Power in Aggressor-Victim Relationships: Exploring Social,Physical, Gender- and Ethnicity-Based Power

Journal of Youth and Adolescence - Theory highlights power in aggressor-victim relationships, yet empirical work assessing dyadic power is largely absent. Variability in power balance versus...     

Myths,Measures and Modernisation: A Comparison of Local Authority Performance in England and Wales

Local Authority performance in Wales is widely perceived as inferior to that in England. We analyse statistical evidence on current levels of performance and rates of improvement in the two local government systems, and find few significant differences between English and Welsh councils. Adverse judgements on Welsh local government seem to reflect perceptions of their management processes and methods of service provision rather than their substantive achievements. This may in turn be symptomatic of UK central government's assumption that public service improvement cannot be achieved unless organisations follow the specific model of ‘managerial modernisation it is currently promoting.     

Elite defection and grassroots democracy under competitive authoritarianism: evidence from Burkina Faso

One determinant of the success or failure of political revolutions is whether there is a split among the ruling elites. Elite defections in a competitive authoritarian regime can tip the balance in favour of regime change and democratization. This article examines when and why elites defect through the case of Burkina Faso. In October 2014, President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso was forced to step down after 27 years in power and multiple term limits contraventions. We propose a new theory linking growth in democratic attitudes at the grassroots to elite defection from hegemonic parties. We argue that a broad increase in popular democratic attitudes can both decrease the costs and increase the benefits of elite defection, creating conditions that enable elites to rescind their loyalty to the regime. We support this argument with interviews with ruling-party defectors in Burkina Faso and two rounds of Afrobarometer survey data. Our findings demonstrate that democratic attitudes can grow under competitive authoritarian regimes, and that these citizen attitudes can impact regime change by increasing the likelihood of elite defection.     

Strategy Content and Organizational Performance: An Empirical Analysis

This study presents the first empirical test of the proposition that strategy content is a key determinant of organizational performance in the public sector. Strategy content comprises two dimensions: strategic stance (the extent to which an organization is a prospector, defender, or reactor) and strategic actions (the relative emphasis on changes in markets, services, revenues, external relationships, and internal characteristics). Data were drawn from a multiple-informant survey of 119 English local authorities. Measures of strategy content are included in a multivariate model of interauthority variations in performance. The statistical results show that strategy content matters. Organizational performance is positively associated with a prospector stance and negatively with a reactor stance. Furthermore, local authorities that seek new markets for their services are more likely to perform well. These results suggest that measures of strategy content must be included in valid theoretical and empirical models of organizational performance in the public sector.     

Lightning Deaths: A Retrospective Review of New Mexico's Cases, 1977–2009

To better understand lightning deaths, a retrospective review of electronic records from New Mexico's Office of the Medical Investigator database was performed between 1977 and 2009 to update and assess current risk factors. Information on demographics, circumstances, autopsy, and death certificates were collected and analyzed. Fifty‐four decedents were identified, ages 2–71 years old (mean 34 years old), 42 males and 12 females. Common racial/ethnic groups were non‐Hispanic Whites and American Indians (together comprising 72% of all cases). Physical findings were often related to the heat carried by the electrical current including clothing alterations (29.6%) and burning of skin (53.7%). Most deaths occurred on weekend afternoons in summer months, associated with recreational activities or agricultural work, and rural locations (77.8%). Utilizing the demographic information, clustered events, and associated outdoor activities will assist in creating public awareness and provide a framework to support targeted warnings in an attempt to prevent future deaths.     

The biohazard potential of cyanide poisoning during postmortem examination

A case of suicide by ingestion of cyanide salts provided an opportunity to determine whether personnel involved in postmortem examination of such cases are exposed to any significant degree of biohazard from cyanide remaining in body cavities or tissues of the decedent or both. It was found that potentially toxic concentrations of cyanide can develop in personnel so exposed. These findings have implications not only for the safety of pathologists and pathology assistants, but also for first responders (for example, police, firemen, emergency medical technicians [EMTs], paramedics, R.N.s) and emergency room personnel who may be involved in resuscitation efforts or removal of gastric contents or both in cyanide poisoning victims. Symptoms of cyanide toxicity and recommendations for reducing the potential for clinically significant cyanide exposure in medical settings are briefly reviewed.     

The relationship of values to identity achievement status

Each of 61 college undergraduates was classified as a high or low scorer based on his score on the Simmons Identity Achievement Status (IAS) scale. Ss from each group also ranked Rokeach's terminal and instrumental values in order of importance. The finding of differential ranking of several values by the high and low IAS Ss was congruent with Erikson's statements regarding the constructs of ego identity and identity diffusion and, in addition, seemed to lend further validity to the IAS scale.Received Ph.D. in 1968 from Syracuse University in the area of school psychology. Major areas of interest are socialization; personalty development in children and adolescents.