Background: The aspiration to use evidence to enhance the legitimacy and effectiveness of policies is widely shared but often falls short. A common explanation for failure is the presence of barriers to utilising evidence or the inadequacies of the evidence available to policy makers. Aims and objectives: The article examines how and why…

This paper examines the role of language policy and needs assessments in the provision of public services to regional minority and immigrant language speakers in the UK and Finland. Semi-structured interviews with service providers in Helsinki, Rovaniemi, Manchester, and Cardiff revealed how language policy and language needs are conceptualised…

Sight translation (ST) has always been considered one of the tasks covered in Public Service Interpreting (PSI). It has been included in handbooks, and it is also a frequent exercise in PSI assessment. However, few studies have analysed how ST is performed in the framework of a triadic interaction. This study is an attempt to redress this gap and…

As stated by Valero-Garcés (2006, p. 38), the new scenario including public service providers and users who are not fluent in the language used by the former has opened up new ways of linguistic and cultural mediation in current multicultural and multilingual societies. As a consequence, there is an ever increasing need for translators and…

Increasingly, faculty members are rewarded financially for prestige-maximizing publications. As a result, the balance between publishing and other activities such as teaching or public service may collapse, as argued by Leisyte, Enders, and de Boer (2009). In our paper, we focus on career-related rewards and study their impact on publication…

The mechanisms, objectives, and uses of performance assessment in public service occupations in the United Kingdom and other countries are examined and their implications for use in higher education are discussed. It is suggested that politically, the relationship of professional providers and consumers will increase in significance. (MSE)

Reports a study of the effect of variables at the personal, school, and district/division level on these aspects of the attitudinal professionalism of 1,205 Manitoba teachers: use of professional organization as major referent, belief in public service, belief in self-regulation, sense of calling to the field, and autonomy. (SB)

This analysis of the female/male wage gap in diverse countries looks at pay scales/job rates, average wage/salary rates, and average earnings in medical, public service, banking, and finance occupations. Explanations for differences and discussion of methodological issues are offered. (SK)

Examines gender-related nature of academic work, based on an international survey of college and university faculty. Describes commonalities for areas of discrimination among men and women faculty in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Mexico, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States. Focuses on working conditions, professional activities…

A study examined the knowledge and job skills required of persons employed in air pollution control-related occupations in Germany's public service sector. In all, 18 persons from 11 offices in 10 public institutions were interviewed. In seven cases, two people from the same institution (one performing managerial duties and the other directly…

A study examined the knowledge and job skills required of persons employed in air pollution control (APC)-related occupations in Italy's public service sector. First, Italian legislation on APC and the functions/powers of Italy's public agencies responsible for APC were reviewed. The organization/operation of the public structures involved in…

In Norway, there has been a change from net out-migration from rural areas to net in-migration since about 1970; however, this apparent change is a manifestation of changes in occupational patterns and characteristics of certain age groups. The rise in technical and professional occupations has been dramatic, and a particularly high proportion of…