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Purpose: There has been limited research on why football clubs contribute to charity. This paper examines how football clubs and their charitable conduits report information when discussing their connectedness. In addition, it explores reasons why, and the extent to which, football clubs support altruism via such charitable vehicles. Design/methodology/approach: Case studies of four major football teams (Manchester City/Manchester United in England and AC Milan/Inter Milan in Italy) are discussed, with formal reports of the clubs and their associated charitable conduits being analysed. Findings: Boundaries between the clubs and their charitable conduits are frequently blurred. Evidence suggests that acknowledging the co-existence of different factors may help to understand what is reported by these organisations and address some of the caveats in terms of autonomy and probity of their activities and reporting practices. Research limitations/implications: The research uses case studies of four major 'powerhouses' of the game and their associated charitable spinoffs. While this is innovative and novel, expanding the research to investigate more clubs and their charitable endeavours would allow greater generalisations. Practical implications: The study provides material that can be used to reflect on the very topical subject of 'sportswashing'. This has the potential to input to deliberations relating to the future governance of the game. Originality/value: The paper explores relationships between businesses and charities/nonprofits in a sector so far little investigated from a charitable accountability perspective. It suggests that motives for engaging in charitable activity and highlighting such engagement may extend beyond normal altruism or warm-glow emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a holistic model of customer retention incorporating service quality perceptions, price perceptions, customer indifference and inertia. Data from a large-scale postal survey of telephone users in England showed that perceptions of service quality have a direct linear relationship with customer retention even in mass services with low customer contact. Price perceptions and customer indifference too were found to have a direct linear effect on retention. Furthermore, it was also seen how both price perceptions and customer indifference moderated the relationship between service quality perceptions and customer retention. A linear relationship between inertia and customer retention was not found. Furthermore, there was evidence to indicate that inertia was a relatively unstable condition and that reliance by service providers on inertia to retain customers could indeed be a risky strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this commentary paper is to analyze the burst of joy experienced by global football fans when England lost the final match during the Euro 2020 against Italy. Design/methodology/approach: The author worked with netnography (Internet ethnography), gathering material from the internet. Findings: The author would consider the emotional explosion as a creative expression that was possible to happen through football. Football is not only a part of popular culture, it also creates it. It acted as a platform allowing for emotional engagement and covering different issues connected to global politics. Research limitations/implications: It is just a small study based on very limited material (Internet sources). However, it highlights every-day use of Internet and the possible amplification of certain sentiments if allowed. Practical implications: Methodologically, it shows how Internet sources might be used when connected to football. It also provides an insight how Internet users can exchange opinions using sports (e.g. football) as a background. Social implications: This text highlights that football can be used as a platform do express/discuss difficult issues and that average citizens can be heard just because the platform is football. Originality/value: To the author's knowledge there is no academic text with this issue in focus yet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper focusses on the role of trade unions in policy and practice designed to address the workplace impact of domestic abuse. The paper aims to examine this union remit through the lens of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Design/methodology/approach: In-depth interviews were conducted with 39 union representatives in a region of England to capture their views on and experiences of supporting members experiencing domestic abuse. Findings: There is a clear ethical model by which the unions might articulate the key moral, legal and business drivers in determining effective domestic abuse policy and practice. Furthermore, the degree of "proximity", in terms of union deliberation with employers and particularly joint action following disclosure, suggests that unions could play a key part in achieving "substantive" domestic abuse policy and practice within organisations. Originality/value: Despite unions' capacity to offer significant support to employers and employees, the role of unions in addressing the workplace impact of domestic abuse is under-researched. With reference to the concept of CSR, the article adds to the knowledge of how to address the workplace impact of domestic abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper examines the contested value of healthy life and wellbeing in a context of severe austerity, exploring how the value of "Public Health" is constructed through and with material-discursive practices and accounting representations. It seeks to explore the political and ethical implications of constructing the valuable through a shared consensus over the "facts" when addressing complex, multi-agency problems with long time horizons and outcomes that are not always easily quantifiable. Design/methodology/approach: The theorisation, drawing on science and technology studies (STS) scholars and Karen Barad's (2007) agential realism, opens up the analysis to the performativity of both material and discursive practices in the period following a major re-organisation of activity. The study investigates two case authorities in England and the national regulator through interviews, observations and documentary analysis. Findings: The paper demonstrates the deeply ethical and political entanglements of accounting representations as objectivity, consensus and collective action are constructed and resisted in practice. It goes on to demonstrate the practical challenges of constructing "alternative accounts" and "intelligent accountabilities" through times of austerity towards a shared sense of public value and suggests austerity measures make such aims both more challenging and all the more essential. Originality/value: Few studies in the accounting literature have explored the full complexity of valuation practices in non-market settings, particularly in a public sector context; this paper, therefore, extends familiar conceptual vocabulary of STS inspired research to further explore how value(s), ethics and identity all play a crucial role in making things valuable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper considers the accounting and accountability practices of the UK government's response to COVID-19 for England, focussing on the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a close reading of the news media and official reports from government departments, Parliament select committees and the National Audit Office, among others, this paper frames the UK government's uses of accounting and accountability in its response to COVID-19. This is by using the categories of "apparatuses of security", Foucault's schematic of government for economising on the uses of state power. Findings: The paper shows that an important role for accounting is in the process of enabling the government to gauge the extent of the crisis and produce calculations to underpin its response, what Foucault called "normalisation". This role was unlike statistics and economics. The government relied most on monthly statistical reporting and budgeting flexibilities. By contrast, the multi-year Spending Review and financial reporting were not timely enough. That said, financial reporting fed into financial sustainability projections and enabled audit that could provide potential accountability regarding regularity, probity, value for money and fairness. The authors' findings suggest that, conceptually, accountability should be added to the object–subject element of Foucault's apparatuses of security because of its significance for governments' ability to pursue crisis objectives that require popular assent. Practical implications: In view of the ongoing uncertainty, with the crisis extending over longer budget and financial reporting periods, a Spending Review is becoming ever more necessary for better planning, without limiting, however, the budget flexibilities that have proven so useful for rapid government responses. Moreover, the government should continue its accounting reforms post COVID-19 so that improved accountability and audit can contribute to enhanced future financial resilience. Originality/value: This is the first paper to apply Foucault's notion of apparatuses of security to an analysis of government accounting and accountability practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper uses a Difference Approach and Bourdieu's habitus theory to analyse the experiences of women working in the advertising industry with a particular focus on employee relations such as social interactions in advertising offices, banter and career barriers. Design/methodology/approach: Thirty-eight