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The paper examines the current state of relationship marketing in the consumer services market. It questions whether relationships are mutually beneficial to suppliers and customers and argues that the relationship is managed by the retailer primarily for their gain whereas the customer might benefit more from alternative, immediate rewards. This leads to a consideration of how value and equity within relationship marketing might be viewed using social psychology as a basis for re‐examining the nature of supplier‐customer relationships. Concepts from branding and brand repertoires are also considered in terms of understanding what type of relationship might be most appropriate for consumers. Two case studies are explored to support the suggestion that some consumers are looking for different types of relationship to those currently on offer. Management must consider carefully what this might imply both in terms of future consumer behaviour and how competitive action between retailers may develop.

Examines the nature of a relatively new financial service, electronic cash. A qualitative study of students’ use of a specific form of electronic cash, namely Mondex, was undertaken. Attitudes and opinions were sought and the results presented within a theoretical framework of likely adoption. It was found that all students compared the performance of electronic cash with the traditional form of cash. A number of problems were encountered by students in relation to security, speed and complexity of use, although in some situations it was a preferred alternative. Concludes that these issues will need to be addressed but that electronic cash may have advantages in certain situations and that marketing effort should be concentrated on identifying niche opportunities or bundling appropriate services onto the card to provide a relative advantage for increasingly discerning consumers.

Senior management in the newly privatized water companies have been keen to secure employee commitment to the new commercial goals they are now pursuing. Considers the use of profit sharing as a rhetorical device for this purpose. The introduction of profit sharing schemes was intended by management not only to assist in the construction of a new version of organizational reality, but more particularly to communicate to organizational members the quite different ideological conceptualization of organizational purposes and activities associated with the change in status from public sector water authority to private sector water company. Reports research based on documentary evidence and interviews with managers from six of the new water companies which provides scope for comparisons between the companies high‐lighting different interpretations of the role profit sharing may play in the processes of organizational change.

This study reports the results of a survey of teaching staff in the UK and China and two cohorts of Chinese students. We explored perceptions of a Transnational Education (TNE) course taught by UK teachers at a Chinese university to ascertain similarities and differences in perceptions and to help inform future TNE design and provision.

Teachers in the UK (N = 10) and Chinese University (N = 20) and two cohorts of Chinese students (N = 102) completed questionnaires about their perceptions of the collaboration, including why they thought the university had developed the course and the benefits and risks of the course. They were also asked why they personally or why they thought the students had enrolled in the course. Questions were a mix of forced choice and open response formats.

Prior to the course commencing, differences were identified between UK and Chinese teachers in their perception of the risks and benefits of the course and the challenges students might face. Differences were also seen in teachers' and students' views about why students enrolled and their expectations about the course. The TNE is no longer running and many of the reasons for this were identified by our participants before the course had begun.

This suggests the importance of engaging with various stakeholders in the setup of TNE to ensure a close match between staff, student and institutional expectations of the course. This is likely to increase the likelihood of success of such programmes.

This paper aims to investigate the perceived sustainable supervisory relationships between supervisors and postgraduate international students at a research university in Malaysia.

Drawing on a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with 33 international postgraduate students and 10 academic staff at a Malaysian research university.

Perceived sustainable supervisory relationships were perceived by both stakeholders in terms of future employment rapport, further research collaborations upon graduation and global engagement via networking initiatives.

This paper contributes to the supervision literature by establishing novel nuances in the nature and lived experiences of the sustainable supervisory relationships beyond graduation. The implications of developing significant and profound relationships beyond graduation at micro and macro levels are also discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to report on a three-year Australian study of international business and accounting students and the transition to employment. For international students seeking to differentiate themselves in a highly competitive global labour market, foreign work experience is now an integral part of the overseas study “package”. Work-integrated learning (WIL) is seen to provide critical “employability” knowledge and skills, however, international students have low participation rates. The high value placed on WIL among international students poses challenges for Australia as well as opportunities. Understanding the issues surrounding international students and WIL is closely linked to Australia’s continued success in the international education sector which has broad, long-term, social and economic implications.

This paper draws on 59 interviews with a range of stakeholders including international students, universities, government, employers and professional bodies. Central to the paper is an in-depth case study of WIL in the business and accounting discipline at one Australian university.

Providing international students with access to discipline-related work experience has emerged as a critical issue for Australian universities. The study finds that enhancing the employability skills of internationals students via integrated career education, a focus on English language proficiency and “soft skills” development are central to success in WIL. Meeting the growing demand for WIL among international students requires a multipronged approach which hinges on cooperation between international students, universities, employers and government.

This project aims to fill a critical knowledge gap by advancing theories in relation to international students and WIL. While there is a significant body of research in the fields of international education and WIL, there is an absence of research exploring the intersection between the two fields. The study will contribute to the advancement of knowledge in both fields by exploring the emerging issue of WIL and international students.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature related to performance measurement (PM) in airport settings. Two research questions were addressed: how the literature has evolved during the last 45 years; and which performance dimensions have been emphasized during this period.

For the purpose of this study, 380 documents, published between 1970 and 2015 were systematically analyzed. The literature reviewed comprises academic peer-reviewed articles, and studies published by other relevant sources, including professional-related literature.

