bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Valuing values: reflections on a social value paradigm of educational computing
Authors: Russell Glen
Published: October 2006

The technical capabilities and educational potential of computers have increased in recent years. The advent of technologies such as CD‐ROM may exacerbate an existing trend in the use of computers in education whereby values are transmitted to students without educators fully understanding the process. The implications of CD‐ROM technology for the teaching of implicit and explicit values are discussed, and a social value paradigm is proposed as a partial answer to the problem.
Designing instructional text for older readers: a literature review
Authors: Hartley James
Published: October 2006

This paper addresses the question of whether or not we need to design text differently for older readers. Research with relatively simple text indicates that there is little firm evidence to suggest that making design changes for older readers (except for increasing type‐sizes) facilitates their performance. However, some research with more complex text settings suggest that changes made to facilitate the understanding of complex text actually appear to hinder older readers. These findings suggest that older readers should play a part in the user‐testing stage of the development of instructional text.
Investigating the cognitive structure of students studying quantum theory in an open university history of science course: a pilot study
Authors: Lawless Clive
Published: October 2006

Concept maps have been used to present information and to facilitate learning by students constructing their own maps, but there have been few studies on concept maps as a tool for research into the nature of student learning and the evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching. In setting concept mapping exercises two main issues have been identified, the framework in which students construct their maps (ie the instructions and assistance provided) and procedures for analyzing complete maps. Students taking a history course at a distance, generated concept maps after studying an introductory teaching unit on quantum mechanics. Analysis of the maps and comparison with the unit authors’map showed students’failure to identify‘radiation’as a central concept and to make links between concepts considered essential by the authors. Inspection of the teaching material indicated that‘radiation’as a central concept was implicit rather than directly explained. Analysis of students’descriptions of relationships between concepts identified different levels of description, with a group of students consistently responding at higher level than the rest of the sample. The study confirmed the usefulness of concept maps as a tool for research and evaluation and their potential for development as qualitative measures of learning.
Enhancing educational software with audio: assigning structural and functional attributes from the SSF model
Authors: Mann Bruce
Published: October 2006

Forty‐five years of intuitive combinations of audio‐visual information have produced only mixed results. This paper proposes a conceptual, case‐based method for adding audio to software. This method, unlike the intuitive approach, requires the researcher to assign structural and functional attributes from the SSF Model to specific software activities.
PROFIL: a method for the development of multimedia courseware
Authors: Koper Rob
Published: October 2006

This article describes a dedicated method for the design of multimedia courseware, called PROFIL. The method integrates instructional design methods and techniques with software engineering methods and techniques. Furthermore it integrates media selection in the design methodology and it takes account of the design of courses of which courseware is a only a part. A program is designed and produced in six phases (preliminary investigation, definition, script, technical realisation, implementation and exploitation).‘The essence of the method is that a distinction is made between functional objects and the implementation of the functional objects in the available media, and that the same design process is repeated at different aggregation levels.
Multimedia and the changing experience of the learner
Authors: Laurillard Diana
Published: October 2006

This paper argues for a pedagogical analysis of what the new multimedia systems can offer that will impose on them a more ambitious objective than they currently have. It begins by summarising a framework for analysing educational media, in terms of how well they each support the teaching‐learning process. The different types of media are then related to different ‘modes’ of learning: via the narrative media which support learning through acquisition, the discursive media which support learning through discussion, the interactive media, which support learning by discovery, and adaptive media which can be used to support ‘guided discovery’. Multimedia is sometimes seen as a way of re‐purposing material originally developed for narrative media. Because it can be (even should be) an adaptive medium, this requires the learning objectives to be re‐constructed if the new medium is to achieve its pedagogical potential and offer a new kind of learning experience to students.
Teaching and learning online: a correspondence education for the 21st century?
Authors: Rowntree Derek
Published: October 2006

In this paper, the author reflects on his first experience of tutoring on an online course. He compares online courses with their classroom and distance learning equivalents, from the point of view of both tutors and learners. This leads to a consideration of the multiple roles of the online tutor and how they can be acquired. The paper ends with an appraisal of some of the risks and drawbacks of online courses.
Research mentor: a tool to aid in the training of scientific investigators
Authors: Weiner David , Weiner Judith
Published: October 2006

We describe an intelligent mentor for teaching the ability to think scientifically. The student is given an arbitrary starting place in the matrix of knowledge surrounding an area of biomedical research. He/she then proposes hypotheses and supporting experiments which are checked against the knowledge base for agreement, consistency or contradiction. Agreement or consistency results in the report of successful experiments, thus advancing the student's “state‐of‐the‐art.” Contradiction results in failure of the experiment to support the hypothesis. In either case, a new hypothesis can then be proposed and tested, each step being potentially contingent on results of the last.

