This paper traces the contribution of small firms after the Industrial Revolution and the reasons for the changing role of small firms. The first three sections outline perceptions of the role of small firms in the literature, summarise data quantifying their actual contribution to the UK...

Aggregated data are used to investigate participation in education and training, and it is found that it is appropriate to model the aggregate participation rates using a sequential choice model, whereby training choices are made ex-post by school-leavers. Both investment- side and...

"In the Budget and the supporting documents Gordon Brown and the Treasury reported that only 6% of estates pay Inheritance Tax and that the tax is a fair and targeted system. This article shows that for several reasons the tax affects far more than 6% of the community, is iniquitous and poorly...

We report how trade unions and employers initially reacted to the introduction of the statutory recognition procedure in the Employment Relations Act 1999 (ERA). Interview data indicate that the ERA and the drift of EU influence have acted to shift employer attitudes towards greater approval of...