Ivy Papps

Women, work and Weil‐being in the Middle East: An outline of the relevant literature

There is now an extensive literature on the role of women in economic development and the impact of development on their lives. This article concentrates on the economic literature and discusses its importance for policies aimed at working women in the Middle East. It identifies the important strands and places the discussion within the wider context of women in the labour market in both developing and developed countries. The general conclusion is that we are very far from having sufficient knowledge to implement effective policy or even to evaluate existing policies.

Attitudes to Female Employment in Four Middle Eastern Countries

It is well known that women’s participation in the labour force is low in Middle Eastern countries. Although it is thought that current data-gathering techniques bias downwards the measurement of women’s economic activity, particularly in developing countries,1 there is some evidence that female labour force participation in the Muslim Middle East is low even compared to other developing countries.

Evaluation of performance, monitoring costs and quality management

Contains an economic critique of BS 5750. Identifies the extent to which BS 5750 can be used to evaluate the performance of organizations. Argues that appropriate measures of performance should be based on economic criteria and, indeed, that such criteria are an essential prerequisite to making BS 5750 operational within an organization. Thus, far from BS 5750 being a component of a measure of performance, certification under BS 5750 or the development of some other quality management system should be related to an overall measure of performance developed on the basis of economic criteria. BS 5750 is not concerned with quality as it is generally understood. It is simply a management system concerned with monitoring specifications. The basic assumption of BS 5750 about the appropriate distribution of monitoring costs may result in costs which are greater than benefits. If this is the case, small firms are likely to be placed at a comparative disadvantage vis‐a‐vislarge firms. BS 5750 cannot be used as an i...

Equity in European community pollution control

Abstract This paper examines the impact of an EEC pollution control directive on the profits of the firms in the chlor-alkali industry. Various definitions of equal treatment are developed and it is argued that knowledge of the relationship between discharges and various methods of abatement (the discharge function) is crucial to an investigation of the extent to which the directive meets the equity criteria. Estimation of total, average, and marginal costs implies that these criteria are not met by this directive.

Identifying the costs and benefits of projects: an example from biotechnology

The full identification of the effects of a biotechnology project and the constraints which inhibit its implementation are often ignored in investment appraisal using cost-benefit analysis. There are many factors involved in a complete analysis and a framework is outlined designed to help policy-makers in their decisions. The decision to invest in a project designed to encourage adoption of an agricultural biotechnology will crucially depend on effects in product markets, input markets and impacts on income distribution and the environment. A check-list based on this simple classification will allow evaluators to determine whether additional complementary investment will be required for successful adoption of the biotechnology and what form the investment should take.

Identifying the costs and benefits of educational psychology: a preliminary exploration in two local authorities

Abstract This article provides an account of a small-scale pilot study of the cost and perceived benefits of the educational psychology services in two comparably small local authorities in England. This study is preparatory to a more detailed examination of the costs and likely benefits of state provision of educational psychology services in England. The work is contextualised by acknowledgement of the growing pressure on local authority services to trade and for schools to directly commission the services of educational psychologists. Provisional findings indicate significant differences between the impact of the two services that participated. The authors offer speculation on the effects for local authorities and schools, and ways in which the study might be developed to provide more satisfactory answers to the questions of “what is the value of educational psychology in practice” and “how best to deploy educational psychology services?”

Assessing the Effectiveness and Economic Efficiency of an E.E.C. Pollution Control Directive: The Control of Discharges of Mercury to the Aquatic Environment

In an earlier paper (Guruswamy et al. (1983)) we traced the development of an EEC Directive designed to reduce discharges of mercury to the aquatic environment. This paper extends that work by conducting an economic appraisal of the efficiency and effectiveness of the Directive.

Do We Need a Policy for the Family

Mrs Thatchers professed admiration for the family is belied by Government policy on taxation and education, as well as its attitude to divorce. Dr Papps argues that policy should avold distorting the costs and benefits of marriage, so that individuals can make informed choices about Family activity.