The knowledge base upon which the system operates is a frame‐based implementation of the Biomatrix, augmented with pointers to literature citations. Each object (hypotheses, experiments, cells, animals, etc.) is described in terms of its properties and its relations to other objects. Thus, the matrix is represented as a semantic network. Other objects create the relations among the hypotheses, subhypotheses, experiments and other parts of the knowledge base.

This system provides experiential learning at a rate determined by the student, while saving costly resources.
The use of computers in sports science
Authors: Sharp Bob
Published: October 2006

A survey of UK sports scientists was carried out to identify the extent and nature of uses for computers, it was found that over 40% of those surveyed use computers for teaching and research. Whilst a number of areas were shown to be amenable to computer application, exercise science was the most common. Generally the software was considered to be robust, flexible and of great value. Approximately two thirds of all software was commercial in origin. Many people were unsure about licence agreements and copyright but all expressed a keen desire for better communication between users and a greater sharing of information.
Information access and retrieval with hypermedia information systems
Authors: Oliver Ron , Oliver Helen
Published: October 2006

Students' success with interactive information systems (IIS) such as those found in many CD‐ROM applications depends to large degree on their capacity accurately to choose and apply search strategies in response to information needs. IIS systems provide many ways to retrieve information, with some methods being more efficient and effective than others. The purpose of this study was to investigate the search strategies employed by novice users of an IIS system and to analyse the problems and issues that were impediments to successful use. A class of 12 year old students was instructed in the use of an electronic encyclopaedia. The students used the encyclopaedia as an information source for individual projects and on completion their information skills tested and analysed. The study found that students tended to employ inefficient search strategies and experienced difficulty in creating search requests for information related problems.
The use of electronic mail in undergraduate teaching
Authors: Pitt Martin
Published: October 2006

An introductory computing course is described in which the students were required to register their presence and submit assignments by electronic mail. This was found to have advantages in improving class discipline without a schoolroom atmosphere. Returning assignments by electronic mail was found to be an effective method of giving individual help to those who needed it most, and individual student misconceptions could be more easily detected.
The relationship between personality and attitudes towards computers: an investigation among female undergraduate students in Israel
Authors: Francis Leslie , Katz Yaacov , Evans Thomas
Published: October 2006

The relationships between computer‐related attitudes and the Eysenckian personality dimensions of extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism are explored among a sample of 298 female students in Israel. The data demonstrate that more positive attitudes towards computers are associated with higher scores on the psychoticism scale and lower scores on the extraversion scale. There is no significant relationship between attitudes towards computers and scores on the neuroticism scale
The cognitive impact of multimedia simulations on 14 year old students
Authors: Yildiz Rauf , Atkins Madeleine
Published: October 2006

The study investigated the cognitive impact of three different types of multimedia simulation (physical, procedural and process) for teaching the concept of energy to 14 year old students. A six cell design was used to control for gender and for three levels of prior achievement within a random sample of 36 students for each simulation. Pre and post‐tests were administered. The results showed a significant, consistent cognitive gain for the physical simulation ‐ a surrogate exploration of how electricity is made in a power station. Results for the procedural and process simulations revealed a more complex and varied pattern of interaction between type of simulation and student characteristics which can be linked to specific design features.
Technology refusal: Rationalising the failure of student and beginning teachers to use computers
Authors: Wild Martyn
Published: October 2006

Research findings in the area of information technology in teacher education (ITTE) appear to be consistent, suggesting that information technology (IT) is still significantly under‐used by pre‐service teachers, particularly on teaching practice, and by beginning teachers. Investigations that have attempted to attribute the reasons for this have largely addressed students' development of attitudes to IT and their relative success in acquiring IT skills and knowledge. This paper takes a different approach and attempts to rationalise the apparent failure of IT education in pre‐service courses in terms of the individual. More particularly, it offers a conceptual framework for investigating and analysing the failure of IT education, particularly at pre‐service level, suggesting that IT outcomes are likely to be diverse and variable for any one student‐teacher population: and that these outcomes need to be considered in the context of individual students' constructions of IT meaning.
Curricula and the use of ICT in education: Two worlds apart?
Authors: Tondeur Jo , Van Braak Johan , Valcke Martin
Published: October 2006

In many countries, information and communication technology (ICT) has a clear impact on the development of educational curricula. In Flanders, the education government has identified and defined a framework of ICT competencies for expected outcomes, related to knowledge, skills and attitudes that pupils are expected to achieve at the end of primary school. However, it has never been examined whether teachers are using ICT in accordance with the competencies proposed by the Flemish government. In order to answer this question, a survey was conducted among 570 respondents in a stratified sample of 53 primary schools. Results show that teachers mainly focus on the development of technical ICT skills, whereas the ICT curriculum centres on the integrated use of ICT within the learning and teaching process. This indicates the existence of a gap between the proposed and the implemented curriculum for ICT. The paper concludes with the potential value of a school‐based ICT curriculum that ‘translates’ the national ICT‐related curriculum into an ICT plan as part of the overall school policy.
Business Troubles in the Republic of Ireland
Authors: Clarke Peter J. , Tierney Elizabeth P.
Published: October 2006

