Showing papers on "Remuneration published in 2010"

Motivation and job satisfaction among medical and nursing staff in a Cyprus public general hospital

Abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate how medical and nursing staff of the Nicosia General Hospital is affected by specific motivation factors, and the association between job satisfaction and motivation. Furthermore, to determine the motivational drive of socio-demographic and job related factors in terms of improving work performance. A previously developed and validated instrument addressing four work-related motivators (job attributes, remuneration, co-workers and achievements) was used. Two categories of health care professionals, medical doctors and dentists (N = 67) and nurses (N = 219) participated and motivation and job satisfaction was compared across socio-demographic and occupational variables. The survey revealed that achievements was ranked first among the four main motivators, followed by remuneration, co-workers and job attributes. The factor remuneration revealed statistically significant differences according to gender, and hospital sector, with female doctors and nurses and accident and emergency (A+E) outpatient doctors reporting greater mean scores (p 55 years of age reported higher job satisfaction when compared to the other groups. The results are in agreement with the literature which focuses attention to management approaches employing both monetary and non-monetary incentives to motivate health care professionals. Health care professionals tend to be motivated more by intrinsic factors, implying that this should be a target for effective employee motivation. Strategies based on the survey's results to enhance employee motivation are suggested.

Shareholder Voting and Directors' Remuneration Report Legislation: Say on Pay in the UK

Abstract: Manuscript Type: Empirical Research Question/Issue: The paper investigates the determinants of shareholder voting and its relation to CEO pay in the UK. The context of the study is the Directors' Remuneration Report (DRR) Regulations of 2002. This legislation gave shareholders a mandatory non-binding vote on boardroom pay in the UK. Research Findings/Insights: First, we find that less than 10 per cent of shareholders abstain or vote against the mandated Directors' Remuneration Report (DRR) resolution. This percentage is falling over time. Second, investors are more likely to vote against DRR resolutions compared to non-pay resolutions. Third, shareholders are more likely to vote against general executive pay resolutions, such as stock options, long-term incentive plans, and bonus resolutions compared to non-pay resolutions. Forth, firms with higher CEO pay attract greater voting dissent. Fifth, there is little evidence that CEO pay is lower in firms that previously experienced high levels of shareholder dissent. In addition, there is little evidence that the fraction of CEO equity pay, representing owner-manager alignment, is greater in such firms. Currently, we find limited evidence that, on average, “say on pay” materially alters the subsequent level and design of CEO compensation. Theoretical/Academic Implications: The study provides new insights on shareholder voting and CEO pay. Theoretically, shareholder voting is endogenously determined. Practitioner/Policy Implications: The study provides insights for practitioners and policy makers interested in shareholder rights, the effects on corporate governance, and say on pay in the UK. Shareholder voting appears to have limited effects on curbing excess CEO pay. Boards and compensation committees may want to communicate better policies on executive compensation to avert shareholder dissent.

Employment and Remuneration Effects of IFQs in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Crab Fisheries

Abstract: This article utilizes a census of vessels before and after implementation of catch shares in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Island (BSAI) crab fisheries to examine the short-run effects of catch shares on employment and remuneration of crew. The number of individuals employed declined proportionately to the exit of vessels following implementation. Total crew hours dedicated to fishing activities remained roughly constant, while employment in redundant pre- and post-season activities declined due to the consolidation of quota on fewer vessels. We find little evidence of substantial changes in the share contracts used to compensate fishermen. Finally, we explore a wide array of remuneration measures for crew and conclude that both seasonal and daily employment remuneration increased substantially for many crew in the post-rationalization fishery, while remuneration per unit of landings declined as a result of a combination of increased crew productivity and the necessity of paying for fishing quota in the...

Desafios para gestão do trabalho a partir de experiências exitosas de expansão da Estratégia de Saúde da Família

Abstract: This article discusses the management of the work in Family Health Strategy in four major urban centers. The research includes perspectives from different actors who compose and integrate the network of working relationships in Public Health System through questionnaires with employees of professional categories family health team and interviews with managers and representatives of professional bodies. It is a qualitative-quantitative evaluation study. The dimensions analysed were: insertion and remuneration policies, strategies and qualification of employees. The insertion and remuneration policy highlights the replacement of outsourced frames and hiring by public tender that allows links labor more stable. Other strategies are the establishment of allowance for expertise in areas of greater social vulnerability and the assimilation of specialists in Family and Community Medicine with other experts engaged in secondary services. The political will of municipal Manager to qualify the workforce of family health, maintaining the provision of adequate human resources needs of the health system is a fundamental factor for the consolidation of family health strategy in the face of the low degree of specialization of professionals to work in primary health care.

