Susan Grey

Working in film – Employment in a project based industry

Currently the “creative industries”, especially the British film industry, are receiving much popular attention. The aim of this paper is to present a description and evaluation of employment in the film industry, and through doing so to challenge dominant populist and academic analyses of employment in this sector, as exemplified by the Labour government and a number of British and American academic commentators. These analyses are both premised on the apparent occurrence of an epoch breaking change in society, the balance of economic activity in society and the organisation of work. However, trends in employment practice over recent years, it would appear from the survey evidence and from other sources presented here, have not improved in the manner they could be expected to if such fundamental epochal change had occurred. Rather the data presented here point to much continuity in the employment relationship between capital and labour.

Evaluating the digital divide: the Silver Surfer's perspective

The aim of this paper is to explore and ascertain using an information systems perspective evaluation framework, the factors that encouraging the adoption and usage of online products and services; namely, in this case, broadband, within one particular population group – the Silver Surfer. Data were collected using email, interviews and an online survey. The findings of this study illustrate that technical factors are not of primary importance. Non-technical factors were considered to be fundamental and clearly need to be taken into consideration when encouraging Silver Surfers to become online interactive. What was also discovered is that interest, whether in technological or non-technological factors, as well as communication are very pertinent in adopting and using technology. This research should offer a substantial contribution to various stakeholders including government agencies, management consulting firms, Internet Service Providers and IT organisations wanting to identify the online interactions of Silver Surfers.

The ethical landscape of outsourcing performance

Outsourcing of business operations is high on the agenda of management because getting quality products and services faster to the market has become critical for companies. Amongst the many drivers are cost reduction, core business focus, flexibility and risk transfer. However, it is easy to be over-enthusiastic about the benefits without fully appreciating the risks and their consequences. To avoid the downsides and maximize the upsides, an organisation should take a considered risk management approach which embraces Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This is defined and placed in its contemporary business context, highlighting the importance for the development of the added-value dimensions, whether economic or societal. Practical steps are provided to link the various facets of outsourcing management in order to create an impetus towards success. The synergy between outsourcing performance and CSR is expounded, galvanising management action in the pursuit of business excellence and stakeholder satisfaction.

Identifying adopters and non-adopters of Broadband amongst silver surfers: using BHPS

The aim of this paper is to identify the adopters and non-adopters of Broadband within the silver surfer group. This was achieved using the British Household Panel Survey, a large scale survey used to collect data from UK households. The data was analysed using statistical tools, such as, SPSS v. 15. The conclusions drawn are that Broadband will be adopted in nuclear households (no presence of elderly) with silver surfers who have children aged between 12 and 18, without ignoring the role played by a relatively level of education. This research offers contributions for academics by providing an objective viewpoint of the factors leading to Broadband adoption within silver surfers, a group of immense, current interest. For industry, this research offers an intensive identification of socio-economic factors that are considered important when marketing a product or service within the market.