The literature reviewed points to three stages relating to the evolution of the PM in airport settings during the period analyzed. Although with a significant lag, this evolution seems to have followed the broad literature on PM. Moreover, a relationship between these stages and the changes occurring at the airport industry was found. Several aspects of airport multidimensional performance are identified and discussed.

Based on the findings of this study, it is concluded that a more comprehensive approach to airport PM is needed. In this context, a research agenda is suggested.

The findings of this study have relevant practical implications for the airport industry. In this context, a framework representing a comprehensive approach to airport performance dimensions with impact on external stakeholders is presented. This framework can be a relevant contribution for researchers and practitioners which are looking for a more comprehensive and multidimensional approach to airport PM.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study appears to be the first to examine the literature related to airport PM according to such a comprehensive approach. A framework of the performance dimensions related to the airport business is provided.

The purpose of this study is to reflect upon the feasibility of agile methodologies, Scrum in particular, to supplement the procedural design and implementation of performance measurement systems (PMS).

The study is an interventionist case study that applied agile methodologies in the PMS development. Researchers actively participated in the PMS development, e.g. researchers designed some of the performance measurement prototypes in order to facilitate the agile development.

The study outlines an agile approach suitable for PMS development. The paper answers the topical needs for adaptability and agility in management accounting, by applying agile methodologies into PMS development. PMS development does not take place only as a project or process that systematically progresses from the measure selection to measure implementation. Instead, as the requirements for the PMS change during the development project, management may reject some measures and new measures emerge as the understanding about changing situations increase. Agile methodologies are a methodological way to respond to the inevitable change and to enhance management accounting adaptability.

This study contributes to the PMS literature by proposing that agile development methodologies can advance organizational features that increase management accounting adaptability. As a result, the study proposes a new approach for PMS development to supplement existing ones. Agile methodologies are especially suitable for extending the PMS in new, yet relatively immature areas of performance measurement. The new approach applies Scrum principles in PMS development. By drawing from the theories of performance measurement (system) development and enabling PMS, the paper furthers academic understanding about agile development of accounting information systems.

Companies can use the proposed approach in PMS development, particularly after the initial system implementation in redesigning the system. The approach may increase the PMS impact in organizations and prevent PMS implementation failures.

The paper identifies the potential of using agile methodologies to enhance PMS adaptability and provides preliminary evidence of the potential of such approach in supplementing processual PMS development frameworks.

The purpose of this paper is to explore two hospital departments, one of which is laterally dependent on the other to function, but which are subject to distinct vertical managerial controls. This complexity in vertical–lateral relations generates tension amongst the hospital’s senior managers and a perception of coordination difficulties. However, this paper shows how the interplay between managerial and non-managerial controls, plus important employee “work”, moderates tension and facilitates day-to-day lateral coordination at the patient-facing level.

This is a case-study, relying mostly on the findings of semi-structured interviews. Theoretically, the paper draws from previous insights on inter-organisational relations (but informing the focus on intra-organisational coordination) and an “institutional work” perspective.

Consistent with much extant literature, this paper reveals how non-managerial controls help to moderate tensions that could emerge from the coercive use of managerial controls. However, the authors also show a maintained influence and flexibility in the managerial controls at patient-facing levels, as new circumstances unfold.

The findings of this paper could generalise neither all laterally dependent spaces in hospitals nor patterns across different hospitals. The authors recommend future research into the dynamics and interaction of managerial and non-managerial controls in other complex settings, plus focus on the purposeful work of influential agents.

The paper has two primary contributions: extending our knowledge of the interplay between managerial and non-managerial controls inside complex organisations, where non-managerial controls reinforce rather than displace managerial controls, and highlighting that it is seldom just controls per se which “matter”, but also agents’ purposeful actions that facilitate coordination in complex organisations.

The strategy map represents a major contribution to the theory and practice of performance management. However, it has failed to realize its full potential due to a lack of theoretical and conceptual development. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to revisit the theories of strategy maps to better understand how and in what circumstances they benefit performance management.

The study employs realist synthesis, a method of systematic literature review. A theory on how strategy maps work is extracted from performance management literature, which are subsequently evaluated through a critical examination of empirical studies.

A theory of how strategy maps are meant work is presented in relation to the generic performance management stages of problem structuring, development and use, where they can serve as a tool for discovery and by stimulating social interactions. Based on the findings, 12 propositions are offered related to the effective use of strategy maps within a performance management framework.

The introduction of the strategy map to performance management represented a breakthrough in how organizational performance could be understood and communicated. This study goes a step further by considering how they work and in what circumstances. In so doing, the study aims to open the way for new and more effective applications of strategy maps within the changing performance management context.

This study provides practitioners with actionable propositions which can help in effectively using strategy maps.

Distinguishing the aims and mechanisms of the strategy map along performance management systems has the potential to greatly increase their effectiveness in practice as a powerful, but underutilized tool. This paper also demonstrates how realist synthesis, currently an uncommon method in management studies, facilitated the creation of a new perspective of strategy maps to fit specifically within performance management.