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Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

While car maker Saab may now be part of US giant GM, its marketers haven't forgotten its roots. “Born from jets” is a powerful advertising slogan for powerful cars. But closer scrutiny of the current relationships between aircraft and automobile engineering and development might tell a different story.

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to digest format.

Describes work carried out on a two‐year Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF)‐funded project of the constraints on freedom of dietary choice and their implications for the adoption and maintenance of healthy diets. Looks at whether there are differences in diet knowledge and preferences between people on different income levels.

Compared with the rest of the UK, the Scots have a particularly poor reputation for eating fruit and vegetables. The reasons for this are varied and thought to relate to climate, availability and poor quality, with the costs of these foods being a major barrier to dietary change. To examine this in further detail, a number of focus group discussions were carried out and key questions used in the monthly national Scottish Opinion Survey. Discusses the results, which showed that Scots are complacent about dietary change and the concept of “dietary moderation” provides good grounds for inaction. Quantitative guidelines such as the WHO (World Health Organization) recommendation to consume 400g (about five portions) of fruit and vegetables daily provide clear guidelines for dietary goals and allow diets to be planned on both on an individual and a catering level.

Scotland has a poor diet‐related health record and part of the drive to improve Scottish diet has focused attention on increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. Despite various attempts, consumption remains well below World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations. Consumer confusion and complacency towards diet are apparent and the relationship between knowledge about good diet and behaviour is unclear. Highlights the need to consider how consumers make choices. Diet and health are not regarded as a problem for the majority of Scots but the major barriers to increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables reflect the additional costs incurred and the somewhat limited role for these products in Scottish cuisine. Indicates that price incentives and emphasis on the healthy benefits of eating more fruit and vegetables appear to be the most likely to succeed in increasing consumption; but there appear to be more opportunities to increase fruit as opposed to vegetable consumption.

Spotlights the Toyota automobile company and its status as the third largest car producer, in addition to being the fifth largest industrial company in the world. Concentrates on the Japanese management system and its value and philosophy. Delves into the Toyota corporate structure and hiring process, stressing the ethics of the team as being the most important part of the process, with open communication, non‐monetary awards, and the pay/bonus system – which are allied to making the company more successful.

The lean production model does not say much about the shop‐floor implications for working practices and labour management relations — the assumption is that workers would prefer to be under a lean regime — or indeed how firms might begin to introduce new working practices (Womak et al 1990). On the other hand, many related studies have been critical of the model, noting for example work intensification, greater management control, and questioning the notion of multi‐skilling (Rehder 1989, 1990, Dankbaar 1988, Pollert 1988) and its applicability (Wood 1991). Using four European case studies in automotive presswork, this paper examines the introduction of new working practices on the shop‐floor, and the links between those practices and the introductions of new presswork technologies. Finally, we draw conclusions from the case studies with respect to our understanding of skill and the relationship between organisational and technological changes on the shop‐floor.

This paper seeks to examine how organizations can not only survive the effects of a downturn by taking a strategic approach, but also use this opportunity to emerge from uncertain times leaner, fitter and better able to adapt to new market conditions. The paper includes contributions from Mark Goodridge, CEO, Louise Earle, Jane‐Catherine Hartshorn, Martyn Sakol and Mike Thackray, all at ER Consultants, which specializes in organization behavior change.

Thie paper draws on research and the experience of ER Consultants in the field to examine how organizations can successfully deal with a downturn and positively approach a reorganization situation.

The secret is not to fall into the trap of knee‐jerk reorganization. Reorganization can be a wonderful way of creating an illusion of progress while producing only confusion, inefficiency and demoralization. This is not to deny that change is sometimes necessary – it is just that organizations need to be strategic and choose the right architecture. Successful reorganizations require trust that is built on respect and timely communication, as well as energized leaders and strategic responses that eliminate actions based on panic. Successful high performance organizations get through tough times by avoiding laying people off, cutting funding or reducing investment in core parts of the business unless it is absolutely necessary. Instead they are innovative about retaining talent in order to gain competitive advantage when market conditions improve and create an energizing environment.

In a credit crunch environment it can be all too easy for external factors and concerns to drain the positive energy that forms the powerhouse of a successful organization. As recent research has demonstrated, leadership energy can be directly linked to customer satisfaction, absenteeism, turnover, employee energy levels and, therefore, bottom‐line results. The ability to boost energy in the workplace provides significant competitive advantage by helping to retain and motivate staff.

Contrasts theories of the “Japanization” of British industry with empirical evidence from established car producers in that industry. Suggests that while the UK car industry has been heavily influenced by Japanese methods, established producers follow policies marked by indigenous influences rather than by any unmediated Japanese effect. Proceeds to explore relationships between processual change in plant‐level work organization and the overarching context of institutions and ideas. Investigates the relevance of the two major theoretical models of workplace change in the motor industry ‐ the “diffusion” and the “bolt‐on” models of change ‐ and their conflicting interpretations of the impact of the Japanese “lean production” approach. Compares models with case‐studies of changing work practices at Rover and Peugeot and suggests that neither model provides a satisfactory account of the patterns of change found. Develops instead a model of change which emphasizes the creative adaptation of production practices within the British context.

The article aims to report on research into managerial practices at the workplace level in Britain and Italy in the automobile and aerospace industries. These are examined with regard to their impact on employees' perceptions of skill, training and their relationship to participation. Are advocates of high performance work (HPW) accurate in arguing that it can satisfy aspirations for greater employee influence in contrast to lean working?

The methodology included questionnaires and interviews with employees and union officials in four companies – two in aerospace (one in Britain and one in Italy) and two in automotive final assembly (one in Britain and one in Italy).

One of the recurrent themes to emerge from the worker interviews was that the experience of increased effort was not an inevitable outcome of the shifts in the composition of skills and tasks, but rather, a function of the workers' loss of any semblance of control over their work routines and range of responsibilities. What is distinctive about this case study analysis is that despite obvious material differences between the labour processes and working conditions of highly qualified aerospace engineers employed in HPW environments and semi‐skilled car workers employed on lean assembly lines, in two different countries, similar patterns of degradation of work were obtained. That is, technological change, such as the computerisation of design and production processes, along with various manifestations of lean staffing policies were together generating task enlargement. In micro‐political environments marked by a skewed balance of power between labour and the employer in favour of the latter, workers' autonomy had declined as had their ability to maintain some control over the pace and intensity of work. This does not sit favourably with the assumptions of those who advocate the use of “high performance work systems”.

The paper offers an in‐depth cross national sectoral analysis of claims that so‐called HPW significantly enhances workers' experiences of the workplace in contrast to workers' experiences of lean working environments.