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This issue is a selected bibliography covering the subject of leadership.

Civil society is increasingly digitized and virtual in many parts of the globalized world of today. The networked society and the invisible “second economy” (Arthur, 2011) which powers the developed and developing countries generate debates about the degree to which the benefits outweigh the potential hazards. Artificial intelligence (AI) powered by its machine learning underpin much of the digital networked systems, and “free” services such as search engines, paid for by the “tailored advertising” we get when we view webpages. Most now recognize that the helpful “suggestions” on the web are simply adverts personally targeted at individuals who have searched for information on a topic or visited a webpage with sponsored material and cookies.

There have been cases of major political misuse of data such as the voter manipulation by the Cambridge Analytica company. We are not just referring to the hacking and “fake news” used by some governments to influence the affairs of another country. Some organizations have used AI to cynically target consumers’ weaknesses, for example, in financial management (Larsson, 2018).

Perhaps more significantly the network technology is often promoted as having potential for improving civil society through “failsafe” or default forms of regulation using the embedded Apps in domestic equipment and algorithms in much the same manner it is suggested that automatic self-driving vehicles help to improve road safety by cautious driving and sticking to speed limits and so on (Cockburn, Jahdi, & Wilson, 2015, pp. 6–7). However, algorithms and the associated machine technology have also been described as a “black box” technology where even those people running the algorithms cannot always fully understand or explain how decisions are reached in diverse systems used to evaluate many things from medical care to credit rating and finance (Danaher et al., 2017). There are issues of the budding “surveillance society” emerging from the proliferating “intelligent” apps enabling corporate “spying” on our everyday lives as some hackers have done by tapping into baby monitoring systems in homes. In addition to hacking there are large power asymmetries involved as between commercial data users and the lay public who are often the data suppliers as their personal data are harvested each time the web is used.

Therefore, it is hardly surprising that, according to the Pew Research Center report by Aaron Smith, released in November 2018, over half of Americans surveyed found it unacceptable to use algorithms to make decisions with real-world consequences for humans. In the age of connectedness and the emergent internet of things many people are not yet ready to cede more control of their currently offline lives to current online technology. This chapter reviews arguments for and against algorithmic governance.

Machine learning systems may be efficient to a high degree without being unbiased in impact across different segments of society. AI may also be fully effective in its operation without even being fully understood because the decision-making is so arcane. Importantly, though, even for those systems that have some human mediation or supervision, societal regulation is aimed at ensuring ends and means are aligned with human social, political and economic justice and thus socially effective as well as being technically efficient. Consequently, these systems have to require socio-emotional as well as cognitive safeguards. Although levels of implicit trust may vary demographically as between say millennials and baby boomers, high levels of trust, accountability and a culture of moral integrity must still form the bedrock for societal benefits.

The purpose of this paper is to assist an organization to restructure as a bi‐modal organization in order to achieve sustainability in today's highly complex business world.

The paper is conceptual and is based on relevant literature and the authors' research and practice.

Although fluid self‐organizing networks are the natural state for humankind, in most organizations “organizing” entails the process of autopoiesis. This process does not produce the open fluid organization that is required for success in today's business world. While autopoiesis is taking place, informal socialization is taking place across the organization's interpersonal networks. Under supportive conditions, this leads to the development of a bi‐modal organization where one or more open systems may emerge and co‐exist concurrently with the autopoietic system; these open systems include fluid networks and complex adaptive system. The bi‐modal organization achieves sustainability by balancing a certain amount of organization versus a certain amount of instability, leading to predictability with disorder, and planned long‐term strategy achieved through many concurrent short‐term actions.

Future research will involve an empirical study that will further examine the bi‐modal organization, its development, and its properties.

The systems that surround a business organization now and for the foreseeable future are highly dynamic, competitive, and socially individualized, and demand a new organizational form and competencies that may only be exhibited by a bi‐modal organization based on an open system. The paper describes how an organization can restructure to become a bi‐modal organization.

