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The term “value chain” encompasses a variety of ideas and concepts. This paper identifies two major themes: a “macro” perspective of how markets operate and, at the other extreme, a process‐driven “micro” view of the individual firm itself. Focusing on the latter in particular, it seems that corporate emphasis is increasingly efficiency based with the prime objective the reduction of costs. The recent difficulties experienced by McDonald's, Sainsbury and Marks & Spencer may be due in part to a single‐minded focus on supply‐chain management. Instead it is argued that a firm is best placed to create value and exploit market opportunities when there is an effective combination of supply‐chain capabilities and demand‐chain effectiveness to maximise the organisation's overall value chain. These issues are explored using practical examples from the retail and fast food industries. Questions whether traditional views of marketing are broad enough or whether, just as the logistics manager reinvented himself as the supply‐chain manager and the new corporate hero, the marketing professional needs to reinvent himself as the demand‐chain manager.

The purpose of this paper is to briefly review earlier contributions to partner/cooperative innovation with the aim of evaluating the application of the concept to the increasingly popular virtual/value chain business model.

A number of example cases of partner/cooperative innovation are examined and, although these are limited in number, it would appear that a classification of types of partner/cooperative innovation is possible.

Partner/cooperative innovation combines elements of process and product innovation management within a “network structure” to create a product‐service response that neither partner could create using its own resources. They extend in both directions of the supply chain (upstream and down stream) and include supplier relationship management such as that demonstrated between Dell and its myriad of suppliers, and examples of customer relationship management such as the relationship that Caterpillar has built with its distributor/service network.

The findings need further validation through empirical data analysis in appropriate industrial settings.

The paper includes a model that facilitates the evaluation of the “total efficacy” of partner/cooperative innovation alternatives. As such, the paper offers a viewpoint to be considered by management.

The paper describes partnership/cooperative innovation that combines elements of process innovation management and product innovation management within a network structure. Neither partner can independently create this network using its own resources to meet customer/market determined expectations for product and/or service performance at an economic (viable) cost. Third party involvement is typical.

Proposes that a broad perspective needs to be taken of operations management, so that it is no longer seen as the domain of mechanistic functionalism, but rather as the architect and engineer of the business model driving in turn the firm's creation of value. Suggests that a value chain approach provides an appropriate framework for such business model architecture. Draws a distinction between industry level value chains and value chain analysis at the level of the firm where the focus is on business processes. Suggests that mapping one against the other is critical to business model effectiveness and the creation of value. Finally, notes that a firm's value chain should not be seen as necessarily a series of smooth synchronous links, but as dynamic that creates its own interaction costs. This should not be seen as dysfunctional, but as a source of dynamism replicating the market environment the firm is operating in. While it does not sit well with the notions of scientific management so commonly associated with classical operations management, suggests that this process fusion is a fundamental aspect of the firm's operations that needs to be purposefully managed.

Addresses the appropriate structuring of the firm's business model in the context of new economy holonic networks. States that this requires some framework for analysing the firm's business model relative to the opportunities offered by those networks and alliances. Proposes that some performance measurement criteria are required that provide a basis for comparing the various options open to the company. Approaches the problem by considering the assessment of the risk that accompanies a decision to outsource a process compared with the alternative option of developing the expertise “in‐house”. Concludes that concepts borrowed from financial management are helpful in this respect and the capital asset pricing model offers a means by which the risk can be assessed.

The notion that firms have demand chains as well as supply chains is one that is gaining currency. It is suggested that taking a broad perspective of the demand chain as all those processes in the firm which interact with and translate customer requirements throws a new light on how a firm's value chain operates as a whole. Looking at some retail examples, including McDonald's in particular, it is argued that managing the interaction of a firm's supply chain and its demand chain is critical to the effectiveness of that entities business model. This interaction involves a fusion of processes in what is termed a Value Catalyst. This catalysis effect involves interaction costs and tension as processes continually bundle and unbundled. It is argued that while the deliberate creation and purposeful management of tension may seem odd, it in fact accords with day‐to‐day management reality and is a potential source of dynamism within the firm.