Perspectives on recent business scandals and the current debate.
Loyalty as an Organisational Virtue
Authors: Warren Richard C.
Published: October 2006

Loyalty, commitment and self‐interest explored in Japanese and Western companies. The author is Principal Lecturer in the Department of Business Studies at Manchester Polytechnic.
Countering Employee Crime
Authors: Carmichael Sheena
Published: October 2006

Theft, grievances and absenteeism show the need to examine mutual loyalty and establish a‘win‐win’policy.
Applying Ethics to the Tourism Industry
Authors: Wheeler Marion
Published: October 2006

The world's largest industry has received little ethical attention, yet it raises questions of consumer fairness, marketing and environmental and cultural integrity. The author has recently gained an MSc in Tourism Studies from the University of Surrey, and is currently working as an independent consultant in the tourism and leisure sector.
Whistleblowing Auditors ‐ the Ultimate Oxymoron?
Authors: Vinten Gerald
Published: October 2006

The traditional wisdom that auditor whistleblowing is disloyal and unprofessional is under pressure in the light of public concern and the public interest, but professional support is not keeping up and more European research is needed. The author is Whitbread Professor of Business Policy at Luton University College of Higher Education, and editor of Managerial Auditing Journal.
Book Review: Bridging the Gap Between Values and Reality
Authors: Van Luijk Henk J.L.
Published: October 2006

John Donaldson, Business Ethics. A European Casebook, Academic Press, 1992, pp. xxvi + 293, pb, £14.94, ISBN: 0 12 220543X.
FOCUS: Risks in Business Ethics and Venture Capital
Authors: Fassin Yves
Published: October 2006

By creating new ventures and new job opportunities venture capital is essential to a dynamic economy. But it should also be fair and ethical at every stage. Professor Fassin explores the various ethical issues which arise between venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and investors. He teaches at the University of Mons (FUCAM) and has written widely on management. From 1988‐1991 he was Secretary General of the European Venture Capital Association. He is partner of the Veerick School of Management of the University of Ghent.
Around Europe: Bulgaria in a Time of Change
Authors: Tepsiev Zlatin
Published: October 2006

In the process of recovering a noble commercial past, Bulgaria has serious problems to deal with. The author is Director General of the Bulgarian State Institute of Marketing and Management in Sofia.
BUSINESS ETHICS IN RUSSIA: Business Ethics in the New Russia: A Report
Authors: Dunfee Thomas W.
Published: October 2006

Last June, Moscow was the setting for a Russian‐sponsored conference on business ethics. One of the participants from the USA, Professor Thomas W. Dunfee, here gives his impressions of what was clearly an instructive occasion. Professor Dunfee is Kolodny Professor of Social Responsibility at the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania and is an international authority on business ethics.

“Older people have an ethics problem. By that, I mean they have ethics. To survive, I can break a law if I need to and if the risks aren't too large. Older people wouldn't even think in such a way.” Dimitri Zotov, explaining why young people are in high professional demand in the new Russia, Wall Street Journal, p.A5, Col.1, 8/2/93.

“Shell‐shocked men and women spend their days hacking through the post‐Soviet wilderness in search of a near‐mythical creature, an honest joint‐venture partner.” David Brooks, “Cracking That Post‐Soviet Market”, Wall Street Journal, editorial page, 8/24/93.
Now Read This: Recent Additions to the Business Ethics Library
Authors: Wille Edgar
Published: October 2006

Book publishers seem to have found a new niche judging by the number of review copies coming our way. This column just aims to give a line or two on some of them to help the reader decide whether to buy, borrow or leave it for now.
The City of London and the Manufacturing Industry
Authors: Davies Howard
Published: October 2006

Last October the Director‐General of the Confederation of British Industry delivered the annual Gresham Special Lecture in Gresham College in the City of London, in which he considered ways of developing a closer and potentially more fruitful relationship between the City and the UK manufacturing industry. The lecture is here reproduced with permission.
Ethical Guidelines for British Accountancy
Authors: Raven Walter
Published: October 2006

An initial review of the Draft Guidance produced in response to the Cadbury Report by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. The author is Principal Consultant, Corporate Social Responsibility Consultants, 86 Iffley Road, London W6 OPF.
FOCUS: Using Case Studies to Teach Ethical Business
Authors: Sheldrake John
Published: October 2006