Optimal Board Monitoring in Family‐owned Companies: Evidence from Asia

Abstract: Manuscript Type: Empirical Research Issue: We propose that high levels of monitoring are not always in the best interests of minority shareholders. In family-owned companies the optimal level of board monitoring required by minority shareholders is expected to be lower than that of other companies. This is because the relative benefits and costs of monitoring are different in family-owned companies. Research Findings: At moderate levels of board monitoring, we find concave relationships between board monitoring variables and firm performance for family-owned companies but not for other companies. The optimal level of board monitoring for our sample of Asian family-owned companies equates to board independence of 38%, separation of the Chairman and CEO positions and establishment of audit and remuneration committees. Additional testing shows that the optimal level of board monitoring is sensitive to the magnitude of the agency conflict between the family group and minority shareholders and the presence of substitute monitoring. Practitioner/Policy Implications: For policymakers, the results show that more monitoring is not always in the best interests of minority shareholders. Therefore, it may be inappropriate for regulators to advise all companies to follow the same set of corporate governance guidelines. However, our results also indicate that the board governance practices of family-owned companies are still well below the identified optimal levels. Keywords: Corporate Governance, Board Independence, Board of Directors, Family Firms, Monitoring.

International–local remuneration differences across six countries: Do they undermine poverty reduction work?

Abstract: Despite the rhetoric of a single global economy, professionals in poorer countries continue to be remunerated differently depending on whether they are compensated at a local vs. international rate. Project ADDUP (Are Development Discrepancies Undermining Performance?) surveyed 1290 expatriate and local professionals (response rate = 47%) from aid, education, government, and business sectors in (1) Island Nations (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands), (2) landlocked economies (Malaŵi, Uganda), and (3) emerging economies (India, China). Difference in pay was estimated using purchasing power parity, from the World Bank's World Development Indicators 2007. Psychological measures included self-reported pay and benefits (remuneration), self-attributed ability, remuneration comparison, sense of justice in remuneration, remuneration-related motivation, thoughts of turnover and thoughts about international mobility. We included control measures of candour, culture shock, cultural values (horizontal/vertical individualism/collectivism), personality (from the "big five"), job satisfaction and work engagement. Controlling for these and country (small effects) and organization effects (medium), (a) pay ratios between international and local workers exceeded what were perceived to be acceptable pay thresholds among respondents remunerated locally; who also reported a combination of a sense of relative (b) injustice and demotivation; which (c) together with job satisfaction/work engagement predicted turnover and international mobility. These findings question the wisdom of dual salary systems in general, expose and challenge a major contradiction between contemporary development policy and practice, and have a range of practical, organizational, and theoretical implications for poverty reduction work.

Exchange: corporate governance and executive remuneration: a contingency framework

Abstract: By integrating organizational and institutional theories this paper develops a contingency approach to executive remuneration and assesses the effectiveness of this corporate governance factor in different organizational and institutional contexts. Most of the executive remuneration research focuses on the principal-agent framework and assumes a universal link between executive incentives and performance outcomes, but neglects to explore how the organization’s context and its institutional environments lead to variations in the effectiveness of this governance factor. In contrast to such ‘closed systems’ approach, we discuss a framework which examines executive compensation in terms of its organizational contexts, and potential complementarities/substitution effects between different corporate governance practices both on the firm’s and national levels. We also discuss the implications for different approaches to executive compensation policy such as ‘soft-law’ or ‘hard law’.

The Promise and Perils of Private Voluntary Regulation: Labor Standards and Work Organization in Two Mexican Garment Factories

Abstract: What role can corporate codes of conduct play in monitoring compliance with international labor standards and improving working conditions in global supply chains? How does this system of private voluntary regulation relate to other strategies and regulatory approaches aimed at promoting just working conditions in global supply chains? This paper explores the potential and limitations of private voluntary regulation through a detailed matched pair case study of two factories supplying Nike, the world's largest athletic footwear and apparel company. These two factories have many similarities – both are in Mexico, both are in the apparel industry, both produce more or less the same products for Nike (and other brands) and both are subject to the same code of conduct. On the surface, both factories appear to have similar employment (i.e. recruitment, training, remuneration) practices and they receive comparable scores when audited by Nike's compliance staff. However, underlying (and somewhat obscure...