qualitative interviews were conducted with women from the advertising industry in England, exploring both the employee and managerial perspectives on social interactions. Women were asked about their office culture, including networking expectations, dress code, banter, social interactions and potential career barriers such as exclusion from business decisions and having to work harder to succeed. Thematic analysis has been used to analyse data. Findings: Thematic analysis revealed two themes, patriarchal culture in advertising offices and gendered social interactions and banter. Women believe they are excluded from business decisions and perceive career barriers in office culture grounded in masculine banter and masculine social interactions. Similar themes emerged regardless of women's length of experience or role within the organisation suggesting a problem with the masculine work culture in the advertising industry in England. Besides, women tend to prefer different social interactions to men, but find masculine interactions domineering advertising offices. Practical implications: Employers should consider implementing new internal policies on communication and behaviour in offices to create a more inclusive and respectful culture. More consciousness-raising is needed to make women aware that inequality is more than just a pay gap and glass ceiling, but also the structure of the organisation and the office culture. Social implications: The paper contributes towards a better understanding of the impact of social interactions in the office on the work culture with a case study from the advertising industry. The paper points towards differences in communication and social interactions between men and women and the fact the masculine form of social interactions and banter dominate advertising offices. Originality/value: To the best of author's knowledge, this is the first paper tackling office culture in the advertising industry in England using the Difference Approach and Bourdieu's habitus theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conference on Managing Advanced technology was held at the University of Warwick in January 1986. This article describes the background to the conference, the participants and who organised and sponsored it, The major themes that emerged from the conference are introduced: key papers from the conference are included in this issue of this journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper aims to present key insights for achieving a sustainable competitive advantage from implementing data analytics solutions and artificial intelligence (AI). Design/methodology/approach: This conceptual paper builds on prior empirical and conceptual research, and it offers anecdotal evidence from a best-practice case study of Liverpool Football Club. Findings: Beyond the well-known companies in profiting from AI, such as Amazon, this paper presents a surprising best-practice example for achieving a competitive advantage from combining data analytics and AI with human expertise. Liverpool Football Club is a leading soccer club from England, and it has experienced a major revival in terms of sporting success and financial performance in recent years. The club's emphasis on data analytics and AI only contributed to this impressive evolution when it was complemented with the emotional intelligence and people skills of its present manager Juergen Klopp. Along with new conceptual arguments, this example of integrated intelligence offers important insights for managers and executives in companies from many industries – far beyond sports management. Originality/value: The conceptual arguments and case example illustrate that the competitive benefits of implementing standardized AI solutions in an isolated way will often be relatively limited. Many AI solutions will be standardized in the near future, and they may easily be applied by many firms. Thus, even those companies that are considered as AI pioneers may not be able to sustain their competitive advantage unless they develop an integrated intelligence architecture, which combines human and AI. This integration of data analytics and AI with the human intelligence and expertise of a firm's employees offers the basis for a sustainable advantage because it is difficult to match for competitors. Thus, the paper offers new theoretical insights and direct managerial implications with regard to profiting from AI and data analytics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper examines the extent of bargaining concessions in recession through investigating the effects of union bargaining on pay, job security and workforce composition. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on an original survey (n = 400) of workplace level trade union bargaining units in England, the authors employed latent class analysis to establish three groups of bargaining units on the basis of pay outcomes achieved. Linear regression analysis with moderation effects investigated whether pay rises at or above inflation in conjunction with shifts in bargaining priorities was associated with decreases in perceived job security and changes in the composition of the workforce. Findings: Around a quarter of sampled units, concentrated mostly in decentralised bargaining units in the private sector, achieved pay rises at or above the inflation rate during an economic downturn. Pay rises at or above inflation in workplaces severely affected by recession triggered changes in bargaining priorities requiring some concessions, notably in terms of employees' job security. That said, across the sample, achieving pay rises was associated with improved perception of job security and lesser use of contingent labour. Originality/value: The findings uncover a subset of bargaining units able to secure positive outcomes for workers against a hostile economic tide, whilst demonstrating that concession bargaining is not inevitable but rather contingent on the micro-environments in which union bargaining takes place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper presents exploratory, empirical data from a three-year study of organizational culture in for-profit, employee-owned businesses within the UK, comparing ownership types (direct, trust, and cooperative). It outlines the study and then focuses on worker cooperatives. Culture is illuminated through the lens of performance and reward management. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative data was gathered from three worker cooperatives based in the North of England, using semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and document review and was compared to qualitative data collected from other types of employee-owned businesses. Findings: The findings suggest a distinct culture within worker cooperatives encompassing five key values: a whole life perspective, consistently shared values, self-ownership, self-control, and secure employment. Research limitations/implications: Additional time with each cooperative and a greater spread of cooperatives would be beneficial. The research was carried out during a period of organizational growth for the case organizations, which may influence attitudes to reward and retention management. Practical implications: The results inform recruitment and retention policy and practice within worker cooperatives and highlight concerns regarding the stresses of being a self-owner. These are important considerations for potential worker co-operatives alongside policy recommendations to advance employee ownership. Originality/value: A comparative analysis of culture, performance, and rewards across different employee ownership types has not been undertaken before. This addresses an under-researched area of employee ownership regarding HR practices. Within the UK, recent research on the culture(s) of worker cooperatives is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the role of local labour market conditions and pupil educational attainment as primary determinants of the post-compulsory schooling decision. Design/methodology/approach: Through the specification of a nested logit model, the restrictive independence of irrelevant alternatives (IIA) assumption inherent in the multinomial logit (MNL) model is relaxed across multiple unordered outcomes. Findings: The analysis shows that the factors influencing schooling decisions differ for males and females. For females, on average, the key drivers of the schooling decision are expected wage returns based on youth educational attainment, attitudes to school and parental aspirations, rather than local labour market conditions. For males, higher local unemployment rates encourage greater investment in education. Originality/value: The contribution of this paper to the existing literature is threefold. First, a nested logit model is proposed as an alternative to a MNL. The former can formally incorporate the structured and sequential decision-making process that youths may engage with in relation to the post-compulsory schooling decision, as well as relaxing the restrictive IIA assumption inherent in the MNL across multiple unordered outcomes, an issue the authors discuss in more detail in the Methodology section below. Second, the analysis is based on extremely rich socio-economic data from the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England, matched to local labour market data and administrative data from the National Pupil Database and Pupil Level Annual School Census, which provide a broad set of unusually high-quality measures of prior attainment. The authors argue that such high-quality data and an appropriate model specification allows identification of the determinants of the post-compulsory decision in a more detailed manner than many