The purpose of this paper is to critically assess the degree to which current union learning strategy and practice in the UK can become a catalyst for greater activism and participation by their members in the workplace and beyond. To this end, the paper seeks to draw on the rich heritage of pedagogic theory and practice in adult education writing to bring a fresh perspective to a key aspect of industrial relations.

Through a meta-analysis of the current literature on the role of union learning representatives, learning centres and the context of that learning, the paper seeks to enhance understanding of how such initiatives in addition to upskilling workers lead to members' greater enlightenment with respect to the asymmetric power relations within the workplace and society. Using a conceptual model devised by the author from Freirean theory, this potentially increased awareness of their position in the organisation and society leading to greater levels of subsequent activism and participation by these learners is then critically assessed.

Utilising the radical perspective of Paulo Freire, the article critically analyses the key elements of current union learning strategies in the UK. The paper concludes that union pedagogy strategy not just often raises members' awareness, as Freire would advocate, of their “subordinate” position in society, but potentially also genuinely equips them with the skills, knowledge and understanding to challenge that position through subsequent union activism and, therefore, greater participation in decision-making in the workplace. Union-facilitated learning, it is argued, can also develop the skills and knowledge necessary to increase members' job security.

To the author's knowledge, this is the first time that a Freirean analysis has been applied to this key element of contemporary trade union strategy and practice. In particular, the study seeks to also go beyond most studies of union pedagogic approaches and focus on the learner's journey and how this may imbue a propensity to become more active in the union and, therefore, the workplace.

The study aims to present demand chain management (DCM) modeling of Indian apparel retailers. This will result in a structured model presenting contextual interrelationship among DCM variables so that retailers can proactively manage their demand chain.

The research follows an exploratory research design. It initially involves identification and analysis of influential factors of the implementation of DCM practices through the review of literature. Then, these variables were analyzed using total interpretive structural modeling or TISM followed by a statistical verification and case-based validation of the model.

The major findings of the paper are: top-management commitment and support, information management and supply chain agility in supply chain are the most significant enablers with the highest driving power. The other apparel retail specific significant variables are assortment planning, category management and marketing orientation. The model also indicates that the firms that implement customer-centric DCM practices do well in terms of organizational performance and thereby achieve differential advantage over their competitors.

Because the literature on DCM is still in nascent stage, the study bases itself on interpretive method; that is, TISM of analysis with a limited number of experts. Future studies may consider larger sample with more advanced statistical tools such as structural equation modeling for further validation of the findings.

The novelty of the paper lies in the study of an emerging supply chain philosophy; that is, DCM and its key practices per se. It has rarely been studied from the theory building perspective hitherto. Moreover, TISM-based approach is applied for the first time to study the DCM practices and its drivers vis-à-vis dependents.

Looks at the 2000 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference held at the University of Cardiff in Wales on 6/7 September 2000. Spotlights the 76 or so presentations within and shows that these are in many, differing, areas across management research from: retail finance; precarious jobs and decisions; methodological lessons from feminism; call centre experience and disability discrimination. These and all points east and west are covered and laid out in a simple, abstract style, including, where applicable, references, endnotes and bibliography in an easy‐to‐follow manner. Summarizes each paper and also gives conclusions where needed, in a comfortable modern format.

The results of a model based survey of contractors' planning engineers in France and the UK suggest that planned completion times for constructing an identical high‐rise in situ concrete framed structure are significantly and dramatically lower in France than in the UK. Average planned construction periods in France were 13 weeks, some 9 weeks faster than the UK average of 22 weeks. Since planned construction periods reflect past experience, French contractors apparently achieve superior levels of production performance whilst at the same time working fewer hours per week, utilizing directly employed workers and employing fewer supervisors. If such planned completion times are truly representative, the findings indicate comparatively poor UK contractor performance, and signify future problems for the British builder in the emerging European marketplace. The causes of such poor performance are complicated, but based on indicative French best practices: production is enhanced when scheduled overtime is avoided, a directly employed and mainly skilled workforce is engaged, and a maximum working time of 40 hours per week is the norm rather than the exception.