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An enterprise’s telecommunications network is central to successful development and implementation of corporate strategy in the single European market. Considers how and by whom this strategic resource should be managed. Highlights the corporate networking options: public networking, insourcing, outsourcing, market trends and the effects future regulation may have on the market.

This article examines the changing pattern for strategic deployment of broadband by BT. BT’s initial attempts to deploy the technology through its ISP failed due to key commercial and technological weaknesses. Thereafter BT shifted to a more strategically defensive strategy based on securing its position of dominance on the UK local access market. This strategy proved considerably more successful. This strategy to deploy a mass market broadband created an evident industrial/corporate strategy interface as BT’s corporate objectives aligned with public policy objectives of creating a universally accessible broadband product. The result of this interface has been to place BT at the heart of the “Broadband Britain” programme – a position that contravenes the original intentions of the UK Government.

The eEurope programme is the latest in a long line of initiatives that seek to accelerate the development of the European information economy. The core objective is to bring as many Europeans online as quickly as possible. The key to its success is in stimulating a mature information market, which in turn relies upon spreading electronic commerce throughout the EU’s socio‐economic body. However, agreement in this key area has been slow to emerge, restrained in part by cultural factors in the EU.

This paper seeks to extend the focus of positive psychology research to individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) to address an aspect of social exclusion experienced by this disadvantaged client group.

The article summarises and builds on the outcomes of an earlier subjective wellbeing in psychosis study and arrives at original implications to challenge socially exclusive assumptions about limited emotional capabilities of those with SMI. The authors make suggestions for enhancing the wellbeing of people with SMI from the perspective of social inclusion. Data were gathered through validated self‐report rating scales and analysed statistically.

The levels of subjective wellbeing within the sample were shown to approximate those established in the general population. Depression was demonstrated to mediate the effects that the experience of psychosis had on participants' life satisfaction. Psychosis did not appear to prevent individuals from experiencing happiness, although when associated with depression, life satisfaction was lowered.

Because of the focus on subjective aspects of wellbeing, external indicators of objective quality of life were not explored. Individual appraisals of experiences of psychosis were not investigated.

The study demonstrates that individuals with psychosis are capable of experiencing happiness. Thus, it challenges an aspect of a widespread socially exclusive assumption about limited internal capabilities of those with SMI. It also highlights that those with combined symptoms of psychosis and depression are in particular need of multidisciplinary support to enhance their wellbeing.

The recent crisis in the ERM has meant EMU can no longer proceed along the lines proposed in the Maastricht Treaty. Proposes that a two or even multi‐speed EMU should emerge from the crisis. This would be based on a “hardcore” which would form the basis for exchange rate/macro policy management for “softer” countries.

The aim of this paper is to identify the major coercive forces driving the enforced reconfiguration of the multinational company. This is explored through the conceptual development of coercive deinternationalisation via the literature on legitimacy. Through a multi‐case study approach, the concept is developed within the context of counteracting non‐market strategies. This material is used to develop a conceptual framework through which the drivers and reactions to these coercive pressures can be more fully explored.

The paper presents a conceptual, multi‐case study.

The paper uses the link between case material and the literature on legitimacy to generate testable hypotheses to guide future research. These are based on the causes, conditions and effectiveness of counteracting coercive deinternationalisation.

The paper offers a strategic framework to guide further research and highlights an under‐explored area within the increasingly complex internationalised system.

The paper aims to examine the process of de‐internationalisation through an analysis of British Telecommunications' (BT's) experience. There is – to date – little research upon de‐internationalisation, this paper aims to contribute to the debate through assessing how businesses with a strong domestic position would respond to a turbulent commercial environment.

The key research issue is addressed in the paper via the use of a single case study.

The paper finds that BT, throughout the 1990s, developed an aggressive global strategy. However, by the 1990s, BT was in a process of retreat. This failure was influenced by the form and nature with which this strategy was executed, which resulted in a declining commitment to an aggressive global strategy. With the failure of the global strategy, BT reverted to a more defensive corporate strategy.

The paper makes a contribution through adding to an emerging debate on the form and nature of de‐internationalisation. This process is explored from the standpoint of a business that has sought to pursue an aggressive international strategy whilst sustaining a commitment to a strong domestic position. The paper highlights how de‐internationalisation is linked into the form and nature initial strategy.

The purpose of this paper is to examine deinternationalisation through the lens of coevolutionary theory. The intention is to offer a fuller understanding of the processes and strategic challenges involved in this process and establish a path for future research in this area of internationalisation theory.

The paper draws links between emerging themes in organizational theory and internationalisation to aid the conceptual development and understanding of the process of deinternationalisation.

The exploration of links between organizational theory and internationalisation allows for the process of deinternationalisation to be more fully distinguished. The paper identifies processes of managed selection and retardation that will inform this process of organizational change.

Whilst there are concerns over the applicability of concepts from natural sciences within the social sciences, the paper does offer a number of research propositions to guide future academic investigation within the field of deinternationalisation.

By linking research on coevolution to the study of internationalisation, the paper contributes to the understanding of the emergence of differing paths and trajectories involved in the process of international contraction and expansion. Furthermore, coevolutionary theory allows the process of deinternationalisation to be conceptualized as a means of generating and guiding future study on this under‐explored area of internationalization research.

This paper sets out to recognise the complexity of the internationalisation process of telecommunications operators via an examination of the metanational forces influencing strategy of European incumbents. Thus as part of a broad strategy of strategic defence incumbents may seek to tap into metanational forces.

The utilisation of metanational forces for the purposes of strategic defence was examined via a dual case analysis. These were chosen to reflect two different strategic scenarios. The first case (Belgacom) has a purely defensive strategy, while the second (Telefonica) has dual‐faceted strategy based on defence alongside a more offensive international strategy.

Across both of these cases, there was evidence of emergent metanational strategies. These incumbents accessed the global resource pool to retrieve or acquire skills, capabilities or resources that would aid the competitive positioning of incumbents within their home market. It was found that the strong market position aided their ability to gain access to “valuable” resources. This raises evident policy issues.

A dual case analysis only offers a limited perspective on the influence of metanationality. However, the trend does highlight the increasingly complex nature of international strategy in telecommunications.

The value of the paper lies in understanding that the competitive advantage of incumbent operators can lie beyond their own national borders. This raises issues over the nature of strategic defence for incumbents in an increasingly internationalised marketplace.

The paper seeks to examine the evolving international strategies of Europe's incumbent telecommunications operators. The aim is to develop a typology of how these different operators have sought to position themselves within an internationalising marketplace.

The objectives of the paper were addressed through a multiple case study analysis of 15 incumbent telecommunication operators within Western Europe. The approach was essentially strategic, seeking to develop an awareness of how each of these operators' corporate strategy has adapted to the challenges of internationalisation. The nature of this response will be defined by a broad typology.

Four types of strategy were found to exist, most of which were defined by the scale of the business. The research found that most operators were developing international strategies based on developing an effective competitive presence in the European region. There was only limited evidence of operators developing a global strategy. Some operators have attempted such a strategy but have since retreated from such offensive strategies.

The work highlights how businesses that have a dominant core domestic market are affected by internationalisation in both a proactive and a reactive manner.