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Presents an analysis of a recent survey in The TQM Magazine entitled “Total Quality ‐ the formula for success”. States that companies which successfully practice TQM share the following characteristics: an emphasis on tangible results; an insistence on performance measurement; an integrated programme; and clear commitment from top management. Goes into greater detail in each of these four areas.

The purpose of this paper is to check the efficiency of isogeometric analysis (IGA) by comparing its results with classical finite element method (FEM), generalized finite element method (GFEM) and other enriched versions of FEM through numerical examples of free vibration problems.

Since its conception, IGA was widely applied in several problems. In this paper, IGA is applied for free vibration of elastic rods, beams and trusses. The results are compared with FEM, GFEM and the enriched methods, concerning frequency spectra and convergence rates.

The results show advantages of IGA over FEM and GFEM in the frequency error spectra, mostly in the higher frequencies.

Isogeometric analysis shows a feasible tool in structural analysis, with emphasis for problems that requires a high amount of vibration modes.

Public administration and organization management features numerous references to the development and maturation of individuals within organizations not only as a means of self‐fulfillment but also as a primary component of meeting the larger goals of the organization. Successful articulation of individual needs, theory, practice, and programmatic objectives requires the maturation of the organization as a “competent” entity capable of providing enhanced opportunities for the development of individual potential as well as stakeholder and client satisfaction. Organizations building competence seek to synthesize effective management theory and quality of service delivery within a procedural framework which interrelates unsublimated needs satisfaction, management practice and agency mission. An organizational competency model constructed through the use of critical theory offers greater employee and client satisfaction, more effective and efficient service delivery through improved agency self‐actualization and performance, and expanded community involvement through a redefined public interest.

It is now forty years since there appeared H. R. Plomer's first volume Dictionary of the booksellers and printers who were at work in England, Scotland and Ireland from 1641 to 1667. This has been followed by additional Bibliographical Society publications covering similarly the years up to 1775. From the short sketches given in this series, indicating changes of imprint and type of work undertaken, scholars working with English books issued before the closing years of the eighteenth century have had great assistance in dating the undated and in determining the colour and calibre of any work before it is consulted.

ARNOLD BENNETT was a man of two worlds. In the terms of Max Beerbohm's cartoon “Old Self” was plump, wealthy, self‐assured, a landmark of the London scene, a familiar of press magnates, the owner of a yacht; “Young Self” was thin, ambitious, far‐sighted, industrious, secretly terribly anxious to justify himself to himself and decidedly provincial.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the level of physical preparation for bushfire among Victorian residents in established high risk bushfire locations, and to assess whether these levels of preparation changed over time.

Data were analysed from a telephone survey among Victorian residents (n=614-629) living in high risk bushfire locations over a three-year period (2012-2014). The survey measured residents’ bushfire awareness, knowledge, planning, preparation and engagement with bushfire services. This paper focusses on the extent to which respondents undertook physical preparatory bushfire activities over the three-year period using: first, principal components analysis to generate a single preparation variable by identifying a smaller number of uncorrelated variables (or principal components) from a larger set of data, second, analysis of variance to assess differences in preparation scores between years, and third, Tukey’s honest significant difference test to confirm where the differences occurred between groups.

Results indicated only moderate levels of physical preparation for bushfires amongst respondents. The activities that respondents rated the lowest were: “having protective covers for windows” and “having firefighting equipment to protect the house”. A significant difference in total preparation scores over time was observed, F(2, 1,715)=6.159, p<0.005, with lower scores in 2012 compared with 2013 and 2014 scores.

This study found some marginal improvements in levels of physical bushfire preparation from 2012 to 2014. However, the results indicate only moderate levels of preparation overall, despite respondents living in established high risk locations.

This study provides evidence for the current levels of preparedness in high risk bushfire communities, and emphasises the need for future initiatives to focus on specific bushfire preparation activities but also to consider the broader range of interventions that are likely to contribute to desired safety outcomes.

The people of this country are frequently described, more or less correctly, as “long suffering,” and there is possibly no question in regard to which they have suffered so much and so long as that of the national food supply. Now and again some more thoughtful member of the Legislature addresses a question on the subject to some responsible Minister of the Crown, possibly on the sufficiency, or sometimes even on the purity of some article of food, and receives an answer which, as a general rule, is a mere feeble evasion of the particular point on which information is desired.

The class concepts of economic classes, social classes and political forces all have an important role to play in advancing the theoretical understanding necessary for achieving progress in the socialist project. The “new class analysis” is a series of attempts made since the 1960s by a number of Marxist writers to orient the political forces of socialists by providing analyses of the changing class structure of the advanced capitalist formations. Many of these contributions have been flawed. An account of class is made which shows the naivety of these views. It is put forward that it is necessary to make use of the three class concepts and that there is no a priori necessary association between the membership of these variously conceptualised groups — they can cut across one another in various ways. Each of the concepts is outlined. In contrast to stock Marxist conceptions, this approach may be more fruitful.

Adult third culture kids (ATCK) have been identified as a potential source for global business because of their experience in expatriation and increased intercultural competence. The purpose of this paper is to build on existing research focused on this population and to highlight crucial areas for further study to gain more comprehensive insight to their potential in working teams.

This viewpoint design reviews previous literature and research on ATCK and their potential for business expatriation and raises questions for areas of necessary further research to better understand their impact upon assignment.

There is strong support for ATCK suitability and inclination for expatriate assignment from previous literature. There is much unknown about their performance upon expatriation and a need for further research specific to ATCK performance in teams and organizations.

This study poses questions about translating ATCK experience into team performance; emphasizes the challenges in isolating one trait in personal development and the risks of conflating ATCK experience in professional capabilities.

Coverage of governmental accounting is typically light within both accounting and public administration programs, and instructors generally do not have access to the same number of resources that they may find for courses which have been ingrained in their curricula for decades. Hence, it can be difficult for instructors to create or maintain student interest in governmental accounting without such resources. The purpose of this paper is to examine how instructors can emphasize relevance to increase the interest level of students in governmental accounting and to discuss how current resources and various pedagogical tools may be used as facilitators.