This book develops an informational theory to account for the coexistence of China’s exceptionally resilient authoritarianism and its high decentralization. The nuanced information contained in citizens’ complaints, which are filed through the petition system, helps to sustain China’s decentralized authoritarianism in three important ways. First, petitions help to alleviate the information asymmetry problem that arises when the central government has less information than lower level governments do. When studying citizens’ petitions, higher level governments can obtain valuable and accurate information about local officials’ performance in policy implementation, public goods provision, and corruption. Higher level governments need this information in order to effectively utilize the cadre management system to reward good performance and punish malpractice. The result of this interaction is the PRC’s relatively high quality of governance and effective control of local officials. There is also a second way in which citizens’ petitions help the government to overcome the dictator’s dilemma that arises when an authoritarian regime is uncertain about how much support it really enjoys among its citizens. Citizens’ specific grievances are revealed in these petitions and are mostly addressed in their beginning stages. When citizens’ complaints are rooted in central policy, they set the agenda for policy change in order to maintain social order. There is yet a third benefit conferred upon the PRC by the petition system. Thanks to the petition system, the central government can present itself as the ally of citizens when it addresses the matters raised by their petitions. As a result, the petition system grants the central government an opportunity to hold local officials accountable, scapegoat local authorities, divide citizens and local officials, and justly claim all the credit when its policies succeed. This helps to build citizens’ trust in their central government and reinforces its legitimacy in their eyes. In Huntington’s terms, the Chinese Communist Party institutionalizes mass support by addressing citizens’ grievances expressed through the channel of communication provided by the petition system. In this sense, the complaints of citizens can be very useful tools for regime maintenance. The author substantiates these points with case studies and statistical analysis.

A customer who complains is saying, "If only you will correct the situation, I will continue doing business with you." Seeing our organizations as our customers do is critical to achieving excellence. "Triple Customer Complaints" helps determine how customers define excellence and establishes quantifiable ways to improve processes in order to meet - and exceed - customer expectations. Written for executives and process owners facing the real-world challenge of creating and keeping customers, it shows readers: 1) How to walk in the customers' shoes to identify which quality and operational performance measures should be tracked. 2) How to define all aspects of a process as perceived by customers using a structured roadmap. 3) How to use process qualification to achieve early, measurable results. 4) How to create a complaint management system that vacuums up all valid customer complaints. 5) How to identify and map an organization's processes to ensure that the customer's point of view is primary.

The International Encyclopedia of Hospitality Management covers all of the relevant issues in the field of hospitality management from both a sectoral level: * Lodging * Restaurants * Clubs * Time-share * Conventions As well as a functional one: * Accounting & finance * Marketing * Human resources * Information technology * Facilities management Its unique user-friendly structure enables readers to find exactly the information they require at a glance; whether they require broad detail which takes a more cross-sectional view across each subject field, or more focussed information which looks closely at specific topics and issues within the hospitality industry today. Section Editors: Peter Harris - ACCOUNTING & FINANCE Oxford Brookes University, UK Zheng Gu - ACCOUNTING & FINANCE University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA Randall Upchurch - CLUB MANAGEMENT & TIMESHARE MANAGEMENT University of Central Florida, USA Patti Shock - EVENT MANAGEMENT University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA Deborah Breiter - EVENT MANAGEMENT University of Central Florida, USA David Stipanuk - FACILITIES MANAGEMENT Cornell University, USA Darren Lee-Ross - HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT James Cook University, Australia Gill Maxwell - HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT Caledonian Glasgow University, UK Dimitrios Buhalis - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY University of Surrey, UK Allan Stutts - LODGING MANAGEMENT American Intercontinental University, USA Stowe Shoemaker - MARKETING University of Houston, USA Linda Shea - MARKETING University of Massachusetts, USA Dennis Reynolds - RESTAURANTS & FOODSERVICE MANAGEMENT Washington State University, USA Arie Reichel - STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Ben-Gurion University, Israel

"Dental Practice Health Check" helps dental practice owners improve their business. It is concise, practical and ideal for day-to-day reference. Sound, evidence-based principles are offered to assist practice owners in becoming better people managers, drive revenue and profitability through marketing and customer service, and ensure the business has robust systems and procedures to support its operation. By encouraging practice owners to step back and review their current business practices, the book examines ways of making the dental business more rewarding in the long run - maximising opportunities, and supporting revenue and profitability."Dental Practice Health Check" is highly recommended for principal dentists and dental practice managers, including those undertaking training. Associate dentists interested in purchasing or starting their own practice will find the information enlightening, as will accountants and legal firms with dental clients, as well as banks and other financial institutions.

Originally published by Oxford in 1998, Psycho-Oncology was the first comprehensive text in the field and remains the gold standard today. Edited by a team of leading experts in psycho-oncology, spearheaded by Dr. Jimmie C. Holland, the founder of the field, the text reflects the interdisciplinary nature and global reach of this growing field. Thoroughly updated and developed in collaboration with the American Psychosocial Society and the International Psycho-oncology Society, the third edition is a current, comprehensive reference for psychiatrists, psychologists, oncologists, hospice workers, and social workers seeking to understand and manage the psychological issues involved in the care of persons with cancer and the psychological, social, and behavioral factors that contribute to cancer risk and survival. New to this edition are chapters on gender-based and geriatric issues and expanded coverage of underserved populations, community based programs, and caregiver training and education.

During the past few decades, the dramatic social changes with regard to our aging population and changes in the family unit have made both demographic and socioeconomic consequences, as well as an effect on matters of social policy. The prestigious editors, George L. Maddox and M. Powell Lawton, have assembled an impressive group of expert contributors whose chapters address topics from the latest theory and research findings to the changing balance of work and families, as well as patterns of kinship.