Case studies invite students to share in an ethical dilemma and challenge them about their values. Dr Sheldrake is Reader in Modern History at London Guildhall University, Old Castle St., London E1 7NT. A version of his case study appeared in Sarah Vickerstaff (Ed.), 1992, Human Resource Management in Europe: Text and Cases, London: Chapman & Hall.
FOCUS on Business Change and Ethics*: The Ethics of Change Management: Manipulation or Participation?
Authors: Mayon‐White W. M.
Published: October 2006

Managerial effort has been moving from maintaining a “steady state” to wrestling with the challenge of continuing change and the ethical dilemmas which this can present. Is it possible to formulate an “ethics of change” to guide individuals in such circumstances? The author is a senior lecturer at Cranfield University, Bedford MK43 OAL, UK, and a visiting research associate at the London School of Economics. His principal interests concern the management of organisational change in settings where technology is either the key driver of change, or is the key enabler of some aspect of organisational or process redesign.
WINDOW ON EASTERN EUROPE: Ethical Perceptions of Polish Business Students
Authors: Ryan Leo V.
Published: October 2006

An experienced educationalist comments on the views of top Polish business students on ethics in public life, government and business in modern Poland. The author is Wicklander Professor of Professional Ethics at DePaul University, Chicago, and also served recently as Visiting Fulbright Professor at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland. He is currently President of the Society of Business Ethics in the USA.
Common Myths about Business Ethics: Perspectives from Hong Kong
Authors: McDonald Gael M.
Published: October 2006

Being clear about the nature and demands of business ethics, particularly in the context of Hong Kong, means dispelling a number of popular myths. The author is Associate Professor of Management at the Asia International Open University, Matheson Centre, 3 Matheson Street, Hong Kong. She is also an Associate Editor of this Review.
Who's Who in Business Ethics: A Profile of Richard T. De George
Authors: Freeman R. Edward , Calkins Martin
Published: October 2006

For more than thirty years the writings and influence of one man in particular have dominated and directed the field of modern business ethics. We are indebted to two of his fellow‐Americans for this portrait of Richard T. De George. R. Edward Freeman is the Elis and Signe Olsson Professor of Business Administration and Director of the Olsson Center for Ethics at The Darden School, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22906‐6550; and Martin Calkins, SJ, is a Research Assistant in the Olsson Center and a doctoral student in business ethics at the Darden School.
Book Review Should you be starting from here?
Authors: Chandler Sir Geoffrey
Published: October 2006

Elizabeth Vallance, Business ethics at work, Cambridge University Press, 1995, pp. xi + 191, £10.95, ISBN: 0 521 405688
FOCUS: Can Accountants Distinguish their Assets from their Morals?
Authors: Vyakarnam Shailendra , Srikanthan Sri , Fitzsimons Sharon
Published: October 2006

Can the use of focus groups be helpful to get to the roots of ethical issues in the accounting profession? The activities of one such group at Cranfield throws considerable light on the pressures to which individual accountants can be subjected. Professor Vyakarnam has recently been appointed to the Chair of Enterprise at Nottingham Trent University. Sri Srikanthan is Senior Lecturer in the Finance and Accounting Department at Cranfield University School of Management, where Sharon Fitzsimons is Research Officer in the Economics Group.
Unravelling the mystery of low Japanese profit rates
Authors: Odagiri Hiroyuki
Published: October 2006

Japanese companies have, it is claimed, pursued growth and market share at the expense of profitability and dividends–precisely those policies which those concerned with the “creation of shareholder value” would deplore. This paper shows that while operating profitability has indeed been lower in Japan than in the West, returns to shareholders have been higher. While part of the difference is explained by differences in business conventions, a gap remains. An examination of valuation and price‐earnings ratios suggests that the growth in the underlying value of the business has generally more than compensated for lower operating profits. Japanese experience suggests that excessive emphasis on “shareholder value” may not only damage the economy but may not be in the interest of shareholders themselves.
Assessing corporate performance
Authors: Davis Evan , Kay John
Published: October 2006

For those striving to create good companies it would at least be helpful to be able to identify them. While the very best companies usually perform well under any measure of corporate success, most conventional measures stack the odds in favour of certain companies over others. Capital intensity and gearing frequently interfere in the appropriate ranking of firms. This paper analyses some of the problems of commonly quoted performance indicators, and nominates an alternative.
Recent patterns of European merger activity
Authors: Geroski P A , Vlassopoulos A
Published: October 2006

In this paper, Paul Geroski and Anastassios Vlassopoulos review recent European merger activity in the light of 1992, and draw two major conclusions. First, cross‐border European mergers have increased over the last five years, adding up to nearly 30 per cent of the total number of mergers by European Community firms in 1988. Second, although the big British acquisitions are still taking place in America, UK firms have changed their behaviour in 1989, acquiring more European Community firms than American ones.
Brands as “separable assets”
Authors: Barwise Patrick , Higson Christopher , Likierman Andrew , Marsh Paul
Published: October 2006

