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In‐home computerised banking is at the early stage of market development in a number of countries. Despite similarities of in‐home services offered by the banks, market penetration of home banking technology varies by country of adoption. The diffusion of innovation theory is used to help explain the variance in home banking penetration levels in France, the UK and the US.

Banks have turned to technology in search of a competitive edge in a dynamic and sometimes hostile environment. Unfortunately, technical feasibility rather than market need has motivated them, giving no lasting advantage. An apparently profitable in‐home banking system, using Prestel, is here explored, offering customers of the Nottingham Building Society a full range of facilities. The factors making this a good opportunity for innovation are examined, together with problems that may be encountered. This introduction of the Homelink programme is seen as only the first stage in an entry into a home banking market which will depend on strategy implementation market evolution, competitive response and technological change.

Argues that three basic archetypes – managers, entrepreneurs and leaders – must exist within the “ambidextrous organization” where a balance must be found between managing the present while preparing for the future. Introduces the MEL‐Index, a measurement tool that represents the managerial, entrepreneurial and leadership capabilities of both individuals and institutions.

The conceptual framework suggests that the interactive roles of the MEL archetypes have a profound impact on the innovation profile of the organization. To test this idea in‐depth, case studies with a sample of SME's and large companies in North America and Western Europe was conducted.

Although still at an early stage of data collection, initial findings suggest that: it is difficult for strong managers to co‐exist with visionary entrepreneurs without the facilitating role of leaders; there may be a difference in the balance of archetypes needed in private versus, publicly owned companies; the measurement tool was easy to administer and has strong face validity.

The findings of this project are not generalizable to the greater population of businesses in Europe and North America due to the convenience nature of the sample. However, as we continue to collect data confidence will grow at the inferences drawn from our case‐based examples.

By using the results from an MEL project, companies can adjust their balance of capabilities through more targeted recruitment, focused executive development programs and better internal allocation of personnel.

Very little applied research has been undertaken to explore the combination of skills required of executives to guide the ambidextrous organization. Exploration of the MEL interface opens an exciting, applied research stream within management studies.

This paper aims to explore the growing role of customized case studies in executive education programs.

A general review is provided, mainly from the authors' experience, on designing and employing custom cases.

It is shown that the benefits of designing and using custom cases accrue throughout the program development, delivery and follow‐up phases and can have a positive impact not only on course participants, but also on senior management and teaching faculty.

The role of pedagogical tools in executive education remains a largely under‐researched area. Suggestions are made for future work.

It is shown how the construction of a case can vary by both content and format to best suit program objectives. Guidelines are also provided for teaching effectiveness.

This appears to be the first, in‐depth assessment of the design and use of case studies in executive education.

This study examines how various characteristics of the discount retail environment and the overall attitude towards a discount retail store, considered to be an abstract and global image component, influence consumers’ satisfaction and how consumers’ satisfaction, in turn, affects store loyalty. The data, collected from a sample of 517 discount retail customers in Daegu, Korea, indicate that: (1) forming the overall attitude is more closely related to in‐store services: atmosphere, employee service, after sales service and merchandising, (2) store satisfaction is formed through perceived store atmosphere and value, (3) the overall attitude has strong influence on satisfaction and loyalty and its impact is much stronger on loyalty than on satisfaction, (4) store loyalty is directly affected by most significantly location, merchandising and after sale service in order, (5) satisfaction is not related to customers’ committed store revisiting behavior. The applications in management and implications for future research are discussed.

A high level of product involvement is typically assumed to accompany higher information search, a fewer number of acceptable alternatives, and a higher number of choice criteria than does low level of product involvement. Inferring the level of product involvement from these behavioral or evaluative characteristics is, however, potentially misleading. Two factors are identified as mediating the relationship between the high level of involvement and these characteristics: (1) product trial, and (2) the consumer learning stage. The results of the present study support this view. Even for high involving products, considerable variations exist in these characteristics, depending on product trialability and consumer learning stage. Several strategic marketing implications stemming from these results are offered.

The earlier report on the Astro Technology visit to Soltec will have served as an introduction, and hopefully have whetted readers' appetites regarding learning still more about this interesting, internationally operating company of Dutch origin. Soltec has since 1983 been part of the Dover Corporation USA, a diversified conglomerate listed on the New York Stock Exchange and whose Technology Division comprises many companies offering equipment and products to the electronics industry (names like Universal, DEK, Cencorp, Corpane etc. springing readily to mind). The companies constituting the Dover Group are 100% owned by Dover, but management of the individual firms is carried out at local level by personnel appointed by each company.

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the theoretical reflection on learning study as a research approach. The focus is on description and reflection on the methodology of learning study as paedeutic research. This research is for, not on, teachers, i.e. research into problems and challenges faced by teachers in their professional practice. Learning study as paedeutic research is about the content and processes of formation/Bildung in relation to specific learning objects. Its focus is on subject-specific ways of knowing as well as how such knowing is enabled through teaching.

The point of departure is a perspective on research approaches as practices, i.e. as activities with certain aims as well as ways of “making” knowledge. Based on a description of the knowledge machinery in a learning study, i.e. those mechanisms that together generate new knowledge, the knowledge claims that can be made are discussed together with the theoretical underpinning of the arguments. The knowledge machinery is described in relation to how it is organised around the delimitation and analysis of an object of Learning as well as designing and evaluating ways to make the critical aspects of this object of learning visible. As an epistemological underpinning, some aspects of pragmatic philosophical thinking regarding the relationship between theory and practice are outlined. Based on that the research process may be described as a development of means-ends relationships – from unconscious empirical relationships to conscious staging of internal and theoretical relations. Abduction is an important tool for this meaning-making.

Learning study can be described as a particularistic, theory-building research approach concerning the knowing of specific learning objects as well as how they can be taught and learnt. The knowledge that is generated in learning study is theoretical and describes aspects of the teaching and learning of specific objects of learning. The research process can be described in terms of specification where practice is gradually supplied with a more differentiated meaning. A learning study is organised around a specific object of learning that functions as an open and unfolding object of knowledge. It combines a practice-based development of theory with a theory-based development of practice.

The development of the thinking about learning study as research for, rather than on, teachers is paedeutical research. A contribution to reflection on the knowledge machinery and knowledge claims of such research.

To examine the strategies of the intelligent design (ID) movement and their impact on the selection policies for high school libraries and the science curriculum.

Examines the process four public high school libraries in the US took to determine whether to accept a gift offer by a parent of two books, dealing with ID. This article deals with the importance of applying selection criteria to all materials, whether gifts or recommendations.

School libraries are not immune to the tactics used by the ID movement to influence curriculum and collection development decisions.

While this article is a case history of the ID movement's strategy to influence school curriculum, its implications and possible impact on other schools and their libraries.

Provides advice to practicing school librarians on what criteria to use when selecting materials and poses the question of who should be involved in selecting materials for the school library.

This article explores the critical aspects and the differences between selection and censorship. Emphasizes the importance of having and following board‐approved policies that deal with gifts and the selection of library and instructional materials.

The Report of the Royal College of Physicians (London) and the British Cardiac Society issued in April last was the product of a joint working party, whose aim was to formulate the best possible advice which can at present be given to medical practitioners towards the prevention of coronary heart disease. It caused quite a stir, particularly its dietary recommendations, and the mass media made the most of it, more from inferences drawn from the measures recommended than from the report itself. Now that the sensation of it has gone and the dust has begun to settle, we can see the Report contains nothing that is new; it tells us what we have long known. Like the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, except that there are three of them, at least for the moment, the causative factors of the rising incidence of coronary heart disease, built into our affluent society, have been working their way at the heart of man for a good many years now.