previous analyses. Third, the data have the scale necessary to consider whether the determinants of post-compulsory schooling decisions vary by gender, a particularly important issue given the differential education participation rates of males and females (e.g. in this cohort, females are about 10 percentage points more likely to go on to higher education in the UK than males), and the gendered choices of occupation (see, e.g. Bertrand, 2011). The work will, therefore, provide recent empirical evidence from England on gender differences in the determinants of education choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to address a gap in the comparative research literature on vocational education and training (VET) and skill formation systems. It examines the impact of international technical standardisation and regulation on the design, organisation and delivery of apprenticeships in the aeronautical and aerospace sectors in England and Germany. Design/methodology/approach: The research design was informed by insights from economics, workplace and work-based learning and comparative education. Academic experts in the fields of aerospace and aeronautical standardisation and regulation, VET, human resource development and business organisation were consulted. The generic occupation of "aircraft mechanic" was selected as being the closest match for comparison. Interviews and non-participant observation in workplaces and training centres were carried out involving three companies in England and four in Germany. Findings: Findings show that there is considerable convergence across the pedagogical approaches to apprenticeships in England and Germany related to fostering the capacity to take responsibility for the quality of one's work, to work in and lead teams, and to respond to and work with customers. Increasing international regulation and technical standardisation underpins a shared language about learning through practice in technologically advanced workplaces. Originality/value: This paper is original because it turns the lens of inquiry to workplace processes to reveal the level of convergence in training philosophies and practices in an internationally highly regulated sector. It shows how international technical standardisation and regulation is leading to pedagogical innovation. The findings have implications for VET and apprenticeship policy at the national and international level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the West Quay shopping centre development on the city of Southampton. Design/methodology/approach - The West Quay scheme parallels recent high-profile openings of "regional shopping centres" in city centre locations (e.g. Birmingham's Bullring and Reading's Oracle), and like those centres has had a significant impact on the image and external appeal of the city. Using a combination of material from personal interviews with key players in the Southampton retail scene, statistical data collected by Hammerson (the owners of West Quay), and city centre health check information, the paper offers an assessment of the impact of the regional in-town centre on Southampton more broadly and on the city centre specifically. Findings - Evidence suggests that the local effects of the centres opening have not been as detrimental as was feared and that West Quay appears to be generating considerable synergy with Southampton's existing city centre. In addition, there are a number of important developments in the pipeline that owe their raison d'être to West Quay. Research limitations/implications - The paper does not record the views of consumers and a future task must be to document and evaluate consumer's opinions of West Quay and incorporate these insights into future assessments of regional in-town centres. Originality/value - The paper provides a benchmark of "impacts" to date and a resource for other cities with similar in-town schemes moving forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper considers the nature and effect of accounting disturbances on organizational micro-practices in three secondary schools in England. A close application of a developed model of Habermasian colonization provides a framing for both the ways in which accounting is implicated in organizational change and the effect of accounting disturbances on organizational micro-practices. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative field studies at three secondary schools were used to gather empirical detail in the form of interview data and documentary evidence. A total of 24 semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers and bursars. Findings: Accounting disturbances that were constitutive-transactional in nature had the greatest influence on organizational micro-practices. Behavioural responses to accounting disturbances can be organizationally ambiguous, subtle and subject to change over time. Research limitations/implications: More field studies are needed, and there is scope to develop a longitudinal perspective to better understand the impact of accounting disturbances over time. Originality/value: By framing the processes of accounting change using a developed model of Habermasian colonization, contributions are provided by illuminating aspects of both the processes of accounting colonization and the impact of accounting on organizational micro-practices. The findings also add to prior appreciations of reciprocal colonization, creative transformation of accounting disturbances and how accounting can be enabling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Editorial. The International Journal of Operations & Production Management will move to a new office in England in July 2003. It publishes some 70 to 80 papers a year. In a significant number of cases, authors never come back with a revised paper. Like all journals, it relies heavily on reviewers but obtaining reviews is becoming more and more difficult. The journal would like to extend its wishes to John McHale, who has been managing editor at Emerald for several years. He is leaving for new pastures.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically reflect upon the use of the term accountability in the twenty-first century and its role in "remaking the world in favour of the most powerful" using the theories of Pierre Bourdieu and Jacques Lacan. Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines the notion of accountability by analyzing a case study of the hostile takeover of Manchester United Football Club by the Glazer family. The field of football presents an interesting arena in which to study accountability because of its extremely interested and active fans who search for information on every aspect of their clubs. Lacanian theory is drawn upon to add to understanding of the psychopathology which the demands for accountability and transparency place on individuals. Bourdieu's work on illusio is drawn upon to understand the motivations of the field of football. Findings – The paper finds that calls to "hold the most powerful to account" in practice lack political force. Thus the case study demonstrates the common (mis)recognition of the term of accountability. The ability to correct the abuses of the most powerful requires power. Originality/value – The conflation of Bourdieu and Lacan adds to understanding of accountability as an empty cipher with performative power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The aim of this paper is to move beyond the market/non-market divide and to recognise the plurality of labour practices in societies by adopting a variant of what Glucksmann calls "a total social organisation of labour" approach. Design/methodology/approach - To transcend the conventional depiction of separate market and non-market spheres, this paper adopts a total social organisation of labour approach which recognises a multiplicity of labour practices existing on a spectrum from market to non-market practices crosscut by another spectrum from wholly monetised to wholly non-monetised practices. This conceptual lens is employed to analyse the results of 861 face-to-face interviews on the labour practices used in affluent and deprived urban and rural English localities. Findings - The outcome is to reveal the multifarious labour practices in these English localities along with how both work cultures and the nature of individual labour practices vary socio-spatially. While affluent and rural populations draw more on an array of market-oriented and monetised labour practices, deprived populations and urban localities are found to rely more on a range of non-market and non-monetised labour practices, and all labour practices are more likely to be conducted out of necessity in deprived and urban populations and out of choice in affluent and rural populations. Research limitations/implications - The paper only provides a snapshot survey. It does not show the changes taking place over time. Practical implications - It reveals how it is mistaken to privilege the development of labour practices in the formal market economy and displays the feasibility of, and possibilities for, alternative futures beyond market hegemony. Originality/value - The paper transcends the market/non-market dualism and proposes an alternative conceptual framework to capture the multifarious labour practices in societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of the paper is to present the findings of a study of factory closure management. It details the sequence and the results of the key strategic manufacturing management decisions made from the time of the announcement of the plant closure to the cessation of operations. The paper also includes an analysis of the human resource management (HRM) actions taken during this same time period and their consequences