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Northern Ireland was one of the first countries to offer incentives to attract industrial investment when in 1932 a measure was introduced enabling a grant to be made towards the purchase of sites for industrial development. Between that time and 1981, when the Northern Ireland Industrial Development Board was established, there has been a significant and widening enhancement of industrial incentives. It no longer provides grants towards the acquisition of sites, in recognition of the fact that, in an environment of continuing assistance to industry, such a policy could result over a period of time, in the same site being grant‐aided on a number of occasions. The additional measures and the need for industrial investment in Northern Ireland has however resulted in an industrial property market heavily dominated by Government‐owned property and factories which have been built with Government grant assistance.

To minimize customer churn, many service providers offer consumers the option of automatic contract renewal at the end of a contract period. Such agreements are known as rollover service contracts (RSCs). This research quantifies the effect of RSCs and other related factors, such as incentives, on consumers' service choice decisions.

The study adopts choice-based conjoint analysis to assess the effect of RSCs on consumers' choices and to determine whether effect size varies when selecting a cell phone network or gym/leisure club provider, which represent lower-priced utilitarian and higher-priced hedonic services.

It was found that RSCs produce negative perceptions and intended behaviors for the majority of consumers across different product types. Nevertheless, as explained by social exchange theory, many individuals may be persuaded to enter into a RSC on the basis of reciprocity if they are offered an incentive such as a price discount or free product add-on.

In the marketing domain, this is the first comprehensive study to quantify the role of contract type among a range of other factors in consumers' decision-making when selecting a service. The authors' results offer context-specific implications for service marketers. First, RSCs are perceived more negatively in high-priced hedonistic categories, especially among those with lower incomes. Second, price discounts are more effective than product add-ons for motivating hedonic purchases, while product add-ons work better with utilitarian services.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the rate difference required to persuade Islamic banking customers to switch to conventional banks.

A choice-based conjoint analysis survey was administered to 300 UAE Islamic banking customers. Customer utilities for Islamic and conventional banks, products and prices were developed to test hypotheses while a market simulation estimated the impact of rate changes on choice shares.

Overall, Muslim customers of Islamic banks strongly preferred Islamic banks and products. However, 43 percent were willing to switch to conventional banks to obtain better rates. Indeed, the share choosing conventional banks rose from 25 percent when rates were the same to 68 percent when conventional products offered 2 percent better rates.

This research requires replication and extension in appropriate contexts such as Malaysia and Indonesia. Moreover, the existence of price sensitivity tiers implies underlying benefit segments that should be studied.

As so many Islamic banking customers would switch to conventional banks for better rates, it seems that conventional banks compete with Islamic banks for most clients. Islamic banks should price accordingly.

This is the first study to quantify the loyalty of Islamic banking customers in terms of price and, consequently, the first to demonstrate the existence of price sensitivity tiers. It is also the first in this field to apply conjoint analysis and market modeling.

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Problem alcohol use (PAU) is common and associated with considerable adverse outcomes among patients receiving opioid agonist treatment (OAT). The purpose of this paper is to describe a qualitative feasibility assessment of a primary care-based complex intervention to promote screening and brief intervention for PAU, which also aims to examine acceptability and potential effectiveness.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 patients and eight general practitioners (GPs) who had been purposively sampled from practices that had participated in the feasibility study. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.

Six key themes were identified. While all GPs found the intervention informative and feasible, most considered it challenging to incorporate into practice. Barriers included time constraints, and overlooking and underestimating PAU among this cohort of patients. However, the intervention was considered potentially deliverable and acceptable in practice. Patients reported that (in the absence of the intervention) their use of alcohol was rarely discussed with their GP, and were reticent to initiate conversations on their alcohol use for fear of having their methadone dose reduced.

Although a complex intervention to enhance alcohol screening and brief intervention among primary care patients attending for OAT is likely to be feasible and acceptable, time constraints and patients’ reticence to discuss alcohol as well as GPs underestimating patients’ alcohol problems is a barrier to consistent, regular and accurate screening by GPs. Future research by way of a definitive efficacy trial informed by the findings of this study and the Psychosocial INTerventions for Alcohol quantitative data is a priority.