Corporate Governance and Executive Remuneration: A Contingency Framework

Abstract: Executive Overview By integrating organizational and institutional theories, this paper develops a contingency approach to executive remuneration and assesses its effectiveness in different organizational and institutional contexts. Most of the executive remuneration research focuses on the principal-agent framework and assumes a universal link between executive incentives and performance outcomes. We suggest a framework that examines executive compensation in terms of its organizational contexts and potential complementarities/substitution effects between different corporate governance practices at both the firm and national levels. We also discuss the implications for different approaches to executive compensation policy such as “soft law” and “hard law.”

Making the Market: Victorian Origins of Corporate Capitalism

Abstract: Corporate capitalism was invented in nineteenth-century Britain; most of the market institutions that we take for granted today - limited companies, shares, stock markets, accountants, financial newspapers - were Victorian creations. So were the moral codes, the behavioural assumptions, the rules of thumb and the unspoken agreements that made this market structure work. This innovative study provides the first integrated analysis of the origin of these formative capitalist institutions, and reveals why they were conceived and how they were constructed. It explores the moral, economic and legal assumptions that supported this formal institutional structure, and which continue to shape the corporate economy of today. Tracing the institutional growth of the corporate economy in Victorian Britain and demonstrating that many of the perceived problems of modern capitalism - financial fraud, reckless speculation, excessive remuneration - have clear historical precedents, this is a major contribution to the economic history of modern Britain.

Physician Remuneration Methods for Family Physicians in Canada: Expected Outcomes and Lessons Learned

Abstract: Canada is a leader in experimenting with alternative, non fee for service provider remuneration methods; all jurisdictions have implemented salaries and payment models that blend fee for service with salary or capitation components. A series of qualitative interviews were held with 27 stakeholders in the Canadian health care system to assess the reasons and expectations behind the implementation of these payment methods for family physicians, as well as the extent to which objectives have been achieved. Results indicate that the main reasons are a need to recruit and retain primary care physicians to rural and remote regions of the country, and the desire to increase collaboration, care continuity, prevention and health promotion. The general perception is that positive results have been observed, but problems are not alleviated. Blended payments have had some positive effects on preventive care delivery, collaboration, and care continuity. Salaries have provided a stable, predictable, and high source of income for physicians, thereby improving recruitment and retention. The implementation of salaries, however, led to concerns with declining physician productivity, and has brought to light a need for improved measurement and monitoring systems.

Developing the Dimensions of Tourism Volunteering

Abstract: Volunteers within tourism settings are of growing interest. Research to date has been fragmented either focusing on individuals volunteering in their community (i.e., hosts) or tourists volunteering at a destination (i.e., guests). In this paper, the tourism and leisure literature on volunteering is synthesized and the host and guest streams of volunteering critiqued according to four defining dimensions: setting, time commitment, level of obligation, and remuneration. These dimensions are refined using interview data to propose a model of tourism volunteering where host and guest volunteering are related rather than distinct. A simple host-guest dichotomy misses the shared and distinct complexities of tourism volunteering.

The Early Career Paths and Employment Conditions of the Academic Profession in 17 Countries

