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This paper proposes to explore the circumstances of the word management's entry into English usage, to deepen understanding of this neglected chapter in management history, and to urge further historical research into seminal management terms and concepts. It also aims to offer a brief explanation of John Florio's role in the introduction of management into English and of that of the Italian Renaissance's influence in England.

The paper's guiding theoretical premise is historian Daniel Rodgers' observation that concepts in government and business often pass from one country to another through “cross fertilization,” effected by the movements and offices of highly connected, cosmopolitan individuals. The sources for this exploration include Florio's World of Words, histories of Florio's circumstances and of the Italian Renaissance, and Evans' edition of La pratica della mercatura (ca 1340) by Francesco Balducci Pegolotti of the fourteenth century Florentine banking firm of Bardi.

The exploration's findings reinforce Rodgers's account of the spread of government and business concepts and rediscovers a vital link between business practice and humanistic studies.

Modern business education, e.g. in its frequent omission of a foreign language requirement in business college curricula, tends to obscure this linkage, now critical in our global economy. The implication is that this linkage should be revived.

Deeper knowledge of the Italian Renaissance roots of management and of the business practices it denoted brings new light to the interplay between humanistic studies associated with the Italian Renaissance and Renaissance business practices in an international context. Accordingly, the authors believe that this exploration turns a page, albeit the first page, of a neglected chapter in the history of management thought and practice.

Adaptability and integration (ADI) are the core ingredients for environmentally sustainable construction (ESC), which preserves the ecology from unsupported human activities. However, the approach is lagging in developing countries, which has led to studying the influence of ADI on the adaptive capacity of small- and medium-scale construction organisations.

The research employed a quantitative methodology, collecting 400 responses as a sample size. A construct of 14 influential factors concerning ADI within the Ghanaian small and medium-scale construction industry was developed. The data obtained from participants underwent analysis using SPSS version 26. The validity of the study’s findings was assessed by applying structural equation modelling (SEM) within the AMOS software.

It was evident that innovation advancement and ongoing training and evaluations significantly influence ADI for adaptive capacity. Moreover, the system internally and vulnerability (SIV) and perceived need for implementation (PNI) sub-scales were the main latent components for best construction practices.

Ghana’s small- and medium-scale construction organisations have yet to fully recognise the importance of ADI in enhancing adaptive capacity for the best ESC. However, the results indicated that ADI constructs will significantly influence implementation outcomes to ensure ESC.

The originality of this research also resides in identifying how ADI affect small- and medium-scale construction organisation’s ability to ensure ecologically sustainable building practices.