To the best of the knowledge, this is the first qualitative study to examine the capability of primary care to address PAU among patients receiving OAT.

This paper aims to identify the critical factors causing construction disputes in small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in Ireland during the recent recession period from 2007 to 2013.

This study used a mixed-method approach incorporating a literature review, case studies and questionnaire survey, with results analysed using exploratory (data reduction) factor analysis.

The results indicate seven core critical factors which result in construction disputes in SMEs in Ireland during a recession: payment and extras; physical work conditions; poor financial/legal practise; changes to the agreed scope of works; time overrun; defects; and requests for increase in speed of project and long-term defects.

With Ireland emerging from the current economic recession and the prevalence of SMEs in the construction sector, it is essential to document the core critical factors of construction disputes which emerge within this particular segment of the built environment.

To address the adversarial nature of the construction sector and the prevalence of SMEs, it is essential to identify and document the critical factors of construction disputes within this remit. It is envisaged that the results of this research will be acknowledged, and the recommendations adopted, by construction SMEs, particularly within Ireland, as they emerge from the economic recession.

This paper fulfils a gap in knowledge with the emergence of the economic recession and the identification of critical factors of construction dispute within SMEs in the Irish construction industry.

Drawing upon survey and interview data, this research paper aims to explore the usage and impact of management development processes and practices in Ireland from an organisational perspective.

The paper examines numerous related issues including: the issue of aligning management development needs to business strategy; the usage of management development methods; the development of high potential managers; and the assignment of responsibility for management development. Tbe paper is the result of a study which included a combination of 13 semi‐structured interviews with HR/training managers and the completion of postal questionnaires by 53 respondents from the HR/training management population in Ireland from a cross section of organisations.

The study suggests that organisations are both concerned for their management population, see their development as a key priority and are willing to invest in them. Organisations are experimenting with the usage of numerous developmental methods and are particularly aware of the benefits achieved from informal methods. Both reactive and ad‐hoc approaches to management development were observed.

This paper adds value to management learning and education theory and concludes by highlighting the fact that before initiating management development activities, organisations must question their rationale for investing resources in development. Failing to devote time at the initiation stage of a management development activity will result in organisations trying to “reverse engineer” and justify developmental initiatives upon completion. Organisations must become more acutely aware of the indirect benefits that accrue from management development instead of focusing all attention to the visible direct outcomes.

The unloved Act of Union between the British and Irish Parliaments in 1800 which constituted the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland had within it the seeds of its own unhappiness, if not its destruction. There was an element of schizophrenia about it, for while Ireland was integrated with Britain, specific Irish functions were retained, such as the Viceregal Court, local patronage, and the local government of the Protestant Ascendancy. Indeed the deal was done with one section of the community only; it did not solve the question whether Ireland was an annexed colony of a full part of Britain.

Participation is the active involvement of children and young people in decision-making regarding issues that affect their lives. It is crucial in the context of child protection and welfare systems and how they respond to the needs of children and young people. The purpose of this paper is to report on the evaluation of child and family participation in an early intervention and prevention programme implemented by the Irish Child and Family Agency. It provides an analysis of a comprehensive, “whole organization” approach to understand how participation is embedded in policy and practice.

This paper reports on a comparative qualitative case study of the perspectives of managers and practitioners about participation practice, identifying the facilitators and barriers, as well as their perspectives of the sustainability of participation within the agency and its partners. The authors draw on two complementary, theoretically informed studies evaluating participatory practice within the Agency using qualitative interviews with participants.

Overall, managers and practitioners had a positive attitude towards participation and identified examples of best practices. Facilitators included training, access to resources and the quality of relationships. Challenges for meaningful participation remain, such as the need to engage, hard to reach populations. Differences were identified regarding how embedded and sustainable participation was.

This paper provides a critical understanding of participation in practice and how to embed a culture of participation in child protection and welfare.