Abstract: The expansion of higher education systems, new demands on institutions and growing pressures on resources have become common trends across most developed countries. They bring increased expectations of academic staff and appear to lead to greater differentiation in their work roles and activities. At the same time, the backgrounds of some academics are changing and they are developing new specialisms and interdisciplinary collaborations, becoming more mobile domestically and internationally and, for some, the profession is becoming increasingly insecure. The Changing Academic Profession study has produced a rich set of data on the preparation of academics for their roles and the individual circumstances of their working lives, among other aspects of the profession. Respondents to the survey reported on the degrees they have attained, the countries in which they studied for them, the age at which they qualified and the nature of the doctoral training they received. This paper explores the early career paths of academics, makes initial comparisons between different higher education systems and begins to explore how some of these national systems interrelate with each other through academic mobility. Respondents also reported on the disciplines they studied and now teach, the number of institutions worked in and their contractual conditions and income. These data give an indication of the various degrees of flexibility and mobility required of – or chosen by – academics in the early and later stages of their careers and the stability, or perhaps rigidity, of different higher education systems and national career patterns. The data also supplement other evidence of the employment conditions and remuneration of scholars in an increasingly globalised academic labour market.1,2 The conditions of academic work are explored through analysis of the views of survey respondents on the facilities, resources and personnel needed to support it and the degree of research collaboration undertaken. Academics from the 17 countries in the study seem more content with the physical and technical resources provided by their institutions than the personnel and funds available to support teaching and research. Finally, it is suggested that the propensity for collaborative or individual research may be partially related to national differences in academics’ mobility during their training for the profession.

Morals, Markets and Sustainable Investments: A Qualitative Study of ‘Champions’

Abstract: Sustainable investment (SI), which integrates social, environmental and ethical issues, has grown from a niche market of individual ethical investors to embrace institutional investors (e.g. pension funds) resulting in £764 billion in assets under management in the UK alone [Eurosif, 2008: ‘European SRI Study 2008’ (Eurosif, Paris)]. Explaining this growth is complex, involving shifts in personal and collective values, reactions to corporate scandals, scientific and media pronouncements about climate change, Government initiatives, responses from financial markets and the influence of SI innovators in The City of London. The article examines the influence of human agency through interviews with 14 SI champions who have variously been responsible for launching SI funds and changing investment processes and organisational structures in order to enhance SI. Interviewees were asked about their motivations and persuasive strategies, the obstacles they faced and how they overcame them as well as broader implications of SI for financial markets. The following key categories inform the results and the discussion: Values; Conservatism, Antipathy and Incredulity; Optimism and Sympathy from Insiders; The Social and Political Context; The Business Case; Organisational Constraints; Inappropriate forms of Remuneration; Short-termism; The Nature of Capitalism. Three discourses were also identified. The first is the necessity to make a business case for SI; the second is the benefits that SI can bring to the quest of overcoming short-termism; the third is a belief that for SI to have a significant influence, greater government intervention is required.

Para Teachers in India: Status and Impact

Abstract: Para-teachers, sometimes called "contract teachers", are being hired in increasing numbers in many Indian states. While hiring conditions, tenure, remuneration, and qualifications vary considerably across states, the use of para-teachers has generated debate about their impact on the quality of elementary education. Based on a critical literature review of available studies and new evidence from the SchoolTELLS survey conducted by the authors and their collaborators, this paper summarises the proof regarding the functioning and impact of para-teachers in elementary schools in India. None of the studies reviewed evaluates the causal impact of para-teachers, but they do suggest that despite poorer training, para-teachers may be more cost-effective than regular teachers. The questions of career progression and equity for teachers, nonetheless, also need to be addressed.

The Effect of Human Resource Management Practices on Corporate Performance: A Study of Graphic Communications Group Limited

Abstract: In developing economies such as Ghana, the influence of governments in state-owned entities renders many human resource management best practice principles ineffectual. Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) is a state-owned entity. Its human resource practices can be crucial to its performance. The purpose of this study therefore was to assess whether GCGL’s human resource management practices, particularly recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, remuneration, and training and development practices influence its performance. Simple random sampling was used to select one hundred employees from GCGL. T-tests were carried out to examine the relationship between the selected HR practices and corporate performance. The results revealed that, from the perceptions of the respondents, there exists a positive relationship between effective recruitment and selection practices, effective performance appraisal practices and GCGL’s corporate performance. The research did not gather sufficient evidence to conclude on how remuneration, training and development practices influence GCGL’s performance. The study recommends that the management of GCGL continues to ensure that the company’s HR policy, effective recruitment and selection practices, as well as effective performance appraisal practices are upheld.