What is a brand name worth, and how can it be valued? These questions have always been asked by company analysts and have recently also been the concern of accountants. In this contribution to the ‘brands debate’, Patrick Barwise and his co‐authors set out the current state of our knowledge on brands: do they last, are they stable and can their value be separated from those of other intangible assets? The authors have little doubt that brand names have an economic value, but find that attaching precise numbers to these valuations can be fraught with difficulties.
“When expertise becomes know‐how”: Technology management in financial services
Authors: Dyerson Romano , Roper Michael
Published: October 2006

Turning skills into competitive performance is a difficult, long term process. An understanding of the firm's business needs has to be married to technical skills. Yet technology is often treated in a cavalier fashion by firms. Successful management fosters organisational procedures which can co‐ordinate the incremental building of skills and experience with business need. This is “know‐how”.
Supplier strategy and customer responsiveness: Managing the links
Authors: Williamson Peter J.
Published: October 2006

Responsiveness to the customer is a fine ideal. Making it a reality is increasingly critical to gaining competitive advantage. In practice, it often means more variety at shorter notice. Faced with these challenges, companies must look to their suppliers for support. Instant market intelligence and flexible manufacturing are worth little if they face bottlenecks in getting the right supplies. Becoming customer responsive therefore starts with supplier strategy. Success requires better ways of managing the commercial links.
Sales and Service Strategy for the Single European Market
Authors: Williamson Peter J.
Published: October 2006

Having the right products alone will not be enough to ensure success in the Single Market. Winning new business will demand the capability to treat customers across a wide swathe of Europe as if they were just down the street. Former national firms need to reach out beyond their borders with sales and service strategies capable of combining pan‐European efficiency with adjustment to local needs. This requires new types of partnerships with established channels as well as increased investment in local sales, distribution and service subsidiaries. The rewards are both additional sales today and faster corporate learning about new markets which will bolster advantage tomorrow. Looking at established networks, it is clear that some companies are already well ahead in the race to establish cross‐border sales and service support. On average German firms also tend to be ahead of their British, French and Italian cousins. As Europe becomes the strategic market for more and more businesses there is no time to lose in closing this gap.
Corporate Strategy, Corporate Culture and Conversion; Adjustment in the Defence Industry
Authors: Smith Ron , Smith Dan
Published: October 2006

The recent decline in military demand has prompted calls for government aid to help the arms manufacturers convert to civil production. The authors examine the shock that UK defence firms faced, the constraints their defence culture imposed and how they responded. They conclude that while the market solution, closure of defence plants and redundancy, may appear wasteful, in the longer run it is likely to be more productive than trying to convert defence plants.
Permissive Marketing The Effect of The AIDS Crisis on Marketing Practices and Messages
Authors: Wilson Aubrey , West Christopher
Published: October 2006

In 1981, in a Harvard Business Review feature, we described a marketing condition which we called “unmentionability” and, through a series of case studies, showed how it could frustrate the marketing of a wide range of products and services, despite the fact that many of them need to be actively marketed. AIDS and the massive anti‐AIDS promotional campaigns that it spawned have dramaticaly accelerated the pace of change and created a new environment in which products, services, concepts and ideas that were previously regarded as unmentionable can now be marketed openly and explicitly. The marketing climate has changed profoundly and, although not always for the better, the added freedom and punch that the AIDS campaigns have engendered in the marketing world, have been eagerly accepted by those who feel it can enhance their marketing programmes.
The Structure of Strategy
Authors: Kay John
Published: October 2006

This article takes a view of strategy which disputes the common distinctions between formulation and implementation, and between programmed and adaptive strategies. It argues that corporate success derives from a competitive advantage which is based on distinctive capabilities, which is most often derived from the unique character of a firm's relationships with its suppliers, customers or employees, and which is precisely identified and applied to relevant markets. Strategy is that process.
The Merlin Factor: Leadership and Strategic Intent
Authors: Smith Charles E.
Published: October 2006

The principal impediment to changing an organization's strategic direction is its existing culture: that is, people's current beliefs about the limits of what is possible. Changing people's beliefs about the future can produce extraordinary improvements in quality management, technical innovation, customer service and profitability. This culture‐changing process of leadership through a radical strategic vision follows a pattern the author calls, ‘The Merlin Factor'. (The reference is to the legendary magician who ‘lived backward in time'.) The leadership tasks faced by executive‘Merlins'are: (1) Co‐Invention, (2) Engagement, and (3) Practice.
Implementing Strategic Intent: The Power of an Effective Business Management Process
Authors: Meekings Alan , Dransfield John , Goddard Jules
Published: October 2006

