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Addresses the issue of managerial learning disabilities in relation to a takeover situation. The analysis derives from involvement at the “sharp end” and being affected by bad management thinking. It shows that unless a wider and deeper perspective is taken by management in making decisions the side‐effects are enormously negative. To overcome the learning disabilities reported, a new approach to organizational learning is required which constitutes the fifth principle or systems thinking. Only when managers break out of limited thinking and move towards generative learning are fundamental rather than symptomatic solutions to business problems possible.

Investigates the use of a culture instrument in driving organizational learning and seeks to extend our ability to move towards learning organizations. The work was carried out in a plant of a company in the aerospace industry in 1989 with professional, technical and administrative employees. Used a questionnaire plus follow‐up focus group work and results showed a distinct gap between employees perceptions of the organization and their “ideal” organization. Assesses results using the systems thinking framework and makes recommendations which built upon systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, shared vision and team learning.

Investigates why team learning is important in driving a business forward by outlining work with a top team in a manufacturing plant of a telecommunications company. Outlines the issues confronted by the managers and identifies a range of relationship issues which relate to structural and behavioural factors. Suggests that for the top team to regain control of their plant they need to rethink how they behave with one another in order to build success in the future. Accepting personal responsibility is the key to organizational change and development.

This paper suggests that in the context of complex organizations, operating in complex environments, new ways need to be designed to develop effective management and organizational learning. Based on work conducted with middle managers in three large global corporations, the paper argues that management is largely concerned with sense making. The more managers feel and think that decisions made by “top management” do not make sense, the more difficult it is for them to make sense of these decisions as they affect their own area of complexity. The paper further suggests that by mapping the perceptions of managers organizations can better develop organizational learning.

Aims to expose the limitations of traditional management training and development in a rapidly changing global business environment. Three blue‐chip companies decided to develop a new approach to middle management development which sought to create more meaningful managerial and organizational learning. In developing a new forum and putting managers through the event, the companies were able to deal with personal development and business improvement together through the use of the “complexity map” – the participants′ own representation of their complexity. While the forum has had successes, its challenging approach provokes opposition as well as change. However, for organizational learning to occur, such risks must be taken.

Investigates the differences in protocols between arbitral tribunals and courts, with particular emphasis on US, Greek and English law. Gives examples of each country and its way of using the law in specific circumstances, and shows the variations therein. Sums up that arbitration is much the better way to gok as it avoids delays and expenses, plus the vexation/frustration of normal litigation. Concludes that the US and Greek constitutions and common law tradition in England appear to allow involved parties to choose their own judge, who can thus be an arbitrator. Discusses e‐commerce and speculates on this for the future.

This chapter will examine ideological debates currently taking place in academics. Anthropologists – and all academic workers – are at a crossroads. They must determine what it means to “green the academy” in an era of permanent war, “green capitalism,” and the neoliberal university (Sullivan, 2010). As Victor Wallis makes clear, “no serious observer now denies the severity of the environmental crisis, but it is still not widely recognized as a capitalist crisis, that is, as a crisis arising from and perpetuated by the rule of capital, and hence incapable of resolution within the capitalist framework.”

This paper takes as its starting point observations and concerns of quality assurance staff in UK HEIs about the use of computer‐assisted assessment (CAA) collected in the 1999 National Survey into CAA. The issues raised are grouped into three categories: pedagogical; operational; and institutional; and the quality assurance issues for each area are addressed. Emphasis is placed on the institutional management of CAA, the development of quality assurance regulations and protocols and the evaluation of CAA systems. The paper makes suggestions about the co‐ordination of CAA within an institution and speculates on the future developments in computerised assessments and the increased importance of ensuring quality.

The purpose of the paper is to investigate how human resource professionals (HRPs), in a variety of organizations, responded to the crisis brought about by the event of COVID-19. In particular, it aims to show how organizations, across all sectors, in Western Australia responded with urgency and flexibility to the crisis and showed “resilience in practice”.

The study is based on 136 questionnaire responses, 32 interviews and 25 managerial narratives. The mixed qualitative methodology was designed to enable an investigation of the impact of COVID-19 and the response of HRPs.

HRPs have responded with agility and flexibility to the impact of COVID-19. They have done so through extensive trial and error, sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing. They have not simply activated a preconceived continuity plan.

The research indicates that resilience is an ongoing accomplishment of organizations and the people in them. The objective was description rather than prescription, and the research does not offer solutions to future pandemic-like situations.

The research suggests that, given the impact of COVID-19 on organizations, HR practices, processes and policies will need to be thoroughly reconsidered for relevance in the post-COVID world. Possible future directions are highlighted.

The research considers the actions of HRPs as they responded to a global crisis as the crisis unfolded.