Professionals' Ambivalence toward Ethics in the Nigerian Construction Industry

Abstract: Following the growing consensus within and outside the Nigerian construction industry that corruption and other unethical practices are endemic in the industry, coupled with scarce empirical study on professional ethics in the industry, there is a need to examine the perceptions of the professionals regarding ethical issues. This study therefore assesses the perceptions of construction professionals regarding ethical issues in the Nigerian construction industry. One hundred and ninety two professionals were sampled from 108 construction organizations comprising 55 consultancy organizations, 35 contracting organizations, and 18 client organizations in selected Nigerian major cities. A survey research design was employed. Descriptive statistics were used in analyzing the data. The results indicate that there is a decline in unethical practices within the industry compared to the pre-1999 era. The more common form of bribery is financial. Quantity surveyors were perceived as the most susceptible to bribery among the professionals in the industry. The builder/ construction manager faces the greatest pressure to act unethically among the professionals in the construction industry. The study recommends that professional institutions should give more priority consideration to ethical discourse at technical sessions, public lectures, and seminars. Furthermore, project financiers should ensure adequate and prompt remuneration for professional services. Since the quantity surveyors are perceived as the most susceptible to bribery, clients should ensure that their discretionary powers in the procurement of building projects are limited or subjected to third party verification. Finally, additional research is needed to explore the types of measures that might help curb professionals' unethical practices in Nigeria.

Clinical intervention rates in community pharmacy: a randomised trial of the effect of education and a professional allowance

Abstract: Objectives To quantify the rate of clinical interventions by community pharmacists, and to determine the effect of providing targeted education and/or fee-for-service professional remuneration on the rate of clinical interventions. Methods A randomised trial involving four groups of 10 community pharmacies: group A served as a control and received neither education nor remuneration; group B received education and professional remuneration; group C received “advanced” education and professional remuneration; and group D received professional remuneration with no education. Pharmacists in all groups documented interventions for three one-week periods. Types of intervention were pre-specified by the researchers and logged as such by the pharmacists. Interventions were categorised as “reactive” or “proactive” by a panel comprising a community pharmacist and a hospital pharmacist. Logistic regression analysis was used to compare differences in intervention rates between the groups at baseline, between groups over time (six weeks), and within groups over time. Results 87,130 prescription items were dispensed in the study period, and there were 762 clinical interventions, an intervention rate of 0.87%. Of the total, 375 (0.43%) were proactive and 387 (0.44%) were reactive. Groups B and C showed increases in clinical intervention rates immediately after the educational intervention, but these rates then decreased between week 1 and 2. Over the study period, group D had statistically significant reductions in intervention rates from baseline (total, reactive and proactive), and group A showed statistically significant reductions in reactive intervention rates. Conclusions The results from this study show that providing remuneration alone or maintaining the status quo (ie, neither remuneration nor education) did not lead to an increase in clinical interventions in community pharmacies. Increases in rates within the groups receiving education and remuneration were short lived. Developing and implementing educational programmes in addition to fee-for-service remuneration packages may have a positive impact on clinical intervention rates. Longitudinal work is required to investigate the sustainable effects of longer-term education strategies on clinical interventions in community pharmacy.

Poverty concentration and determinants in China's urban low-income neighbourhoods and social groups.

Abstract: Based on a large-scale household survey conducted in 2007, this article reports on poverty concentration and determinants in China's low-income neighbourhoods and social groups. Three types of neighbourhood are recognized: dilapidated inner-city neighbourhoods, declining workers' villages and urban villages. Respondents are grouped into four categories: working, laid-off/unemployed and retired urban residents, together with rural migrants. We first measure poverty concentration across different types of neighbourhood and different groups. The highest concentrations are found in dilapidated inner-city neighbourhoods and among the laid-off/unemployed. Mismatches are found between actual hardships, sense of deprivation and distribution of social welfare provision. Second, we examine poverty determinants. Variations in institutional protection and market remuneration are becoming equally important in predicting poverty generation, but are differently associated with it in the different neighbourhoods and groups. As China's urban economy is increasingly shaped by markets, the mechanism of market remuneration is becoming a more important determinant of poverty patterns, especially for people who are excluded from state institutions, notably laid-off workers and rural migrants.

Hotel management contracts and deficiencies in owner-operator capital expenditure goal congruency

Abstract: A review of the findings of prior empirical research concerning hotel management contracts between owners and operators is undertaken. It is noted that management contracts have become increasingly commonplace in the international hotel sector and that gross revenue and gross operating profit are the most extensively used determinants of operator incentive fee remuneration. These findings present a platform for examining how revenue and gross operating profit are deficient in promoting owner-operator goal congruency. In light of this, return on investment (ROI) and residual income (RI) are examined as potential alternative determinants of operator reimbursement. Although it is appears that both ROI and RI as determinants of hotel operator fees would represent an advance in promoting owner-operator goal congruency, a rationale outlining how RI is preferable to ROI is outlined. © 2010 International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education.