The paper should help improve quality of work‐life and organizational structure.

The paper describes a new organizational form designed to flourish in today's complex business contexts.

This chapter aims to provide nuance into the issue of generational cohort differences at work by focusing on the role of contextual moderator variables. Theory and hypotheses derived from the research on generational differences, psychological contracts, and work values are contrasted to a countervailing set of hypotheses derived from theory and research on the confluence of age and Person-Environment (P-E) fit. Complex patterns of interactive effects are posited for both alternatives. The results favored a generational hypothesis regarding the positively valenced construct of job satisfaction but an age-based hypothesis for the negatively valenced construct of turnover intentions. Results are tested using a subset from a large and nationally representative sample of adults from the US workforce (n = 476). Results offer mixed support for both age and generational cohorts, qualified by the specific type of outcome at hand.

As we move rapidly into the 21^st century leaders face the challenge of being effective in a global knowledge environment. Now, more than ever, leaders must play the key role in helping organizations cope with the challenges they face from expanding knowledge and knowledge systems. Leaders must guide changes in a climate of increased competition to fill customer demands. This paper addresses the nature of the rapidly changing knowledge organization through an exploration of the traditional leadership paradigms, an examination of current trends in knowledge management and the learning organization, and by finally considering the role of leaders and leadership education in the emerging knowledge organization.

Specifically, this chapter reviews practical issues concerning how ethical values are developed to generate a sense of common purpose across two SME organizations, one in South America and the other in Spain. We used a survey questionnaire covering 12 thematic areas for the pilot study based upon two private language schools. We also critically reviewed literature on other business sectors and on SME clusters to discuss some emerging trends in preparing to be both “Right 4 Market” as well as “Right 2 Market.” This chapter provides information about each SME and its context, indicating what can be found there and how the information can help diverse SME across for-profit and not-for-profit sectors such as NGOs in both regions. It’s a first stage pilot for a yet to be completed study and it is based upon a very small convenience sample. Challenging the traditional business paradigm requires key factors embedded and embodied in organizational learning, systems, and innovation. Ethical capital accumulation relies on effective communications, culture, and evolving workplace custom and practice, as well as demographic factors. This chapter fulfils an identified information/resources need and offers some initial practical advice for SME and some insights for future researchers.

Proposes that to optimize enterprise performance and longevity, organizations must develop and sustain appropriate traits of personal responsibility and leadership in all employees. Contends that this is feasible and describes how it can be accomplished. Part 1 of this paper deal with shaping and harmonizing the high performance drivers. Part 2, which will appear in Management Decision Vol. 40 No. 9, will deal with optimally shaping and harmonizing focus, will and capability.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the Special Issue; to provide a practitioner's retrospective views of the learning organization concept; and to comment on the status of The Learning Organization journal.

The approach adopted involves recounting a personal history of a practitioner's experiences with the concept, and an observation on the health of The Learning Organization journal.

The paper finds that, although the learning organization concept is deemed narrow and out of date, it is judged to have had significant positive influence on organizational thinking. The Learning Organization is shown to be a healthy and popular journal.

The paper is included in a Special Issue that is part of the series commissioned by the journal on organization‐related topics of interest to its readers. Its originality stems from its examination of the learning organization concept through a particular practitioner's lens, provoking reflection amongst others engaged in both the delivery and the consumption of practice and study.

Explores the question “How can we gain a deeper understanding of the contribution of P and Q?”, together with a version in which the following proviso is added “…while maintaining the simplicity and power of action learning as originally conceived by Professor Revans”. It is concluded that programmed knowledge P has little or no place in action learning when we accept that the programme goal is confined to personal development. Further, by emphasizing problem solving and embracing P another significant complicating issue is introduced related to “learning” versus “adaption”. Identifies the expression L = P + Q itself as a confusing expression, and proposes other simple functions emphasizing the need for vigilant Q on introduction of P. Also explores the contribution of P and Q when action learning is simply the means to becoming better action oriented under conditions of turbulence and ambiguity.