Today's managerial challenge is translating strategic intent into operational reality quickly enough to meet market needs. Business leaders already have access to a wealth of knowledge and experience in identifying strategic intent and developing market‐focused business strategies. And they face no shortage of too is and techniques for systematic business improvement ‐ Total Quality Management, Business Process Re‐engineering, Activity‐Based Management‐the list grows daily. In practice, however, most large organisations struggle to translate their strategic intent into operational reality with pace and vigour. What they typically lack is a systematic framework for identifying, cascading and delivering their strategic objectives. What today's business leaders need ‐ arguably more than anything else ‐ is an effective Business Management Process.
Small Firm Growth: Intentions, Implementation and Impediments
Authors: Hay Michael , Kamshad Kimya
Published: October 2006

Recent evidence suggests that many small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK experience difficulty growing from the start‐up phase into larger well established firms. This research uses survey data from UK instruments, printing and software SMEs to explore the attitudes of SME managers towards growth, to identify the strategies they pursue to achieve growth, and to establish the main factors they perceive to be limiting their growth. We find that although most managers profess to value growth and follow expansionary strategies, the main limits on the growth of SMEs are the intensity of competition stemming from the recession, and the inability or unwillingness of management to deal with the increased administrative burden arising from expansion.
Product Development Strategies in Emerging Markets: The Case of Personal Digital Assistants
Authors: Sakakibara Kiyonori , Lindholm Christian , Ainamo Antti
Published: October 2006

Are they palmtops? Are they calculators? Are they smart phones? Nobody yet knows what the dominant design concept will turn out to be for the supermachines currently referred to as “personal digital assistants” (PDAs). This article charts the development of PDAs, and draws general lessons on the best corporate strategies for developing products in emerging markets.
The White Stone: Six Choices
Authors: Handy Charles
Published: October 2006

What sort of jobs? What sort of companies? What sort of capitalism? What sort of society? What sort of education? What sort of life? Starting with mundane statistics of GDP growth and job creation, this article moves on to explore the relationship between business and some of the major issues of human life. It is based on a speech to London Business School Alumni.
Protecting Know‐How
Authors: Willman Paul
Published: October 2006

Corporate success is increasingly dependent on the technical and other know‐how that employees carry in their heads, consciously or sub‐consciously. Firms need to ensure that know‐how spreads amongst their staff, but without leaking to competitors. This article investigates ways in which types of employee are matched with types of know‐how, together with devices for know‐how retention.
Research Round‐up:
Authors: Earl Michael J
Published: October 2006

Focus on themes; evolutionary change; teamwork; education; eclectic use of methods; devolution of the IS function: fuzzy and and informal? Perhaps. But these are six features of the ‘organisational’ approach to information systems strategy preferred, on balance, by companies interviewed for the research summarised in this article.
Europe's Economic Malaise: a Problem of Competitiveness?
Authors: Sentance Andrew
Published: October 2006

Unemployment in the EU is double that in the USA and over three times the level in Japan. This article discusses whether it makes sense to think of this as a problem of lack of European competitiveness. It outlines the policies that European countries should pursue, both collectively and individually, to combat Europe's economic malaise.
Resolving International Conflict: Culture and Business Strategy
Authors: Trompenaars Fons
Published: October 2006

To minimise conflict between cultures, you must first analyse ‐ measure even ‐ the differences between them. That is the starting point for the third 1996 Stockton Lecture, reproduced here. The author identifies seven dimensions by which cultures can be distinguished from each otherwhich he defines as: Universalism versus Particularism; Collectivism versus Individualism; Affective versus Neutral relationships; Specificity versus Diffuseness; Achievement versus Ascription; Orientation towards Time; and Internal versus External Control. According to Dr Trompenaars, “Culture is the manner in which these dilemmas are reconciled, since every nation seeks a different and winding path to its own ideals of integrity.” Not only will conflict be reduced by this reconciliation, he argues, but businesses “will succeed to the extent that this reconciliation occurs.”
Do Hostile Takeovers Improve Performance?
Authors: Franks Julian , Mayer Colin
Published: October 2006

This article challenges the conventional wisdom that hostile takeovers ‐ or threats of them ‐ act as a discipline on managers of poorly performing firms. It raises two questions. If takeovers do not assist in the restructuring of poorly performing firms, then how is control exerted? And, conversely, if poor performance before the bid is not the main factor associated with hostile takeovers, what is? In a final section, the authors raise some policy issues which emerge from the long research programme summarised in the earlier part of the article.
The Effects of Audit Committees on Bankers’ Perceptions of Auditor Independence
Authors: Tsui Judy , Subramaniam Nava , Hoy Simon J.
Published: October 2006