Extending the coverage of minimum wages in India: Simulations from household data

Abstract: The present working paper discusses minimum wages in India, seeking to make a constructive contribution to an ongoing national debate and relying also on experience and example from other countries. Specifically, the paper simulates the impact of extending the coverage of minimum wages on poverty, inequality and the gender pay gap. In one of the most striking results, the paper shows that if all wage-earners were covered by the statelevel minimum wages at existing levels, the earnings of up to 76 million low-paid wageearners – out of about 400 million workers – could be directly affected.

Working in health: financing and managing the public sector health workforce

Abstract: There are numerous voices calling for a “scaling-up of the health workforce” to enable low-income countries to accelerate progress towards achieving the health Millennium Development Goals. There are fewer voices asking about the fiscal and financial implications of “scaling-up”. This book will help policy-makers (and donors) to understand better the challenges raised by the “human resources crisis” described by the World Health Organization and others.1,2 The critical issues for those who control financial resources and are responsible for their allocation (which typically does not include ministries of health) are: how much is needed to hire more personnel, to pay more to existing personnel or to do both? Where will the money come from (taxpayers, other sectors, savings, external sources)? What will be the impact on other sectors of spending more on health? For instance, will paying health workers better have a spilling effect, and how much will that represent? Is more money really needed? It is not unusual for ministries of health not to fully spend their budget allocation, sometimes because they cannot find workers to employ, but most often because of bureaucratic bottlenecks (e.g. complex and lengthy recruitment, transfer, promotion processes). Better retention, including preventing emigration of qualified personnel, is a critical component of any scaling-up strategy. Why should more health workers be trained if it is only to see them migrate to greener pastures? All these questions are legitimate and advocates for scaling-up need to provide satisfactory answers. Ministries of health have to be able to show how much their proposals will cost, to demonstrate their capacity to actually spend more, to show that all efforts are being made to eliminate inefficiencies, and to convince funders that they have a strategy for using the strengthened health workforce in a way that makes services more accessible and more effective in improving the health of the population. These are some of the messages of this very useful book, which is structured to meet the expectations of policy-makers and academics alike. The first part spells out, very clearly indeed (which is not typical for this type of literature), the challenges of financing the health workforce. It derives lessons learned from four country case studies and proposes, in a non-prescriptive manner, policy options and their implications in terms of changes needed. The second part of the book presents case studies from the Dominican Republic, Kenya, Rwanda and Zambia. The reader will find here detailed descriptions and analyses of health workforce financing and management policies and practices; the approach used by the case writers is a useful methodological contribution. The last part, in the format of five appendices, gives the evidence that inspired the various policy options. Those on decentralization, on alternative modalities of compensation and on policies and practices (the two may differ) of the GAVI Alliance and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria are of particular interest. The authors clearly explain why expansion of the health wage bill must not be done at the expense of other important expenditures in the health sector or in other sectors. It shows that the absence of budgetary autonomy of the ministries of health is a disincentive for them to develop strategies to mobilize and to allocate funds, and even to build adequate databases on their workforce, since control over available resources lies elsewhere. The case studies clearly show that there is room for improving the efficiency of the use of health workers. The problem is not a lack of policies but that they are not applied, for reasons ranging from low capacity to implement them (e.g. performance-based remuneration) to lack of monitoring mechanisms or simply the absence of political commitment. The authors recognize that the process of deciding how much the country will spend on health services and on paying health workers is essentially political. This is not to say that it is not rational; it is based on available information and on the perception that the money will be spent well. This book offers many strategies to health policy-makers to make a stronger case for additional funds to scale-up the workforce at their disposal. Its most important message is that the first step is to correct existing inefficiencies and to show that available resources are being used in an efficient manner.