upon all those involved in the closure management process. Design/methodology/approach - The case study methodology consisted of two initial site visits to monitor closure management effectiveness (adherence to plan and the types and frequency of closure management communications). During these visits, documentary evidence of the impact of the closure decision upon production performance was also collected (manufacturing output and quality performance data). Following plant closure, interviews were held with senior business, production and HRM managers and production personnel. A total of 12 interviews were carried out. Findings - The case study findings have informed the development of a conceptual model of facility closure management. Information obtained from the interviews suggests that the facility closure management process consists of five key management activities. The unexpected announcement of a factory closure can cause behavioural changes similar to those of bereavement, particularly by those employees who are its survivors. In addition, similar reactions to the closure announcement may be displayed by those who choose to remain employed by the factory owner throughout the phased closure of the plant. Originality/value - Facility closure management is an insufficiently researched strategic operations management activity. This paper details a recommended procedure for its management. A conceptual model has also been developed to illustrate the links between the key facility closure management tasks and the range of employee changes of behaviour that can be induced by their execution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse the current nature and content of biodiversity reporting practices adopted by English local councils. By adopting a multi-theoretical framework that relies on economic and social theories such as agency, stakeholder, legitimacy and institutional theories, this study also aims to investigate the factors that explain the extent of biodiversity disclosure provided by local councils. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a self-constructed disclosure index to analyse the biodiversity-related information published in the official websites of 351 English local councils. A multivariate analysis was conducted to analyse the association between local councils' characteristics and biodiversity disclosure. Findings: This study shows that the information disclosed on local biodiversity is limited and does not allow the interested stakeholders to get a comprehensive picture of the current status of local biodiversity. It also provides evidence that the level of biodiversity disclosure is significantly associated with the level of local council's population, the presence of councillors from environmentally oriented parties and environmental non-governmental organisations operating in the local council area, poor biodiversity management practices and local councils' visibility. Originality/value: This study is one of the few accounting studies that provides a comprehensive analysis of biodiversity disclosure by analysing its nature and content and investigating the factors associated with such disclosure. It extends agency, stakeholder, institutional and legitimacy theories, by showing that local councils use voluntary disclosures to satisfy the informational needs of the main stakeholders and to assure that their strategies and practices conform to the values and expectations of the community they represent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The aim of this paper is to examine the significance and the implications of efforts to institute workforce modernization within the police service in England and Wales. Design/methodology/approach - The approach taken uses an analysis of the modernization proposals advanced by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary as its starting point. Findings - The development of workforce modernization in the police service would appear to have eroded the hitherto "reform-resistant" nature of policing, however political factors continue to impede reform. Research limitations/implications - Although more evidence concerning the scale and the outcomes of the reform process would be desirable, the main implication of this paper is that workforce modernization in the police is viable, but constrained by political factors. Originality/value - Empirically, the paper focuses on developments in a sector--the police service--that has been neglected by the existing literature on workforce modernization; theoretically, it demonstrates the important influence often exercised by political contingencies over public sector workforce reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the development, role and management of quarters in UK cities. Design/methodology/approach - A case study based on Manchester's Northern Quarter, using secondary documentary materials and semi-structured interviews with urban managers and residents of the Quarter. Findings - The emergence of the Northern Quarter is a relatively recent phenomenon, with small scale cultural industries and artists moving into take advantage of cheap property following the collapse of the area's economic base in the 1970s. Its branding was a development of the 1990s, set within the wider context of the marketing of the city as a whole. The area has regenerated, but its idiosyncratic character is continuously under pressure from developers and the demands of corporate retailing/leisure, from which it needs to be protected as far as possible. It is not an appropriate area for a business improvement district, but rather needs treating as an eco-system and allowed to develop under its own momentum. Research limitations/implications - This is a single case study, which would merit duplication in other cities. Practical implications - The paper suggests that "real" quarters are essentially organic in their origins, and cannot be planned or managed in a top-down way. The serial replication of artificial quarters will not assist the differentiation of localities in increasingly competitive place markets. Originality/value - The paper will be of interest to students and practitioners of urban place management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of this paper is to examine a case study for increasing supply of, and demand for, healthier food in the metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, West Midlands, UK. Sandwell has a declining and ageing population. Levels of cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity are all high. These diseases should not just be regarded as medical problems with medical solutions. By considering both the built environment and the population's health the paper aims to demonstrate how local action is driving strategic food policy. Design/methodology/approach — Food mapping and children's food/obesity prevalence research provided the evidence base for a locally appropriate approach. From ongoing work generated by this evidence base, Sandwell's food policy has been developed to provide a focus and framework for action. This strategic approach has led to the development of neighbourhood renewal funded work "Eatwell in Sandwell". Findings — By working in partnership with the private sector, i.e. retail businesses and specialist consultants, it is shown that bridges can be built between public health and the private sector to the benefit of both. For some people living in neighbourhoods with poor or non-existent fresh produce provision, the Eatwell shops have brought about the regeneration of not just the shops, but also of the shopping habits that were previously difficult or impossible. It is suggested that food must regain its centrality to people's daily lives, not only to improve health, but also to ensure sustainable communities for the next generation. Originality/value — This paper is a useful source for researchers/students with interests in the topics of food poverty, public health and food retail access [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Social media has become an important part of daily interpersonal communication in contemporary society. The purpose of this paper is to explore the attitudes of UK consumers by identifying the hidden information in tweets, and provide a framework which can assist industry practitioners in managing social media data. Design/methodology/approach – Using a large-scale dataset of tweets relating to the Horsemeat scandal of 2013, a comprehensive data analysis framework, which comprises multidimensional scaling and sentiment analysis, alongside other methods, was applied to explore customers’ opinions. Findings – Making jokes in social media was a main trend in the tweets relating to Tesco during the Horsemeat scandal. Consumer sentiments were overall negative and burgers were the most mentioned product in the week-long period after the story broke. The posting of tweets was correlated with the timing of news coverage, which indicates that the traditional media is still crucial to public opinion formation. Practical implications – This paper presents a progressive tweet-mining framework that can serve as a tool for academia and practitioners in crisis management. The proposed framework indicates the significant importance of timely categorising the topics, identifying the sentiment of tweets and understanding the changes of consumer opinions over time in a crisis. Originality/value – The research presented in this paper is one of the limited social media research to focus on a UK food fraud issue and adds to the limited body of literature investigating consumer social media use from the side of industry practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the role of English newsbooks in the Civil War. The birth of the weekly newspaper in England came in 1622, with the publication of "The Weekly News" under the editorship of Nathaniel Butter. This was followed in the same year by "The London Weekly Courant," but both journals were poorly printed and carried little news of interest and importance. During the 1630s, Charles I managed the government of England through his Privy Council, without the aid of Parliament. The participation of Parliament was not, in the early seventeenth century, mandatory and precedents for a monarch ruling without one were manifold. However, the Parliaments of the period perceived themselves as essential to government--by Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth. London journals were generally printed on Mondays, though Wednesday's Mercury, was an exception; this enabled them to circulate through the city and be read there before being dispatched into the provinces in the Tuesday post. "Aulicus" was printed on a Sunday; this allowed time for the Oxford issues to reach London and likewise be sent out in the post to the counties.