Using 20 bankers as subjects, this exploratory study examined the effects of audit committees on bankers’ perceptions of auditor independence. Results reject the null hypothesis which suggest that bankers place more reliance on financial statements in considering loan applications given information on the presence of audit committees than given information on their absence. Those bankers given information on the presence of audit committees recommended a lower interest rate premium than those given information on the absence of audit committees. These findings suggest that bankers given information on the presence of audit committees perceived a lower loan risk as a result of a higher confidence in the auditor to maintain independence than those given information on the absence of audit committees. It can then be concluded that audit committees had a significant effect on bankers’ perceptions of auditor independence.
Self‐serving Behaviour Amongst Company Directors: An Australian Investigation
Authors: Steen Adam , Horrigan William
Published: October 2006

This study addresses the question of whether directors of publicly listed companies engage in self‐serving behaviour. Specifically, the enquiry considers whether directors in failing firms reduce personal shareholdings in their firms as failure approaches. The answer not only has implications for shareholders and regulators but has importance in terms of agency theory. While it appears that directors of failed firms do not hold fewer shares or reduce their shareholdings in their own firms, it seems that they do not increase their shareholdings as frequently as those in non‐failed firms.
Review Essay: Rethinking the Company
Authors: Clegg Stewart
Published: October 2006

Thomas Clarke and Elaine Monkhouse (eds), 1994 hardback, Rethinking the Company, London: Finance Times/Pitman Publishing.
Takeover Markets and Corporate Board Composition: Some further evidence
Authors: Arthur Neal , Taylor Stephen
Published: October 2006

There is evidence that corporate boards monitor and discipline managerial behaviour, a view also taken of an active market for corporate control. We investigate the extent to which board composition reflects restrictions on corporate control transactions, an outcome consistent with substitution between corporate governance mechanisms. In contrast to prior research, our results show that corporate boards are larger, and comprise a relatively higher proportion of outside directors when the firm is incorporated in a state with relatively restrictive takeover legislation. We interpret these findings as indicative of potential substitution among corporate governance mechanisms, an outcome often overlooked by advocates of “compulsory” board structures.
The Significance of Board Interlocks for Corporate Governance
Authors: Davis Gerald F.
Published: October 2006

Boards of directors of large American corporations are marked by a surprising degree of overlap in their memberships. The median Fortune 500 firm interlocked (shared directors) with seven other large firms during the mid‐1980s, although this prevalence dropped slightly by the mid‐1990s. In contrast to Japan, interlocks among American firms are rarely linked to banking relationships or vertical (buyer‐supplier) relationships; rather, they reflect the embeddedness of corporate governance in social structures (e.g., friendship or other ties). Recent empirical research has linked interlocks to almost every important aspect of corporate governance, from executive compensation to strategies for takeovers and defending against takeovers. These findings suggest that proposals for reforming boards of directors through changing incentive structures (e.g., paying directors in equity rather than cash) are likely to have little effect because they misconstrue the role of the board as a social institution.
Buy‐ins, Buy‐outs, Active Investors and Corporate Governance
Authors: Wright Mike , Thompson Steve , Robbie Ken
Published: October 2006

This paper examines corporate governance in management buy‐outs and buy‐ins and in particular considers the problems faced by venture capitalists as active investors. Evidence is presented based on large scale surveys and case studies. The study suggests the importance of achieving a balance between the independence of venture capitalists as monitors of management and the need for cooperation in their relationships with managers in buy‐outs and buy‐ins. The study also questions the adequacy with which financiers as active investors have taken account of the differing attributes of each type of transaction, particularly in relation to access to information and the roles of management. The costs of closely monitoring smaller investments may often exceed the benefits, which helps explain why the greater control found in buy‐ins is more likely to be indirect rather than greater board representation. The evidence suggests the need for a flexible approach to governance under which the forms adopted take account of the specific circumstances of a particular enterprise.
An Examination of Elements of the ALI Corporate Governance Project Report
Authors: Winfrey Frank L.
Published: October 2006

This note discusses a number of key issues developed by the Corporate Governance Project of the American Law Institute (ALI) and published in its report, The Principles of Corporate Governance: Analysis and Recommendations. This examination will focus on the socially and ethically important elements regarding the objective and conduct of the business corporation, and the twin fiduciary duties of care and fair dealing.
Tacit Knowledge: An Unspoken Key to Managerial Success
Authors: Sternberg Robert J. , Wagner Richard K.
Published: October 2006

The research literature indicates that IQ results and other scores from ability and achievement tests are poor predictors of managerial success. The authors found out that a better approach to predicting success is through identifying informally acquired skills which increase chances of recognition and advancement. This kind of tacit knowledge, they argue, can be made explicit, thereby permitting executives to make better use of their potential in fulfilling their managerial responsibilities.
How Businessmen Generate Ideas: Results of a European Survey and Comparison with a Japanese Poll
Authors: Geschka Horst , Mägdefrau Holger
Published: October 2006

