an in-depth analysis of the influence of science on domestic and international environmental politics. Kenneth Wilkening's study also illuminates the global struggle to create sustainable societies.The Meiji Restoration of 1868 ended Japan's era of isolation- created self-sufficiency and sustainability. The opening of the country to Western ideas and technology not only brought pollution problems associated with industrialization (including acid rain) but also scientific techniques for understanding and combating them. Wilkening identifies three pollution-related "sustainability crises" in modern Japanese history: copper mining in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which spurred Japan's first acid rain research and policy initiatives; horrendous post-World War II domestic industrial pollution, which resulted in a "hidden" acid rain problem; and the present-day global problem of transboundary pollution, in which Japan is a victim of imported acid rain. He traces the country's scientific and policy responses to these crises through six distinct periods related to acid rain problems and argues that Japan's leadership role in East Asian acid rain science and policy today can be explained in large part by the "historical scientific momentum" generated by efforts to confront the issue since 1868, reinforced by Japan's cultural affinity with rain (its "culture of rain"). Wilkening provides an overview of nature, culture, and the acid rain problem in Japan to complement the general set of concepts he develops to analyze the interface of science and politics in environmental policymaking. He concludes with a discussion of lessons from Japan's experience that can be applied to the creation of sustainable societies worldwide.

An academically focused collection of papers highlighting the successes and challenges of a move from disaster to risk management in responding to drought. The book passes on the experiences gained from Australia's trail-blazing new policy, introduced in 1992

This impressive book assembles the latest research findings and thinking on the management of voluntary/nonprofit sector organizations and the effective utilization of both paid staff and volunteers. The authors expertly look into the challenges faced by this sector and the growing role that it plays in society. They review HRM in the voluntary sector and discuss the challenges of bringing about best practices, as well as suggesting how to improve leadership of voluntary/nonprofit organizations. --Non-profit organizations serve several useful purposes in society and exist in every country in the world. Like organizations in other sectors, non-profit organizations now have to do more with less. This book indicates the ways in which human resource management policies and practices can improve the effectiveness of non-profit organizations. The authors consider the roles played by non-profit organizations in effective leadership and its development, developing the non-profit brand, enhancing learning and skills development of both paid staff and volunteers and encouraging and supporting organizational change. They also examine how university-based education programs are developing talent in the non-profit sector. -- 'This volume addresses several important topics that influence HRM in the nonprofit sector. By providing rich context and linking research to practice, it creates a foundation for those interested in advancing the art and science of human resources in voluntary organizations.' (Gary R. Kirk, Virginia Tech, US).

This paper investigates whether the Lisbon objective regarding the level of the European R&D intensity can be fulfilled. It first explains why the R&D intensity varies significantly across country. The countries with the highest R&D intensity ratio satisfy at least one of the following criteria: i) a large and homogeneous domestic market; ii) a strong specialization in a high-tech sector; iii) a strong support for academic research; and iv) substantial government support (either subsidies or tax credit) to business R&D. Belgium is a laggard in each of these criteria. The optimal government support would correspond to about a 12% subsidization rate and a doubling of academic research. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Using leadership to generate greater innovation, connectivity, and organizational transformation is crucial for success in this challenging era. The authors present here a new approach to leadership based on findings from complexity science. Integrating real case studies with rigorous research results, they explore the biggest challenges being faced in fast-paced organizations, and provide a host of concrete tools for leading during critical periods, catalyzing novelty, expanding networks, and generating transformative change throughout an organization.

Abstract. Managing water–human systems during water shortages or droughts is key to avoid the overexploitation of water resources and, in particular, groundwater. Groundwater is a crucial water resource during droughts as it sustains both environmental and anthropogenic water demand. Drought management is often guided by drought policies, to avoid crisis management, and actively introduced management strategies. However, the impact of drought management strategies on hydrological droughts is rarely assessed.
In this study, we present a newly developed socio-hydrological model, simulating the relation between water availability and managed water use over 3 decades. Thereby, we aim to assess the impact of drought policies on both baseflow and groundwater droughts. We tested this model in an idealised virtual catchment based on climate data, water resource management practices and drought policies in England. The model includes surface water storage (reservoir), groundwater storage for a range of hydrogeological conditions and optional imported surface water or groundwater. These modelled water sources can all be used to satisfy anthropogenic and environmental water demand. We tested the following four aspects of drought management strategies: (1) increased water supply, (2) restricted water demand, (3) conjunctive water use and (4) maintained environmental flow requirements by restricting groundwater abstractions. These four strategies were evaluated in separate and combined scenarios. Results show mitigated droughts for both baseflow and groundwater droughts in scenarios applying conjunctive use, particularly in systems with small groundwater storage. In systems with large groundwater storage, maintaining environmental flows reduces hydrological droughts most. Scenarios increasing water supply or restricting water demand have an opposing effect on hydrological droughts, although these scenarios are in balance when combined at the same time. Most combined scenarios reduce the severity and occurrence of hydrological droughts, given an incremental dependency on imported water that satisfies up to a third of the total anthropogenic water demand. The necessity for importing water shows the considerable pressure on water resources, and the delicate balance of water–human systems during droughts calls for short-term and long-term sustainability targets within drought policies.