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on a qualitative study of the views of a cross-section of managers and union officials engaged in joint learning projects on the impact more generally on the employee relations climate in those organisations. Design/methodology/approach – Findings are based on an analysis of interview data incorporating the views and experiences of 32 union representatives and managers engaged in promoting learning in a number of case study projects in North West England. Findings – Findings suggest that union-led learning and development has a clear impact on pre-empting potential performance issues for individuals in terms of better equipping them with the skills to achieve expected performance levels, assisting individuals with managing work-related stress and also to prevent discrimination against workers. Collectively, the managing of downsizing in particular through union-led learning support to retrain in order to redeploy effected staff or better prepare them for new employment opportunities was also a significant finding. Research limitations/implications – The research suggests that successful union-management learning partnerships can also have a positive impact on managing conflict in those organisations. However, further research is needed to test these assertions in other union organised sectors. Practical implications – There are implications for management in recognising the "added value" that partnership working with their unions on learning can bring in terms of also both pre-empting and resolving individual and collective disputes in the workplace. Originality/value – The research is one of few studies that focuses on the link between promoting learning through union-management partnerships and managing conflict in organisations and offers a clear insight into how this can be achieved in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an introduction to articles published in the March 1989 issue of "The International Journal of Operations & Production Management." Inclusion of papers presented at a conference on Managing Advanced Technology, held at the University of Warwick, England, in this issue of the journal; Approaches to the estimation of safety stocks of components when a fixed volume of a family of products is involved; Statement that the journal will continue to report upon the implementation of theoretical concepts and their evaluation, with particular emphasis on the extent to which conclusions are generalisable.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of living wages on organisational pay systems.Design/methodology/approach The research draws on 23 semi-structured interviews with HR managers, trade union representatives, and politicians at four UK local government case study sites.Findings The findings suggest that living wages can have a positive impact on directly employed workers in cleaning, catering and care services, but the research also finds that the localised adoption of living wages can lead to significant wage compression, resulting in a broad band of “low skill-low wage jobs”.Originality/value The theoretical contribution is twofold. In-line with earlier research the “first-order” effects of living wages are clear: hourly wages for a large number of women in part-time roles increased sharply. However, this is only part of the story as “second-order” effects such as ripples and spill-overs are less extensive than suggested by other studies. This is due to the limited scope for trade unions to restore wage differentials through collective bargaining, the slow progress in extending the living wage to contracted staff, and parallel processes of downsizing and outsourcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The literature has hitherto neglected the influence of specific cities on the decision to work abroad, implicitly treating all locations within countries as similar. Using a boundaryless careers and expatriation perspective, the purpose of this paper is to investigate a range of specific motives that individuals have when working in London, the British capital. Design/methodology/approach – The results of semi-structured, in-depth interviews and a large-scale quantitative survey shed light on the relative importance of individual drives, career and development motivations, family and partner factors, organizational context, national and city-specific considerations to come to London. Findings – A range of London-specific attributes are identified and their importance assessed. A new framework of individual international mobility drivers is developed. Research limitations/implications – There is limited generalisability of findings of interview studies, especially as "white collar" workers and managers were interviewed. Theoretical contributions consist of the development of a framework for city attractiveness assessment and further insights into international mobility drivers and barriers. Practical implications – The findings reiterate the importance of individual preparation of international sojourns based on proactive location choice. They also inform city policy considerations and organizational strategies, policies and practices with respect to international mobility. Originality/value – The paper moves the literature on new international careers and global mobility to go beyond the organizational perspective to assess city attractiveness factors. The paper develops a framework for evaluating city attractiveness and assesses London's "pull factors". This results in major implications for public policy, organizational resourcing and individual decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the lack of knowledge of the accounting occupational group in England prior to the formation of professional accounting bodies. It aims to do so by focusing on attempts made by writing masters and accountants to establish a recognisable persona in the public domain, in England, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and to enhance that identity by behaving in a manner designed to persuade the public of the professionalism associated with themselves and their work. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based principally on the contents of early accounting treatises and secondary sources drawn from beyond the accounting literature. Notions of identity, credentialism and jurisdiction are employed to help understand and evaluate the occupational history of the writing master and accountant occupational group. Findings – Writing masters and accountants emerged as specialist pedagogues providing the expert business knowledge required in the counting houses of entities that flourished as the result of rapid commercial expansion during the early modern period. Their demise as an occupational group may be attributed to a range of factors, amongst which an emphasis on personal identity, the neglect of group identity and derogation of the writing craft were most important. Research limitations/implications – The paper highlights Early English Books Online (available at: http://eebo.chadwyck.com/home), Eighteenth Century Collections Online (available at: www.gale.cengage.com/DigitalCollections/products/ecco/index.htm) and the seventeenth and eighteenth century Burney Collection Newspapers as first class electronic resources now available for studying accounting history from the sixteenth century through to the eighteenth century. Originality/value – The paper advances knowledge of accounting history by: profiling commercial educators active in England in the early modern period; studying the devices they employed to achieve upward social and economic trajectory; explaining the failure of an embryonic professionalisation initiative; and demonstrating the contingent nature of the professionalisation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The main aims of this paper are to determine the extent to which experienced traders in investment banks based in London are learning by informal methods, which methods are to the fore, and whether HRD staff are providing support for informal learning. It also seeks to find evidence that such investment banks were attempting to become learning organisations. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical research was conducted involving in-depth semi-structured interviews with experienced traders, line managers of traders, and HRD professionals involved in the training of traders in London based investment banks. Findings – Most of the ongoing learning conducted by traders was informal, and on-the-job in nature. This informal learning was ad hoc, poorly recorded, and limited in scope. Support of line managers to learning by their subordinate traders was patchy, with little accountability. HRD professionals were almost entirely concerned with organising formal training courses, and had little knowledge of, or involvement with, informal learning by traders. There was very little evidence of investment banks striving to become learning organisations. Research limitations/implications – The research study was limited to those investment banks willing to take part in the study, and by the banks selecting those to be interviewed. Practical implications – Investment banks have become a powerful component of the UK economy, and the ways in which their traders learn, or could learn, effectively in terms of competence improvement is key to the performance of these banks. Originality/value – Informal learning by traders in investment banks in the UK has been little researched to date. This paper addresses this inadequacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to examine the Victorian attitude to the poor by focussing on the health care provided at a large provincial hospital, the Newcastle Infirmary. Design/methodology/approach - The archives of the Newcastle Infirmary are reviewed alongside the local trade directories. These primary sources are examined in conjunction with the writings of contemporary social theorists on poverty. Findings - At a time when poverty was seen as a sin, an act against God, it would be easy to assume that the Victorians faced no moral dilemma in dismissing the poor, particularly what were seen as the "undeserving poor", out of hand. Yet, the paper observes how accounting was used both to persuade the wealthier citizens to contribute funds and to enable the hospital to exercise compassion in treating paupers despite this being prohibited under the hospital's rules. Such a policy conflicted with the dominant utilitarian view of society, which emphasised the twin pillars of economic expediency and self-help. Research limitations/implications - More case studies are needed of other hospitals to ascertain how typical the Newcastle Infirmary was of the voluntary hospital sector as a whole. Originality/value - Although many histories of British hospitals exist and some have examined how accounting was used to manage within these institutions, the concern has not been with accounting as a moral practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The implementation of e-learning can help SMEs to develop skills to cope with their operational environments, but current literature suggests they are not effectively engaged, partly due to a lack of understanding and mistrust of vendors. This paper considers the potential for a more effective transfer of marketing knowledge to firms through e-!earning and e-collaboration frameworks. Design/methodology/approach - This research identifies the perceptions of SMEs towards e-learning and the propensity of managers to embrace technology-based training. It investigates SMEs preference for training delivery and the potential for an e-centric collaborative learning environment to support effective knowledge transfer. Findings - Organisations must be capable of learning from experiences and of disseminating learning, to respond to emerging market conditions. The research endorses the need for a focused approach to e-learning that facilitates social interaction and learning in order to harness the value of shared tacit knowledge. Research limitations/implications - The research sample was limited to 24 respondents from the West Midlands region. Practical implications - Support providers need to maximise their research effort in order to fully understand the social and cultural implications of e-collaboration. and offer effective solutions that will allow SMEs to manage and develop their tacit knowledge resources effectively. Originality/value - This paper identifies the need for e-learning solutions to be constructed to add value to the learning experience and to harness the potential for exploiting tacit knowledge in SMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper was to examine the effects of size, strategic orientation and market orientation on innovation. Design/methodology/approach - A mail survey was conducted on a random sample of 60 South Yorkshire non-high-tech small, medium-sized manufacturing enterprises. A hypothesised model, stating company size, strategic and market orientation affect innovation was tested using multiple linear regression analysis. Findings - The results confirm customer orientation has a positive effect on innovation at product, process and organisational level. While it was found size and strategic orientation have an effect on process innovation. Size also has an impact on strategic orientation and strategic orientation on market orientation. Overall, medium-sized firms are prospectors and small firms, defenders. Prospectors are customer focused while defenders are competitors and environmental/technology-led. Process innovation is important to defenders. The findings reiterate that customers are the drivers for organisational innovation; while firms' strategic orientation determines their market orientation. Originality/value - This paper addresses a gap in the literature by that showing size, strategic orientation and market orientation are interrelated and, that customer orientation has a direct impact on innovation the most. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose- The aim of this paper is to compare modern internal control systems with those in medieval England. Design/methodology/approach- This paper uses a modern referential framework (control environment, risk assessment, information and communication, monitoring and control activities) as a lens to investigate medieval internal controls used in the twelfth century royal exchequer and other medieval institutions. It draws upon an extensive range of primary materials. Findings - The paper demonstrates that most of the internal controls found today are present in medieval England. Stewardship and personal accountability are found to be the core elements of medieval internal control. The recent recognition of the need for the enhanced personal accountability of individuals is reminiscent of medieval thinking. Originality/value- It investigates internal controls in medieval England for the first time and draws comparisons to today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- There is a paucity of information on the characteristics and reasons for workers contacting the CAB with employment problems. This paper seeks to fill this gap in people's knowledge by providing a detailed profile of the employment and personal characteristics of Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB) clients. Design/methodology/approach -- A total of eight bureaux, from contrasting localities in Greater London, participated in the research. The data for this paper are derived predominantly from interviews with CAB clients and reinforced by quantitative data, which were also garnered. Findings -- It is argued that the use of the CAB, for employment advice, is rooted in a structural rather than an attitudinal explanation. Originality/value -- There is a growing recognition within the industrial relations literature of the increasing plurality of sources of representation available to workers. However, very little is known about those employees seeking advice and representation and the types of issues with which they approach bureaux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates the need to anticipate employers' future skills requirements, and shows how London Skills Forecasting Unit is addressing this problem. The paper first suggests that employers require advice and labour market intelligence in order to determine their skill requirements effectively, and to ensure their future competitiveness. It then shows that educational and training institutions also need to anticipate employers' requirements, and so supply side institutions also need to anticipate employers' skills demand Finally, some theoretical evidence for skills forecasting is presented together with some practical developments of forecasting techniques undertaken by the Unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the advent of the contract culture, the reduction in museum budgets, and the implementation of performance measures based on customer satisfaction management, museums have faced increasing pressure to attract wider audiences. This requires an understanding of visitor expectations, and experiences, of Siting a museum. However, for the most part, public museums have concentrated their research efforts into obtaining statistical data which measure through-put and provide demographic profiles, ignoring in the process the nature of the experience itself This paper looks at research derived primarily from academics working in the field of visitor studies. It outlines three approaches; the social, the cognitive, and the environmental perspective, which have been applied to studies of museum visitor behaviour. The paper then presents the findings from an observational study of visitors to a city museum. These findings are recast in the light of the three approaches described, in order to offer an integrated framework of customer behaviour which has implications for the management of the service encounter in museums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite the extensive stimulus–organism–response (SOR) literature, little attention has been paid to the role of marketing activity as a key environmental stimulus, and there is a dearth of research examining the interplay between emotions and cognition on consumer behaviour, as well as the sequential effects of emotions on cognition. To address these gaps, this study aims to develop a revised SOR model by incorporating Kahneman's fast and slow thinking theory to investigate the impulse buying of affordable luxury fashion (ALF). Design/methodology/approach: The authors use outlet stores at Bicester village (BV) in England as the research context for ALF shopping. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyse a survey sample of 633 consumers with a BV shopping experience. Findings: The authors find that impulse buying of ALF arises from the interplay of emotional and cognitive factors, as well as a sequential and dual process involving in-store stimuli affecting on-site emotion and in-store browsing. Research limitations/implications: This study reveals that brand connection has a significant and negative influence on the relationship between on-site emotion and in-store browsing, advancing the SOR paradigm and reflecting the interactive effect of human emotion and reasoning on the impulse buying of ALF items. Practical implications: Insights into consumers' impulse buying offer practical implications for luxury brand management, specifically for ALF outlet retailers and store managers. Originality/value: The results suggest a robust sequential effect of on-site emotion towards in-store browsing on impulse buying, providing updated empirical support for Kahneman's theory of System 1 and System 2 thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The section presents a report from the British Universities Industrial Relations Association Conference, held at Van Mildert College, Durham, England from July 2 to 4, 1983. The opening paper was by Robin Smith, from Durham University Business School, who gave his report on Industrial Relations in the North East. The evening session was given over to an outside speaker, Martin Adeney of the BBC, who talked about media coverage of industrial relations. Moreover, Roy Lewis, of the Industrial Relations Research Unit of ESRC at Warwick, England, discuss the right to associate. Roger Undy also tackled the need for, or position relating to, ballots for the election of union officers. Brian Towers and Mike Wright of Nottingham, England who reported on their research into the disclosure of information in general pay cases sent to arbitration. Andrew Thomson of Glasgow, Scotland presented his paper, Industrial Relations From the Aspect of Economics. Guy Routh of Sussex, England, concluded the conference with an assessment of economic theories in a paper entitled The Industrial Relations of Inflation and Unemployment. His research objective had been to determine the relationship between wages, prices and employment but sadly he was to conclude that this remained obscure.

Purpose: This study addresses a gap in evidence on small employer experiences of managing mental health problems in the workplace. The authors gathered first-hand experiences of small business managers to empirically investigate how the small business context affects the management and support of mental health problems in the workplace, and the practice implications that arise. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative interviews, combining semi-structured and narrative approaches, with 21 small business managers with experience of managing employees with mental health difficulties. The 21 managers recounted a total of 45 employee cases, which were analysed thematically, using a case-based matrix. Study participants were drawn from small businesses within England and Scotland (UK). Interviews were conducted between November 2019 and February 2020. Findings: Support aligned with current understanding of effective practice, yet was often informal, instinctive and flexible. Accommodating employees with mental health problems impacted the workload of managers and co-workers, and business operation and growth. Challenges and tensions reflected the difficult balancing act faced by managers in organisations of all sizes. However, the intensity and immediacy of cross-pressures was enhanced for small businesses, due to their smaller workforce and lack of dedicated Human Resource Management and occupational health expertise. Practical implications: Guidance should address the navigation of day-to-day management and support for employees with mental health difficulties, including approaches to balancing the needs of the wider workforce and business operation. Access to HR and occupational health expertise is valuable. Financial subsidies may be of lesser concern to small businesses. Originality/value: This study offers originality in focusing exclusively on small business managers with first-hand experience of supporting employees with mental health problems. Findings challenge the perception that small firms have unique experiences, whilst highlighting contextual features that exacerbate intensity and immediacy of impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to explore brand meaning from a consumer perspective, identifying tangible attributes and intangible associations and their arrangement in brand meaning frameworks. Previous literature has focused on brand meaning flowing from intangible associations, and new insights are offered into the tangible attributes' contribution to brand meaning. Design/methodology/approach: A phenomenological approach was adopted, and meanings were gathered from lived experiences with consumers of local food brands. Quasi-ethnographic methods were used, including accompanied shopping trips to food fairs and local farm shops, kitchen visits and in-depth interviews in and around the county of Dorset in the south-west of England. Findings: The findings demonstrate that tangible attributes have sensorial and functional brand meanings and are mentally processed. Both hierarchical and flatter patterned approaches are present when connecting attributes and associations. The hierarchical approach reflects both short and long laddering approaches; the flatter alternative offers an interwoven, patterned presentation. Research limitations/implications: This is a small in-depth study of local food brands, and the findings cannot be generalised across other brand categories. Practical implications: Local food brand practitioners can promote relevant sensorial (e.g. taste) and functional (e.g. animal welfare) attributes. These can be woven into appropriate intangible associations, creating producer stories to be communicated through their websites and social media campaigns. Originality/value: A revised brand meaning theoretical framework updates previous approaches and develops brand meaning theory. The study demonstrates that tangible attributes have meaning and hierarchical connections across tangible attributes, and intangible associations should not always be assumed. An additional patterned approach is present that weaves attributes and associations in a holistic, non-hierarchical way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate differences in decision-making processes between UK and non-UK managers in the defence manufacturing industry. Design/methodology/approach - A pilot study was conducted with a small number of firms in Yorkshire, UK. A large-scale survey was conducted of 250 firms in the UK. The response rate was 60 per cent. Findings - Decision making is kept team-orientated in larger firms with decision making autonomy in place for each team. The research demonstrates that leading firms drive best practice and best practice research disseminates globally through industry-academic collaboration. Practical implications - Alliances with leading firms will lead to the evolution of team-based, programme structured decision making in UK-non-UK strategic alliances. Originality/value - Global managers learn from the experiences of team-based programme structured decision makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The overall purpose of the paper is to understand the barriers to women's progression to senior positions in universities. It aims to explore similarities and differences between the career experiences and leadership styles of men and women in middle- and senior-level positions at one university. The ultimate aim is to identify interventions to help create a more equal gender balance at senior levels. Design/methodology/approach - A mixed methods approach was adopted. In-depth interviews were conducted with a quota sample of 53 men and women in order to explore their lived career experiences. In addition, 50 questionnaires were received from the same sample in order to compare factual data about the participants' life histories and biographical circumstances. Findings - The findings show that women's human capital and career progression to date are at least equal to those of men and that this has been achieved without women sacrificing a holistic family life. They also show that there are still some important differences between men and women in the way they plan and manage their careers and the leadership style that they adopt. Practical implications - A five-level framework is proposed which, sets down the types of intervention that are required to create a more equal gender balance in senior positions. It is argued that this should be used to shape the gender equality schemes developed in universities under the Gender Equality Duty. Originality/value - The paper provides new evidence about the residual differences between men's and women's career experiences, even in an employment context, which is particularly supportive of women. It also makes a significant contribution to the debate about the gendered nature of leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to conduct an exploratory analysis of low-income women consumers' consumption of low-involvement grocery products, and to explore the relevance of cognitive dissonance in this