The pressures for competitive advantage and continuous improvement mean that all companies need a flow of new ideas. A study across three European countries was carried out and related to a similar study in Japan. There were broad similarities: most ‘bright’ ideas occur out of work hours. However, cultural differences were found reflecting different national leisure and work patterns.
Serendipity: “Expect also the Unexpected”
Authors: VAN Andel Pek
Published: October 2006

Serendipity is defined as the art of discovering an unsought finding. Over a thousand examples have been collected and examined, including material from unpublished work by the American sociologist, Robert Merton. It is suggested that serendipity play a supporting but essential role in discoveries in science, technology, the arts and daily life. The phenomenon deserves more serious attention as it may offer prospects of unsought benefits in all these fields of endeavour.
Dynamics of Innovation: Understanding and Influencing Communication Behaviours
Authors: Kubeŝ Marián , Spillerová Dagmar
Published: October 2006

Studies of communication patterns in technical teams have confirmed the importance of three roles (critic, erudite and idea generator) identified in earlier Russian work. Interpersonal needs and innovation‐adaptation style preferences were also examined. The results demonstrate that the roles are taken up by team members with differing interpersonal needs and innovation‐adaptation biases. The authors suggest that greater attention to such factors will assist in the design and management of more effective scientific teams, and describe an easy‐to‐apply survey‐feedback method for facilitating team learning and development.
Improving the Capability of Organizations
Authors: Haynes M. , Stewart N.D.
Published: October 2006

The intention of this paper is to provide some guidance on developing organizational capability. It is written with practitioners in mind. It focuses on an approach which draws on systems thinking and which has been found helpful in improving the effectiveness of complex organizations. One particular case study is used to illustrate the methodologies involved. The material is taken from the study of an “environmental” organization, Ecochemical, described in some detail in the text.
Learning to Succeed: What European Firms Can Learn from Japanese Approaches to Strategic Alliances
Authors: Teramoto Yoshiya , Richter Frank‐Jurgen , Iwasaki Naoto
Published: October 2006

Japanese companies seem able to gain knowledge from their partners in more efficient ways than their European counterparts. Case examples are given in which the European firm, or the Japanese firm begins in the dominant knowhow position. Other examples of strategic alliances between Japanese small businesses are also cited. A learning model is advanced which illustrates the evolution of power through intra‐ and inter‐firm learning processes. An organizational capacity to enhance systemic learning seems to be the key to successful evolution of the firm.
Product Innovation: More Than Just Making a New Product*
Authors: Yang Elena Ai‐Yuan , Dougherty Deborah
Published: October 2006

Successful product innovation requires more than the management of technology; it also must address users’ problems and needs, how the product will be used, and for what purpose. Regarded in this way, a product innovative process is essentially a creative learning process. Based on in‐depth analysis of nine cases, we identify and discuss two learning themes: anchoring and intragroup coherence. The former concerns the what of a comprehensive product package, and the latter concerns the how of building a product team. Several principles supporting successful innovation have been identified.
Bridging the TQ/CI Gap: The Case of Lucas Car Diesel Systems, Sudbury
Authors: Harding Rebecca
Published: October 2006

This paper will focus on the link between organisational and individual learning in the Continuous Improvement (CI) process. It argues that the relationship between Total Quality management programmes and CI is best understood through a close examination of the management processes that capture individual and, hence, Organisation learning in order to ensure that small scale innovations can be sustained on a constant and company‐wide basis. Through a longitudinal case study of Lucas Car Diesel Systems, and supported by research carried out by the CIRCA project at the University of Brighton1, it looks at CI in three stages: before a decision is made to change the organisational structure, the “shock” stage that induces organisational change and the subsequent CI phase. It argues that a long term strategic goal of achieving CI is critical to engendering the necessary cultural changes that, in turn, are essential to creating an improvement based and innovative culture. The Lucas case study demonstrates that creating a pervasive CI ethos is fundamentally a question of managing small scale, sometimes non‐pecuniary, innovations. But, as the case shows, it can be done through the effective management of communications and employee involvement.
How Effective Innovative Companies Operate — Lessons from Japanese Strategy
Authors: Higgins James M.
Published: October 2006

Japan's economic miracle results from a combination of factors including governmental support for selected industries, labor factors, cultural factors, management factors, and corporate strategy. When corporate strategy is examined, it becomes clear that to Japanese firms, strategy is a market share game, with constant striving for lower costs and relative differentiation achieved largely through continuous improvement. At the core of this strategy are product and process innovation. This article describes the typical large‐ and medium‐sized Japanese firms' innovation strategies in terms of several decisions which taken together constitute innovation strategy.