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This research draws on social identity literature and intersectionality to examine the social construction of race, gender, and sexuality within hip-hop music and how this shapes the identity development of college students. Data were collected from 26 college students through semi-structured interviews. Participants described men as being portrayed as hyper-masculine and identified lyrics that supported toxic masculinity. Participants reported that the dominant theme in hip-hop today centered on “trappin” or selling drugs and glamorized that life. African American men, in particular, described how this theme in music shaped the narrative around race and masculinity, how others saw them as Black men, and how they had to counter that image and stereotype as college students. Participants described the negative portrayal of women in hip-hop. However, women participants were more conflicted in their perception of women in hip-hop and said that when women were the artists this illustrated more agency and was liberating even if the images and lyrics were sexualized. Participants were adamant that constructions of gender and sexuality within hip-hop music and videos shaped expectations within relationships. Despite the criticisms of hip-hop, participants described how raising consciousness through hip-hop affected their own identities. This research contextualizes the findings with a discussion of how popular culture shapes identity around race, gender, and sexuality and shapes the expectations within relationships. Further, the research concludes with a discussion of intersectionality and how this provides a better understanding of the effects of identity development among marginalized groups.

The competition reality television show Dragula (Boulet Brothers, 2016-present) features a parade of monsters from the horror canon. Each episode, queer drag artists present outfits based on the show's aesthetic tenants: horror, filth and glamour. Nearly every outfit presented by the show's contestants, dubbed ‘drag monsters’, features some element of monstrosity and many pay specific homage to monsters from horror cinema. In drawing the monster figure into the world of gender performance, Dragula showcases the vast queer possibility of the monster figure. Like queerness itself, these drag monsters prove monstrosity is fluid and need not by associated to any one specific gender; the monster figure provides a canvas on which these artists can move between both human and non-human and male and female. This chapter traces the show's horror lineage – most notably the text from which it queers its name, Bram Stroker's Dracula (1987), and Stephen King's Carrie (1974) as well as the alternative precedent set by the drag legend Divine. Its analysis demonstrates Dragula's creative power in reimaging gender beyond the binary of man/woman by way of the monster figure.

To introduce the papers in the special issue.

Provides a brief review of the papers.

The papers cover a broad variety of human resource topics and the range of separate public services, including the impact of performance indicators on HRM practices in the NHS; the impact of Government policy on employment relations in the Fire Service; the use of 360° appraisal systems to improve performance management in the civil service; the impact of “best value” reviews upon HR in local government; the outcomes of new “partnership” relationships between management and unions in a local authority facing a “best value” review; and experimentation with job re‐design in the NHS.

Provides a summary of the perspectives considered within the issue.

The concomitance of black-skinned student-populated colleges and universities on the African continent has created a quiescence regarding whiteness, racism, and disparity in African higher education. Resultantly, scant attention has been paid to the role and possibilities for Black populated colleges across the African continent to transform the political, social, and economic realities of African nation-states. In fact, the confluence of Western imperialism, slavery, genocide, and the contemporary frame of terrorism is highly correlated with the seeming permanence of war, oppression, and poverty across the African diaspora in general and on the African continent in specific.

Black people, as members of a historically underrepresented and marginalized racial identity group in the workplace, are often confronted with identity references – face-to-face encounters in which their race is referenced by a White colleague in a comment, question or joke. Identity references can be interpreted by a Black colleague in a variety of ways (e.g. as hostile and insulting or well-intentioned, even flattering). Identity references can derail the building of relationships across difference, but under certain conditions may open the door for deeper understanding and connection. The conceptual framework in this article delineates conditions under which an identity reference may elicit an initial negative reaction, yet, when engaged directly, may lead to generative experiences and promote higher connection and learning in relationships across difference.

This article builds theory on identity references by incorporating relevant research on race, identity, diversity, attribution and interpersonal relationships at work.

The framework identifies a common precursor to identity references and three factors that are likely to influence the attribution a Black person makes for a White colleague's identity reference. It then describes how, based on that attribution, a Black person is likely to respond to the White referencer, and how that response is likely to affect their interpersonal relationship over time.

By explicating how a single identity reference can have significant implications for relationships across difference, the framework deepens understanding of how race affects the development of interpersonal relationships between Black and White colleagues at work. In doing so, this article advances research on race, diversity, workplace relationships and positive organizational scholarship.

When it comes to performance metrics, one size definitely does not fit ail—the right metric applied at the wrong time can stunt corporate growth.

As organizations attempt to deal with change that is transforming, research has identified factors that need to be present in order to optimize the change transformation. The purpose of this research paper is to focus on those critical success factors.

After presenting a summary of the identified success factors, a combined quantitative and qualitative research methodology focusing on a single case study examines these critical factors in more depth.

Presented are identified factors of previous research, and two additional critical factors are revealed: flexible curriculum – the need for a comprehensive action plan having a prescribed curriculum; and perception of personal gain – the need to present a clear understanding addressing the aspirations and individual personal goals of those who are both involved and affected by the significant change.

Beyond the limitations inherent in conducting both qualitative and quantitative research on a single case study, the emphasis of this investigation was at one end of a success continuum. While the focus was on the critical and important factors (one end), that leaves the discussion of any other factors and the continuum itself for future research.

By having an action plan that addresses the critical factors for dealing with significant change, the organization increases its chances of a successful transformation, and it may also become a more flexible organization able to deal with future change.

Through this research, two new critical success factors are identified that have impact upon organizations attempting to go through a major significant change transformation.