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Examines the disturbing facts as revealed by a programme of studies of directors and boards. Directorial qualities and competences are distinct from the skills that are sought in managers. Nine out of ten directors received no formal preparation for their boardroom appointments; there is little consensus concerning the contribution expected from members of boards; only one in eight boards operates any form of periodic and formal appraisal of personal effectiveness in the boardroom; and three‐quarters of chairmen believe the effectiveness of their companies′ boards could be improved. Examines the role of the board, what makes a “good” director, and what should be done to improve the competence of company directors and the effectiveness of boards. Argues that the distinction between direction and management needs to be better understood, and that the chairman should take responsibility for director competence and board effectiveness. All directors should be made aware of their duties and responsibilities, and the boardroom contributions of individual directors should be assessed annually by the chairman. The board should examine its own effectiveness at least once a year.

We review the state of the literature concerning work–family conflict in the military, focusing on service members’ parenting roles and overall family and child well-being. This includes recognition that for many women service members, parenting considerations often arise long before a child is born, thereby further complicating work–family conflict considerations in regard to gender-specific conflict factors such as pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and breastfeeding. Subsequently, we consider more gender-invariant conflict factors, such as the nature of the work itself as causing conflict for the service member as parent (e.g., nontraditional hours, long separations, and child care challenges) as well as for the child (e.g., irregular contact with parent, fear for parent’s safety, and frequent relocations), and the ramifications of such conflict on service member and child well-being. Finally, we review formalized support resources that are in place to mitigate negative effects of such conflict, and make recommendations to facilitate progress in research and practice moving forward.

Creating a more responsive organisation and securing flexible access to skill is becoming a critical success requirement. Large bureaucratic organisations are becoming aware of the vulnerability of size where it is not accompanied by responsiveness and flexibility. Skill shortages have become a limiting factor. People today have an unprecedented choice of for whom, how and where they work. There are many special human situations which can be addressed by a new pattern of work such as telecommuting. Organisations should not impose particular patterns of work on people. Instead, using information technology as appropriate, they should allow people to work in whatever ways best enable them to contribute. To do this may require a new approach to skill management strategy. The successful implementation of a new pattern of work such as telecommuting requires great care and an understanding of its distinctive features. Preparation for telecommuting should involve both the telecommuters themselves and those who manage them.