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Evolutions and revolutions in technology, globalization, business consolidation, and marketplace fragmentation have fundamentally changed the nature of organizations. Simultaneously, a workforce has emerged that is more educated, mobile, diverse, and discerning in work and life choices than ever before. Whatever was left of the old social contract between employer and employee has become a casualty of the race from an industrial society to the information age. The author reports an ongoing body of research called the @Work studies, which seeks to describe the dynamics of the new “commitment contract” that will forge the employer/employee relationship into the twenty‐first century, how much commitment employees will be willing to give to their organizations, and what organizations must do to win that commitment.

Many employers seem to be having a recurring nightmare: a valued employee suddenly decides to leave and go to work for a competitor In today's tight job market, it takes months to fill the position—then more time and money to bring the new hire up to speed. And with the employee in place, what can be done to ensure that this bad dream won't be repeated again—soon?

Wonders whether companies actually have employees best interests at heart across physical, mental and spiritual spheres. Posits that most organizations ignore their workforce – not even, in many cases, describing workers as assets! Describes many studies to back up this claim in theis work based on the 2002 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference, in Cardiff, Wales.

The influence of loyal customers can reach far beyond their proximate impact on the company. This impact is analogous to the ripple caused by a pebble tossed into a still pond. In this article we introduce the loyalty ripple effect construct and define it as the influence, both direct and indirect, customers have on a firm through (1) generating interest in the firm by encouraging new customer patronage or (2) other actions or behaviours that create value for the organization. That is, in addition to their revenue stream, we suggest loyal customers may engage in several behaviours, including word‐of‐mouth communication, that add value to or reduce costs for the firm. In our discussion, we provide some examples to illustrate our point and conduct an exploratory study related to arguably the most salient ripple generator, word‐of‐mouth communication. The paper concludes with managerial implications and provides some suggestions for future research.

Gives an in depth view of the strategies pursued by the world’s leading chief executive officers in an attempt to provide guidance to new chief executives of today. Considers the marketing strategies employed, together with the organizational structures used and looks at the universal concepts that can be applied to any product. Uses anecdotal evidence to formulate a number of theories which can be used to compare your company with the best in the world. Presents initial survival strategies and then looks at ways companies can broaden their boundaries through manipulation and choice. Covers a huge variety of case studies and examples together with a substantial question and answer section.

IN wishing all our readers happiness and prosperity throughout 1973 we are very conscious of the fact that it is a climateric year for the people of these islands. As these words are read we shall be a part of the European Economic Community.

The G7 finance ministers, at a meeting in London on 8th May, 1998, called for international action to enhance the capacity of anti‐money‐laundering systems to deal effectively with tax‐related crimes, with a view to achieving the following objectives: the extension of suspicious transaction reporting to money laundering related to tax offences; the permission to money‐laundering authorities to the greatest extent possible to pass information to their tax authorities to support the investigation of tax‐related crimes; and the communication of such information to other jurisdictions in ways which would allow its use by tax authorities.

The purpose of this paper is to undertake a Machiavellian analysis of the determinants of organisational change. It aims to present a model of how power, leaders and teams, rewards and discipline, and roles, norms and values, serve as drivers, enablers or inhibitors of organisational change.

The paper adopts the sixteenth century Machiavellian text The Prince as a lens through which to examine organisational change.

The paper concludes that Machiavellian thinking provides a valuable guide to the challenges and obstacles in negotiating organisational change and identifies the individual as occupying the central role in determining whether the change intervention will be accepted or rejected.

The longevity of Machiavellian thinking underlines the constancy of human behaviour and the relevance of age‐old thinking in understanding and negotiating change in a complex fast‐paced business environment.

This study examined factors influencing the growth of new firms in metal‐based manufacturing and business services in Finland over the three first years of their operation. The factors affecting the growth of a new firm were found in the start‐up phase, in the characteristics of the entrepreneur and of the firm, and in the firm’s environment. Growth was especially explained by the know‐how and changes in the strategic behaviour of the entrepreneur and by the firm’s environment. New firmshad equal chances for growth irrespective of their locality. Instead, growth was affected by changes in a firm’s competitive situation, and, especially in the more developed service centres, growth was dependent on a firm’s expanding its market area in the first three years of operation. The results also clearly indicated that in a small specialist firm personal relationships formed an important part of the entrepreneur’s management capabilities.