consumption. Design/methodology/approach -- One focus group discussion and 30 in-depth interviews are conducted with low-income women consumer at Salford area of the north-west of England to explore their salient beliefs, motivations, attitudes and behaviours in respect of their consumption of low-involvement grocery products. Findings -- Findings suggest that low-income women consumers engage in habitual purchasing and are not loyal to brands of grocery products. However, they often buy stores' own value-range brands as they believe that these products are similar to manufacturers' brands. They do not perceive price to be an indication of quality, rather they attribute basic differences between the stores' own value-range and manufacturers' brands as "expensive packaging" and the popularity of the brand name. Value for money is revealed as a key motivation underlying their purchasing of grocery products. Consequently, they are very sensitive to sales promotions and actively engage in making comparisons between the promotions in different stores within their locality. These confirm the incidence of cognitive dissonance in their consumption of these products. Originality/value -- This paper shows that generalisation in consumer behaviour without due reference to the contextual factors identified among low-income women consumers provides a limited understanding of their decision making and purchase behaviour. It also supplements the limited empirical information on low-income consumers, and consequently will be of interest to marketing practitioners, as it will reveal potential directions for low-involvement product strategies in respect of the low-income consumer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims on one hand to provide a comparison of mobile consumers' perceptions regarding privacy issues in three different national and cultural contexts (England, France and Romania), and on the other hand, to investigate the strategic approach taken by respondents for protecting their privacy. Design/methodology/approach - Both secondary and primary data are collected and analysed. Secondary data collection focuses on the topic of consumer privacy issues in mobile commerce. Primary data collection was realised between March-June 2008, when 300 mobile device users answered to a face-to-face questionnaire, in each of the three investigated countries. Findings - Both the country of origin and the personal profile of users, are influencing their perception regarding privacy threats in the mobile commerce environment, as well as the privacy protection strategy they adopt, Research limitations/implications - This study has an exploratory approach, the results being mostly descriptive. The findings can provide a useful insight for marketers, legislators and consumers regarding the privacy related concerns and behaviours in the mobile commerce environment. Originality/value - This study realises a multi-country comparative analysis regarding the perceptions of mobile device users, and investigates the influence of their profile on the personal privacy protection strategy adopted in the mobile commerce environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to argue that action learning (AL) may provide a means of successfully developing small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach -- The literature around SME learning suggests a number of processes are important for SME learning which similarity, it is argued, are encompassed in AL. AL may therefore offer a means of developing SME. This argument is then supported through the results of a longitudinal qualitative evaluation study conducted in the north-west of England, which involved the use of AL in 100 SMEs. Findings -- The paper finds that the discursive and critical reflection aspects of the set environment appeared to be of great utility and importance to the SMEs. Sets also had an optimum level of which helped them find "common ground". Once common ground was established set members often continued to network and form alliances outside of the set environment. SME owner-managers could discuss both personal and business. Finally, AL offered the opportunity to take time out of the business and "disengage" with the operational allowing them to become more strategic. Practical implications -- In this paper both the literature review and the results of the evaluation suggest AL may offer a means of engaging SMEs in training, which is relevant and useful to them. AL offers a way for policy makers and support agencies to get involved with SME management development while retaining context and naturalistic conditions. Originality/value -- This paper attempts to move beyond other articles which assess SME response to government initiatives, through examining the literature around SME learning and constructing a rationale which proposes that AL encompasses many of the learning processes suggested in the literature as effective for SME development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the evidence for trade union renewal in the UK fire service. Its aim is to consider two main questions: "How have union-management relations and the industrial relations climate been affected by management reforms?" and "To the extent that there is deterioration in the IR climate, has this had an effect on union leadership style and also on union commitment and participation amongst ordinary members?"
Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on interviews with managers and union representatives and a survey of firefighters in the north of England.
Findings - The research finds that a marked deterioration in the industrial relations climate led to changes in union leadership and to an increase in union commitment and participation amongst ordinary members. The poor climate created the conditions for union renewal by bringing forward union activists with more inclusive styles and by raising membership awareness of the need to vigorously defend their existing terms and conditions.
Research limitations/implications - There is a research gap in the industrial relations literature on how industrial relations climate impacts on the renewal of workplace trade unionism.
Originality/value - This paper helps to fill the research gap in the industrial relations literature on how industrial relations climate impacts on the renewal of workplace trade unionism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - At the time of the imminent implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995, Part III, this paper aims to raise awareness both amongst retail and marketing academics and practitioners of the opportunities and potential marketing benefits inherent in the implementation of the Act. Design/methodology/approach - A review of the UK disabled sector and the implications of DDA Stage III for retailers and service marketers is combined with an observational case study of shopping facilities for the mobility impaired shopper in a Manchester city centre and out-of-town location, complemented by interviews with Shopmobility representatives. Findings - Findings provide an observational insight into the status quo of the implementation of the Act. Questions are raised concerning potential retailer responses on a continuum between mere compliance and enthusiastic commitment to the enhancement of servicescapes to the benefit of all. The role of different stakeholders and the potential contribution to location marketing are discussed. Research limitations/implications - Insights are based on systematically gathered observational data representing one person's experience at one point in time and in a specific location, validated via key informant interviews with two representatives of Shopmobility services. They can therefore be seen as exploratory only. Furthermore the focus is on mobility impairment, which is only one of a wide range of disabilities. Practical implications - Implications for marketers include the need to move away from treating this market as separate from the mainstream and realize opportunities for enhancing servicescapes and retail offerings in ways which would benefit the wider population as well. Originality/value - Through its qualitative case study approach the paper represents a rich snapshot of the retail offering in two Manchester locations on the eve of the implementation of DDA Part III, as seen from the point of view of a scooter based shopper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper investigates the complex, and at times conflictual, relationship between education and work through an interrogation of employee led development (ELD) in two small medium enterprises. ELD refers to learning that is designed to develop the potential of employees rather than their job specific skills. The employer is responsible for bankrolling the particular learning programme followed by the learner, but it is the learner who decides what and how he or she wishes to study. The investigation was conducted by focusing on three key concepts that characterise the ELD model: those of mutuality, learning and change. The aim was to undertake a critical analysis of the extent to which these concepts truly capture the relationship between education and work in relation to ELD in practice. The view that learning is of mutual benefit to firms and theft employees is reflected in the pronouncements of managers at Research and Development Inc. (RDI) and the firm Autotrader. Evidence suggests that a common aim of the case study ELD schemes is the facilitation of change. At RDI this relates to a need to shift from an academic culture, and to encourage staff to respond to a more uncertain commercial environment. At Autotrader change relates to a need to adapt to new technology and deal with a changeable sales environment.