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Public education accountability rests almost exclusively with schools rather than governments. This paper explores its three dimensions: economy, efficiency, and effectiveness. Performance indicators of these dimensions were developed which facilitated testing of significant differences in means over time using analysis of variance. Only salary and wage expenditures per instruction personnel exhibited greater economy. Instructional equipment per pupil was related to increased efficiency. Several indicators suggested enhanced effectiveness. Student/teacher ratio declined and top performers in public schools improved in achievement. Graduation rate, an indicator of achievement and participation, significantly rose in recent years. In summary, several effectiveness indicators revealed encouraging trends with school accountability. The absence of government accountability was associated with limited progress in the remaining dimensions of economy and efficiency.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of strategic orientation (defined using the Miles and Snow’s paradigm) on the processes of strategic decision-making and organisational design in medium-sized firms (MEs) operating in the Italian family food and beverage industry (F&B). It answers the following research questions: Does the orientation towards market development lead to different strategic formulation styles and developing innovative approaches towards organisational design?

The study is based on five cases of Italian family MEs operating in the F&B industry with a focus on premium segments, following the Mediobanca and Unioncamere criteria.

The strategy formulation process and the organisational design are affected by strategic orientation, highlighting the relevance of the “prospector” orientation in modifying the behavioural models among the selected companies.

The limitations concern the number of examined case studies and the geographical location of firms.

The attitude to plan and develop new organisational designs is required by a more “prospector” strategic orientation due to the increasing level of work complexity and the process of innovation to manage the market share. Thus, the emergence of a prospector attitude must be reinforced with specific managerial competencies and suggested as necessary support for development strategies.

This study focusses on strategic and organisational profiles of MEs operating in the F&B context, where literature is still fragmented. It explores the relationship between strategic orientation, strategic formulation and organisational design by analysing all constructs simultaneously, thereby bridging the theoretical gap in the existing literature.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the link between manufacturing strategy formalization and manufacturing strategy implementation, considering the potential moderating role of shop-floor communication.

Multiple linear regression models considering main and interaction effects of strategy formulation and shop-floor communication on strategy implementation were performed using data from the fourth round of the international HPM Project. This includes plants with more than 100 employees in the automotive, machinery and electronics industries from 10 different countries. Unlike other research studies, this research takes into account plant management’s and plant supervisors’ perceptions.

The findings show that formal strategic planning positively influences manufacturing strategy implementation. Furthermore, both feedback and instructive communication practices moderate the manufacturing strategy process, resulting in successful manufacturing strategy embeddedness, and prompt adaptation to change.

This study provides a better understanding of the manufacturing strategy process for scholars and practitioners. In addition, the results suggest that the adoption of some shop-floor communication practices can benefit firms through the strengthening of strategy implementation.

This paper provides empirical evidence to the emerging discussion on whether formal strategic planning helps to adopt a strategy or on the contrary make decision making inflexible.

This paper seeks to establish that the instability of niche markets, and their predisposition to catastrophic collapse, makes market flexibility a prerequisite for long‐term survival among niche marketers. It describes the two ways by which a niche marketer can acquire this market flexibility and demonstrates the advantages of the second of these two approaches, i.e. the development of a portfolio of separated niches.

An in‐depth discussion of niche instability/implosion, and how niche market flexibility can be acquired to increase the survivability of such events, provides the context for a single in‐depth case study of a company employing a systematic niche market flexibility approach. A multi‐method approach was adopted drawing on both interviews and documentary evidence.

Planning for flexibility is essential for long‐term survival as a niche marketer. Two broad approaches to achieve this exist – i.e. contingency and portfolio planning – which are not mutually exclusive. The portfolio approach offers specific advantages and examples of its successful applications exist.

This is a single case study.

The article has significant implications for practice, as fragmentation of markets and globalisation of production makes niche marketing desirable/essential for many players.

The area of planning for flexibility using a niche portfolio marketing strategy is under‐researched at present.

Developing a mission statement has been considered a crucial factor in the formulation of business strategy in organisations. The mission statement promotes a sense of shared expectations in employees and, not surprisingly, it has recently been regarded as increasingly important in small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in the electronic industry. One major reasons for this is the growing complexity and dynamic competitive environments in which these enterprises have operated and managed to find themselves. Mission statements have become a management tool most commonly used by chief executive officers (CEOs) over the last decade. One exercise that both academics and practitioners have deemed strategically critical to the success of an enterprise is the development of a meaningful mission statement. This article explores the perceptions of CEOs of their mission statement in SMEs. It is based on the findings of recent research in 508 firms in the electrical and electronic industry in the UK. The study, amongst other things, investigated the existence and content of the mission statements and, accordingly, it determines the relationships (if any) between a SME’s development of a meaningful mission statement and selected performance outcomes of the firm.