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In the mid‐1970s, there was an upsurge of interest in the notion of worker participation at board level. Several influences contributed to this development, including initiatives from the EEC, experience of worker directors at BSC, political commitment from the then Labour Government, culminating in the establishment of a Committee of Inquiry. It was at this time an unknown researcher with research experience of participation in joint consultative committees — amongst other things — began negotiations with the Department of Employment for monies to pursue her research interests. The outcome was the “worker director project” based at the University of Nottingham. The aim of the project was to examine the role of worker directors in private sector companies. Few companies fitting that description could be found, but of the seven which co‐operated in the research, all were different in many respects. The worker director schemes which they had fostered too were different. This monograph presents brief case descriptions of four of these firms. An attempt is made to highlight the salient features of each which were perceived to be influential in shaping the scheme. Thus various contextual factors are discussed, so too are role and role‐related issues; the extent of training and preparation of the worker director; the amount of information disclosed to and by her/him. Finally, a list of criteria are suggested as guides for assessing and evaluating such schemes, not so much by their own lights, but as a reasonably detached, independent observer.

Sole practitioner solicitors′ firms provide a unique and relatively cost‐effective service. Such firms are believed to be at risk because of a trend within the legal profession towards larger practices offering a wider and more sophisticated range of services. Research reported here, however, suggests that sole practitioner practices are still potentially viable. Their vulnerability stems not from competition from larger practices, per se, but from solicitors′ lack of business education. Identifies the salient training needs.

The purpose of the paper is to address the fundamental nature of skill and identify how an examination of skill may be introduced into theoretical understanding of the entrepreneurial process.

The paper undertakes a fundamental review of skill.

Skill is an under‐researched construct. Skills once learnt are discounted, undervalued and largely ignored, excepting when they are not executed. Skills are multidimensional and continuous, and context‐related. They are not the same as competencies. Skills associated with the entrepreneurial process are primarily theoretical constructs and have been associated with opportunity recognition theory. The initiation of the process through alertness may be challenged and substituted with identification of a social/market valued need. Adopting different paradigmatic approaches to entrepreneurial behaviour yields different issues including problems of measurement and how skills are valued socially, politically and economically. Insufficient empirical research has been carried out to test theory, and identify critical skills.

Further empirical research is needed to test and build theory that resonates with practitioner – in particular of the entrepreneur – understanding. Education and training policies should reflect sound theory and practice and where appropriate fund further work on the nature and development of entrepreneurial skills.

A fundamental review of skill has not been carried out academically since 1990; this paper is timely as it not only addresses that gap, but develops the work by applying an understanding the issues of researching skill to the entrepreneurial process.

Locates the roots of inefficiency in small solicitors′ firms as the lack of effective office management and administrative infrastructure. Argues that solicitors can transform their practices into thriving businesses, by implementing recording systems for all claimable activities. Shows the potential of unadmitted staff; utilising the potential of administration; and maintaining quality.

A survey of how redundancy situations are handled and carried out among 80 organisations reached through the Manchester branch of the Institute of Personnel Management, has raised many questions, suggesting the urgent need for more in‐depth research. Managerial styles of handling redundancy vary, possibly reflecting the prevailing circumstances for the individual manager. The composition of the workforce, the overall company culture, and interpersonal/intergroup relationships between management and worker are all salient factors, as are aspects of personnel managers' make‐up, which can be roughly defined as “hard‐nosed pragmatic”, “realistic”, “contingency operational” or “idealistic”. It is hoped that further collaboration with industry, commerce and within the service and public sectors will be forthcoming.

This paper explores a phenomenon known as entrapment. Entrapment refers to situations where people become “locked into” decisions through the passage of time as distinct from actively re‐investing in failing projects. The present study examines Becker’s so called “side bets” theory which suggests that entrapment results from extraneous investments made during the course of employment. The exploration is conducted via two contrasting case studies of solicitors, one successful, the other unsuccessful. Analysis suggests some support for Becker’s theme. More importantly the study reveals that post hoc rationalization of events plays an important part in sustaining persistence. This insight raises a question. Do people become trapped by events as Becker suggests, or, do they largely imprison themselves?

There are three main themes which run through this article. They are: (1) To examine the role which personnel management may play in a redundancy situation; (2) To ask if redundancy as a process can be justifiably conceived in psychological terms and investigated as such, and (3) To consider how the different stages of this process may be handled, from a social psychological point of view, and, further, what the effects of this may be on the remaining work force.

TQM creates a dilemma for organizations. The dilemma is that TQM implies increased employee responsibility at shopfloor level. Increased responsibility traditionally equates with increased pay. The TQM gurus however advise that monetary rewards are likely to prove counterproductive. Analyses the problem and examines the potential impact of coercive and symbolic power as alternatives to material reward. Concludes that, although little can be achieved by rewarding contributions with money, neither of the alternatives are workable. The answer lies in matching increased responsibility with increased control. Suggests that organizations which succeed in adjusting this balance may gain a competitive advantage ahead of the Japanese.

In the last four years, since Volume I of this Bibliography first appeared, there has been an explosion of literature in all the main functional areas of business. This wealth of material poses problems for the researcher in management studies — and, of course, for the librarian: uncovering what has been written in any one area is not an easy task. This volume aims to help the librarian and the researcher overcome some of the immediate problems of identification of material. It is an annotated bibliography of management, drawing on the wide variety of literature produced by MCB University Press. Over the last four years, MCB University Press has produced an extensive range of books and serial publications covering most of the established and many of the developing areas of management. This volume, in conjunction with Volume I, provides a guide to all the material published so far.

Explains why, of all organizations at risk in the current economic recession, small businesses are the most vulnerable. Confirms that downturns are typically rapid and the prognosis poor, and that the emotional and financial hardships of personal bankruptcy are often severe. Challenges the popular management literature which urges decision makers to follow their intuition, on the ground that intuition is frequently biased and therefore likely to result in the wrong choices. In contrast to the intuitive response to crisis, which is contraction, seeks to demonstrate, through two case studies of small solicitors′ firms, why expansion, although it is apparently the more risky option, may be the best means of survival.