Promoting Creativity through Copyright Limitations: Reflections on the Concept of Exclusivity in Copyright Law

Abstract: Do copyright limitations have the ability to promote creativity and innovation in an effective way? This question may initially sound astonishing because this incentive function is traditionally attributed to the exclusive rights and not to their limitations. However, it should not be forgotten that innovation often builds on existing creations. As a consequence, by depriving the copyright holder of the right to consent to certain acts, one might in turn encourage creative uses. In addition, it is possible for legislatures to draft limitations in order to guarantee that the permitted uses are not for free by providing for a just monetary return for right holders, for example by establishing a workable “limitation-based” remuneration system. In many European countries, uses legitimated by copyright limitations are often coupled with the payment of remuneration, from which the creators often profit in a considerable manner. Thus, this Article seeks to reflect on the limitations and exceptions to copyright from the perspective of the creators and their interests and, on this occasion, to express some free thoughts concerning the principle of exclusivity in copyright law.

Primary care physicians’ experiences with electronic medical records: Implementation experience in community, urban, hospital, and academic family medicine

Abstract: OBJECTIVE To understand how remuneration and care setting affect the implementation of electronic medical records (EMRs). DESIGN Semistructured interviews were used to illicit descriptions from community-based family physicians (paid on a fee-for-service basis) and from urban, hospital, and academic family physicians (remunerated via alternative payment models or sessional pay for activities pertaining to EMR implementation). SETTING Small suburban community and large urban-, hospital-, and academic-based family medicine clinics in Alberta. All participants were supported by a jurisdictional EMR certification funding mechanism. PARTICIPANTS Physicians who practised in 1 or a combination of the above settings and had experience implementing and using EMRs. METHODS Purposive and maximum variation sampling was used to obtain descriptive data from key informants through individually conducted semistructured interviews. The interview guide, which was developed from key findings of our previous literature review, was used in a previous study of community-based family physicians on this same topic. Field notes were analyzed to generate themes through a comparative immersion approach. MAIN FINDINGS Physicians in urban, hospital, and academic settings leverage professional working relationships to investigate EMRs, a resource not available to community physicians. Physicians in urban, hospital, and academic settings work in larger interdisciplinary teams with a greater need for interdisciplinary care coordination, EMR training, and technical support. These practices were able to support the cost of project management or technical support resources. These physicians followed a planned system rollout approach compared with community physicians who installed their systems quickly and required users to transition to the new system immediately. Electronic medical records did not increase, or decrease, patient throughput. Physicians developed ways of including patients in the note-taking process. CONCLUSION We studied physicians’ procurement approaches under various payment models. Our findings do not suggest that one remuneration approach supports EMR adoption any more than another. Rather, this study suggests that stronger physician professional networks used in information gathering, more complete training, and in-house technical support might be more influential than remuneration in facilitating the EMR adoption experience.

Can Quality of Work Life Affect Work Performance among Government Agriculture Extension Officers? A Case from Malaysia

Abstract: Problem statement: The importance of agriculture industry in enhancing the country economy cannot be denied. Recently, a total of USD 1.7 billion has been allocated by the government to boost this industry. Beside of this huge allocation, do the policy implementers which are the agriculture extension officers have adequate work performance to carry out the responsibility given to them? Approach: This study would like to discover whether quality of work life among the agriculture extension employee do have impact their work performance or not. It is necessary to estimate quality of work life function in enhancing work performance, analyze the most important factor and variables on this work performance. The instruments used for collecting data were: A scale on individual and family life, a scale on safety and security on the organization, a scale on interpersonal relationship in the organization, a scale on job satisfaction, a scale on organizational policies and management style, a scale on personnel health and well being, a scale on work environment, a scale on remuneration and a scale on organizational support. The data were analyzed PASW software. Results: Results depict that all of the nine qualities of work life studied have significant and positive relationship with work performance where the highest relationship occurred between individual and family life with work performance. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that five factors which are individual and family life, job satisfaction, organization policy and management style, work environment and remuneration are the main contributors to work performance among government agricultural extension employees. Conclusion/Recommendations: From the results gained, it can be concluded that aspect of individual and family life is the highest contributor to work performance among government agriculture extension officer. It can be noted that more courses on how to manage individual and family life should be intensified. A specific counseling department should be established within agriculture agencies in Malaysia. From this study, it is recommended for the future researchers to investigate more on the influence of individual and family life on work performance and work satisfaction in Malaysia.