The politics of quantification
Article Abstract:
Ted Porter claims that quantification in the social sciences was effected by problems of trust that came from conflicts between politicians, social scientists, owners, managers and bureaucrats in the US, France and the UK. In his book 'Trust in Numbers,' Porter further proposes that quantification is a means to attaining trust either politically or within a profession. Case studies in the book state that organized social scientists were able to resist quantification by utilizing their expertise and using their connections to powerful political and economic elites while less organized social scientists had to quantify in response to external constituencies. 'Trust in Numbers,' although insightful, can be reinterpreted by adopting a more explicit view of how various problems of trust and forms of control are generated by the relations between economic and political elites.
Publication Name: Accounting, Organizations and Society
Subject: Business
ISSN: 0361-3682
Year: 1998
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Rationality, politics and healthcare costing
Article Abstract:
The product costing system of profit-oriented service organizations in the UK were compared with the non-price conscious National Health Service (NHS) to improve efficiency in the services provided by the NHS. Efforts to make the NHS more commercially-oriented, such as initiatives in management budgeting and resource management, will presumably force clinicians to modify costing systems towards improving cost management. However, unless real level NHS resources are improved, such initiatives cannot be rationalized because it will result in divergent taxpayer and patient interests.
Publication Name: Financial Accountability & Management
Subject: Business
ISSN: 0267-4424
Year: 1993
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The politics of business
Article Abstract:
The role of British politicians in business is examined in detail. The impact of having a British member of parliament as a member of a board of directors is assessed.
Publication Name: Investors Chronicle
Subject: Business
ISSN: 0261-3115
Year: 2001
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