Seasonality,differential access and interlinking of labour and credit

This article explains the interlinking of rural labour and credit transactions in terms of differential access to credit markets and seasonality. A model is developed which incorporates not only seasonality and differential access but also several other explanations for interlinking suggested in the literature. Moreover, it allows one to test the sensitivity of the results to differing powers on the part of landowners relative to working households.     

Is domestic violence relevant?: An exploratory analysis of couples referred for mediation in family court

Mediation is an essential component of custody evaluation and reconciliation services in domestic courts. Data from 306 couples with and without a reported history of domestic violence (DV) who were ordered to attend an assessment for mediation were analyzed to determine differences in the mediation process. More than one third reported a history of DV. Chi-square analysis showed that differences in the mediation process exist between couples reporting DV and couples reporting no DV. A greater proportion of couples with reported DV (a) actually attended the court-mandated assessment session, (b) were deemed unsuitable to participate in the mediation process, (c) were in default of child-support payments, and (d) reported drug and alcohol abuse. No significant differences were found between the two groups in the measured mediation outcomes. Implications for the use of mediation with couples who reported DV and recommendations for future research are discussed.     

Made in Canada: The evolution of Canadian counter-terrorism policy in the post-9/11 world

Literature on Canada-United States (US) counter-terrorism (CT) cooperation from the early 2000s presumed that Canadian CT policy was driven by US security imperatives and fear, leaving little room for Canada to develop its own path in fighting terrorism. It presumed that: the Canadian government was more worried about the US reaction to terrorism than terrorism itself; Canadian security policy sought to be “separate but cooperative”; and Canadian policy was informed by “wise” understandings of the US. We argue these assumptions no longer hold. Since 2011, with the rise of the Islamic State and foreign fighter activity, the Canadian government took independent steps to address national security concerns in a multilateral environment. We use process tracing to track evolutions in the Passenger Protect Program (Canada's “no-fly list” policy), showing how Canada has increasingly asserted agency in response to violent extremism. It suggests the prior scholarly consensus on the US role in Canadian CT policy must be rethought.     

Defense Conversion in Small Companies: Risk, Activities, and Success Assessment

The defense industry has been experiencing a large draw-down during the 1990s. This has left many companies, large and small, in a situation where they had to examine the viability and future of their businesses. While large and medium-size companies were somewhat assisted by government policies and support, small subcontractors were often left alone, facing higher risks and severe threats to their future. This research investigated the events, decisions, activities and success of small defense contractors, which had to face this new situation. It developed a specific framework, which may be used to help companies in assessing their conversion efforts. The study was conducted by utilizing a within-case and cross-case methodology for case study analysis. Results assert the difficulties for highly defense dependent companies to enter and succeed in the commercial market and explain why many conversion efforts have often failed in the past. Our findings show that to convert successfully, companies must streamline and improve their internal processes, develop a strategic plan, develop their marketing capabilities, and must have management and employee commitment to the process. Although such recommendations were expected, we found, that to many of these companies, they were completely new. As a by-product to this study, we found that managers in small businesses are typically not aware of modern concepts of strategic management and do not normally read the management literature. A new approach to educating such managers is needed, and thus suggested.