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Attention has been drawn recently to the differences which exist between family and non‐family firms, but Ward indicates that there are different types of family firms. More specifically, as Dunn puts it, “in some families it is evident that the business serves the family, as opposed to the family serves the business”. For some families in business, economic rationality dominates decision making, yet for others a “family first” ethos is to the fore, while a third group recognises the need to respond to economic and family considerations. In this paper firms which pay attention to both family and business are not investigated. However, Ward’s model of the characteristics of family firms is discussed and data based on a Scottish and Irish sample of 234 firms which put family first when business and family objectives clash, and 830 firms which focus on business objectives, are presented. Results suggest that the former exhibit several of the characteristics defined by Ward. This suggests that a considerable number of family firms may be lifestyle – as opposed to growth‐oriented businesses. These results have major implications for policy makers. If a substantial number of family firms differ from rational economic ventures by their methods of operation, then policy makers should be flexible with regard to the methods of intervention required to support this important section of the SME community. Policy issues in connection with family firms in Britain are considered in the light of our findings.

Family firms account for around 75 per cent of all business enterprises in the UK, but there is a lack of research on these businesses. The family firms literature recognises that there are differences between family and non‐family businesses; differences that can be explained by conflicts between a juxtaposition of family values and business values. Consequently, family firms tend to have different approaches to ownership and control, the composition of boards, employment practices, strategy formulation and succession management. This paper reports on the demographic characteristics, ownership configurations, boardroom arrangements, managerial and succession practices of a random selection of 1,065 family firms located in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Results reveal that the firms are well‐established, privately owned, small businesses in which the lead family retains almost all shares and dominates the board of directors. These firms give some preferential treatment to family members in employment and managerial matters but business objectives are not ignored. In keeping with previous research, succession matters are not regularly discussed and much more needs to be done to allow for a smooth transition from one family generation to another. The authors conclude by arguing that there is an urgent need for policy makers to address the problems and needs of small family firms and to develop frameworks and practices for assisting these businesses.

This paper outlines the continuous improvement journey of a voluntary organisation. The significant level of organisational growth and improving quality of services described is clearly linked to the organisation’s commitment to improvement. One of the approaches used in adopting a total quality culture was the EFQM model, specifically interpreted for the voluntary sector. Until recently such an approach would have been considered alien to the sector, not least because of its origins in the business community. This article contradicts this assumption. Issues addressed include how the improvement process is driven, the use of performance measurement, external verification and the difficulties in accessing sector appropriate benchmark data. It is suggested that the pursuit of excellence is no longer optional for the voluntary sector, it is essential.

The following is an annotated list of materials dealing with information literacy including instruction in the use of information resources, research, and computer skills related to retrieving, using, and evaluating information. This review, the twenty‐second to be published in Reference Services Review, includes items in English published in 1995. After 21 years, the title of this review of the literature has been changed from “Library Orientation and Instruction” to “Library Instruction and Information Literacy,” to indicate the growing trend of moving to information skills instruction.

In view of the latest research in the international field of nutrition, there is considerable debate about the need to revise daily recommended allowances of energy and nutrients

The purpose of this paper is to develop a model of ethical decision-making that applies to accountants and the accounting profession.

This model is an integration of five factors that influence ethical decision-making by accountants: professional codes of conduct; philosophical orientation; religious orientation; culturally derived values; and moral maturity.

This model is a synthesis of previous identified factors that influence ethical decision-making and incorporates them into a model that is specific to professional accountants.

The authors develop a set of propositions and explain how this model can be tested and its implications for both the accounting profession and the teaching of business ethics.

This model presents a new way of viewing ethical decision-making by accountants that is predicated on the importance of professional codes of conduct that influence both behaviour and decision-making. The external certification of professional accountants provides a layer of accountability not previously incorporated into ethical decision-making models.

This paper aims to explore the use of lived experience research in peer work.

A suite of user-friendly and engaging lived experience research resources was introduced to consumers by peer workers. In-depth interviews were conducted with 33 consumer participants and five peer workers about their experiences. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

The role of the peer workers appeared critical in ensuring that participants, despite their varied needs, preferences and backgrounds, derived optimum benefit from each resource. Features in resource delivery that promoted a positive experience included presenting the resources in the context of an existing relationship, providing clear explanations, going through resources together, encouraging reflection, taking enough time; and flexible delivery. Peer workers viewed the resources as potentially useful in their everyday peer work and as a valuable addition to their peer work toolkit.

The benefit of lived experience research to consumers is likely to be optimised by supportive and thoughtful delivery of the resources. Peer workers have the skills and are in an ideal position to do this. Bringing lived experience research to consumers provides peer workers with a potentially unique and helpful approach for supporting and promoting recovery and is congruent with their overall practice.

Lived experience research has the potential to benefit consumers directly but is rarely brought to their attention. This paper is the first to examine the potential role of peer workers in introducing learnings from lived experience research to consumers.

This paper aims to review the educational and support infrastructure for UK family firms in order to further raise the profile/challenges and support needs of family firms in the UK.

Secondary data sources relating to family businesses are reviewed in this article with a view to identifying the current infrastructure of support for family firms. These reports are also supplemented with interview material from respondents in family business associations.

This review indicates that awareness of family business public policy issues has increased in recent years in the UK. There is also an emergent support infrastructure dedicated to the needs of family businesses. There is also a growing body of research helping to overcome the (family business) dualist theoretical legacy that has dominated the field. Greater definitional clarity is also helping to inter‐relate the special needs of family firms to issues of resource, ownership, management, size and life cycle and the propagation of new theories and perspectives as seen above are contributing to better understanding about the special needs. There is still some way to go, however, before family businesses are fully acknowledged for their significant role to the national economy.

This paper reconsiders some of the original insights generated from occupational sociology which fully recognises the intertwining (and absorptive) relationships between family and work, and recognises the important and absorptive role that families in business contribute to the economy and society.

This paper signals that the entrepreneurs of today create the family businesses of tomorrow. This means progressing from a single‐heroic view of entrepreneurship and taking forward of a family embedded conceptualisation of entrepreneurship into educational programmes.

Print and television advertisements for American products appearing in the USA, Germany and Japan are content analysed to explore factors influencing the usage of standardised versus specialised approaches in multinational advertising. Three factors are examined: market distance, product type, and advertising medium employed. The results of this pilot study suggest that messages transferred between Western markets (such as the USA and West Germany) are more likely to be standardised than those transferred between Western and Eastern markets (such as the USA and Japan). Product type is not found to play an influential role in the degree of standardisation employed. However, standardisation is found to be significantly more common in television than in print.