High compensation contingent on organisational performance Extensive trainingReduction of status differences Sharing of information

Forty-nine patients with posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (4 patients had bilateral involvement) were treated with orthoses. Forty feet were treated with molded ankle-foot orthoses, and 13 feet were treated with University of California Biomechanics Laboratory shoe inserts with medial posting. A total of 37 women and 12 men were included in the study. The mean follow-up period was 20.3 months (range, 8-60 months). The average age of the patients was 66 years (range, 42-89 years). Sixty-seven percent of patients had good to excellent results, according to a functional scoring system based on pain, function, use of assistive device, distance of ambulation, and patient satisfaction. The average period of orthosis use was 14.9 months (range, 1.5-29 months), with an average length of daily orthosis wear of 12.3 hours. One patient elected to undergo surgical treatment rather than continuing with long-term orthosis use. Thirty-three percent of patients had discontinued using the orthosis at the time of follow-up evaluation. Three patients were unable to wear the orthosis because of concurrent medical conditions. Nine patients stopped wearing the orthosis after experiencing discomfort and inconvenience. Although these patients continued to exhibit signs and symptoms of posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, they were not disabled enough to consider further treatment. Four patients tolerated orthosis treatment poorly and were treated surgically. Patients with posterior tibial tendon dysfunction can be treated by aggressive nonoperative management using molded ankle-foot orthoses or University of California Biomechanics Laboratory shoe inserts with medial posting. Surgical treatment can be reserved for patients who fail to respond to an adequate trial of brace treatment. Nonoperative management using an orthosis is particularly useful for elderly patients with a sedentary lifestyle or for patients at high risk because of medical problems.

Attention has been drawn recently to the differences which exist between family and non‐family firms, but Ward indicates that there are different types of family firms. More specifically, as Dunn puts it, “in some families it is evident that the business serves the family, as opposed to the family serves the business”. For some families in business, economic rationality dominates decision making, yet for others a “family first” ethos is to the fore, while a third group recognises the need to respond to economic and family considerations. In this paper firms which pay attention to both family and business are not investigated. However, Ward’s model of the characteristics of family firms is discussed and data based on a Scottish and Irish sample of 234 firms which put family first when business and family objectives clash, and 830 firms which focus on business objectives, are presented. Results suggest that the former exhibit several of the characteristics defined by Ward. This suggests that a considerable number of family firms may be lifestyle – as opposed to growth‐oriented businesses. These results have major implications for policy makers. If a substantial number of family firms differ from rational economic ventures by their methods of operation, then policy makers should be flexible with regard to the methods of intervention required to support this important section of the SME community. Policy issues in connection with family firms in Britain are considered in the light of our findings.

Using the internet to collect qualitative data offers additional ways to gather qualitative data over traditional data collection methods. The use of alternative interview methods may encourage participation of vulnerable participants.

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