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Selecting which processes to improve plays a critical role in the first phase of the business process management lifecycle, but it is a step with known pitfalls. Decision-makers rely on subjective criteria and their knowledge of the alternative processes put forward for selection is often inconsistent. This leads to poor quality decision-making and wastes resources. The purpose of this paper is to examine the proposition that decision-makers armed with context-enriched criteria make more logical, better-quality decisions. The context in question is qualitative, sensitive to decision-making bias and politically charged.

We applied a design-science approach, engaging 70 industry decision-makers through a combination of research methods to assess how different contextual configurations, in a hypothetical scenario adapted from the Australian banking industry, influenced and ultimately improved the quality of the process selection step.

The study highlights the impact of framing effects on context, and the need to adapt framing to decision-maker behavior and provides five guidelines to improve process selection effectiveness.

Process selection research to date has largely focused on quantitative evaluation techniques, with little attention paid to the role of context and the behavioral interplay of decision-making styles in practice.

This case was developed from secondary sources such as industry reports, articles, news reports and social media sites.

This study offers a fresh perspective on leadership by exploring the nontraditional journey from human resources (HRs) positions to the esteemed chief executive officer (CEO) role. It highlights the transformation of HR from an administrative function to a strategic one. The study emphasizes the pivotal role of chief human resources officers (CHROs) in shaping company culture and ensuring employee satisfaction. It also delves into HR professionals’ unique skills and attributes to the CEO position, drawing examples from successful transitions such as Mary Barra at General Motors, Leena Nair at Chanel and Nigel Travis at Dunkin Donuts. The study addresses the growing trend in contemporary business discussions: the potential reshaping of the traditional CEO role by HR directors. It offers valuable insights for organizations looking to adapt to a rapidly evolving economic landscape by highlighting the synergy between CEO responsibilities and HR expertise.

This case is designed for undergraduates in various courses such as fundamentals of HR management, human capital management, strategic management, leadership development and career planning and management. It is appropriate for sections of the course focusing on managerial decisions and the changing role of HR managers. The case discussion is suitable for classes of 12–40 students and can be easily adapted for online courses using interactive discussion tools. Students are expected to read the case before participating in the discussion.

The purpose of this study is to explore the concept “the social creation of mental illness”, consider whether there is enough research evidence to support the thesis that mental illness can be socially caused, compare the social model to the medical model of the creation of mental illness and explore what may be necessary for the social causation model of mental health to be widely adopted and acted upon.

This study conducts a literature review seeking to identify the likely candidates for socially caused mental illness and explores whether there was research or other evidence for “the social creation of mental illness”.

Each area that was examined, from the literature, supported the notion of social factors being linked to, and predictive of, the social creation of mental illness; there appears to be a prima facie case for mental illness being predominantly socially created.

It is one thing to identify risk factors, links with and predictors of mental ill health. It is quite another to prove the chain of causality between particular types of social trauma and the emergence specific mental dysfunctions. In the same way that tobacco was widely known to be dangerous to physical health, yet it took decades to collate enough evidence to persuade physicians and politicians to act, it is likely that it will be some time before the causal link between social factors and emerging mental dysfunction can be demonstrated with enough rigour to encourage politicians and mental health professionals to act. This paper seeks to make a contribution to that process.

If social factors are found to be the primary creators of mental illness, then more appropriate methods of helping those afflicted can be developed.

Currently, the mental health system is based on the medical model. Vast and increasing resources are being allocated to mental health, yet the numbers of people disabled by mental health problems continues to increase. It appears that the medical model is false and failing. If the most common causes of mental ill health are social, then more appropriate help can be provided, and preventative measures can be developed.

By laying out some of the evidence that social factors are a primary predictor or cause of mental illness, it is hoped that future researchers can devise mechanisms to identify the causal route between various forms of social harm and the development of mental illness.

This paper aims to provide a living tribute to the leading autoethnographer, Alec Grant.

Alec provided Jerome with a list of names of people he might approach to write a tribute on his behalf.

The accounts describe the influence that Alec has had both as an educator and as a trusted colleague for the people approached.

While this is a living tribute, it is about one man and could, therefore, be described as a case study. Some people wonder what can be learned from a single case study. Read on and find out.

Alec has carved out a path for himself. In many senses, he chose “The Road Less Travelled”. He has never shied away from challenging “The System” and defending the rights of the marginalized and socially excluded. It is not a road for the faint-hearted.

For systems to change, radical thinkers need to show the way. “Change keeps us safe” (Stuart Bell).

Alec was a well-known and highly respected cognitive behavioural academic practitioner and the author of key textbooks in the field. He then decided to reinvent himself as an autoethnographer. This has brought him into contact with a much more diverse group of people. It has also brought him home to himself.