The impact of downsizing on the corporate reputation for social performance

This paper investigates the impact of downsizing on a firm's reputation for corporate social performance (RCSP). Drawing on the downsizing, corporate reputation and social responsibility literatures, a number of hypotheses concerning the impact of downsizing, and particularly the types of downsizing, on a firm's reputation for corporate social performance are developed and empirically tested. The main findings of this study are that, while downsizing seems to have a negative impact on the firm's RCSP, when one takes into account the kind of managerial action that led to downsizing (layoffs and/or divestitures), this impact differs between the two stakeholder groups, industry executives and financial analysts, which were investigated. This study also found that a high financial performance prior to downsizing led to a greater negative impact on the firm's RCSP. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications     

IPO effects: corporate restructuring when a firm goes public

The public affairs of a firm issuing an initial public offering (IPO) are a critical part of the corporate restructuring efforts which firms face during the process of going public. In this paper, Bowman and Singh's (1993) definition is used to illustrate how issuing an IPO is a significant form of corporate restructuring. Public affairs are critical during both the pre‐IPO phase and during the period leading up to the IPO, as the firm must negotiate a heavily institutionalised process to successfully complete the issue. Here, the six‐year life of ‘Deja News’ is used as a way to illustrate and explain the public affairs during the process of preparing for and issuing an IPO. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications     

Social networks and non‐market strategy

To date, the field of non‐market strategy has little to offer in the way of an integrated perspective on the simultaneous management of strategic issues and corporate stakeholders. This paper employs social network analysis to make a number of theoretically grounded conjectures about the delicate relationships between stakeholder behaviour and issue evolution. It is found that social network analysis has the potential to enrich and integrate theoretical perspectives in the field of non‐market strategy, offering solutions to a set of previously unresolved puzzles. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications     

Corporate interests and public affairs: organised business–government relations in EU member states

The internationalisation of economic and political affairs changes the way in which business interests are brought to bear on public policy. This is a global phenomenon but can, in particular, be observed in Europe. The construction of the European Union, the development of the Single Market and the build‐up of the policy institutions to go with it, together change business–government relations profoundly. This paper answers the question of how organised business interests relate to government agencies and political institutions. By using the example of trade associations in the Netherlands and Germany, the paper shows that, despite the internationalisation of public affairs in Europe, the national political level remains strategically important for the representation of business interests. The paper thus argues that changes in European business–government relations are institutionally embedded at both the European and the national level. The implication for future research is that much of the dynamics of economic and political internationalisation materialises within the domestic arrangements of interest politics. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications     

Of change,training and public affairs in Europe

European public affairs practitioners need to be increasingly professional in their reactions to an EU undergoing transformational change. The paper offers a comprehensive summary of the subtleties of institutional change in Commission, Parliament and Council in 2004. In particular, the author argues that expansion from 15 member states to 25 has fundamentally changed the nature of the Union's politics and the skills required to influence it. This new EU requires more of practitioners than experience and amateur instinct: to achieve results and avoid restrictive regulation, the public affairs community must adopt effective training strategies, challenging competence targets and regular self‐assessment of its performance and ethics. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications     

论行政许可听证程序之案卷排他性原则

听证制度是现代行政程序法的核心制度.<行政许可法>较以往立法对听证程序的规定相比,取得了重大的进步,即确立了案卷排他性原则.案卷排他性原则的确立具有重要的意义,使得听证笔录成为作出行政决定的唯一依据,对行政机关和行政相对人产生新的要求.禁止单方面接触规则和官方认知原则是对案卷排他性原则的补充与例外.     

从近期中国共青团的建设看中国社会福利服务组织的发展

中国青少年社会福利正处于整合和发展进程中，社会福利服务组织发育不良是制约中国社会福利，特别是服务福利发展严重滞后的重要因素。共青团在组织发展和工作指导思想上的变革，预示着中国社会福利服务组织的良性发育，对于中国社会福利的长远发展具有重大意义。     

清代社会救济制度初探

清朝是我国历史上最后一个封建王朝，清代的社会救济制度具有如下特点：贫困不构成道德问题，它基本上不受谴责，甚至有德性的贫人还是令人尊敬的；官方救济缺乏法制化基础，不重视救济的经济功能，与农业社会结构相适应。民间机构救济内容的多层次，资金来源的多元化，管理方式有一定的近代性；民间救济机构对接受者有经济和道德的双重要求，主要发挥教化乡里、改善民风和社会整合的功能；家族保障的封闭性和狭隘性，救济范围小，再分配功能弱。     

关于拓宽中小企业融资渠道的探讨

近年来，在投融资体制改革与金融改革的双重背景下，中小企业融资问题广受关注。中小企业是我们国家微观经济健康发展的基础，也是宏观经济调控成败的试金石。怎样拓宽中小企业的融资渠道不仅是中小企业自身健康发展的首要问题，而且关系到国民经济的健康发展。     

大学扩招后如何加强师生互动?--以某校选修课《社会科学研究方法》为例

本文通过对某课程的不同阶段不同师生互动方式的分析，探索高校扩招后如何使教学更有效这一问题。在课程初期，通过事前评估了解学生的基本情况，并运用元认知发展模式分析即将开始的教学过程；教学中期阶段主要采用学生团队合作的形式，课内和课外互动相结合的方式激发学生学习动机；在课程结束阶段，采用课题发表和期末评估的方式总结教学经验，最后，对教学过程进行反思并提出建议。