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If schools do not adequately meet the needs of their parental community, then over time the students and resources on which those schools depend are likely to suffer a progressive decline or withdrawal. There are administrative implications of this for all schools, but particularly perhaps for non‐government schools. In order to remain responsive to the needs and expectations of their supporting parent environments, schools must develop methods of communication whereby they may exchange evaluative information about performance. This study examined some of the issues and channels of communication between one school and its parent body. From a sample comprising 187 of the parent body, it seems clear that parents had definite preferences regarding the content of, and procedures for, communications with the school. The four issues identified as of most importance for discussion between the school and the parents were: academic progress; teacher, parent and child relationships; vocational guidance and careers; and behavior/discipline. The most preferred method for finding out what is happening at the school was by weekly circular from the school. On the other hand, parents showed a general preference for direct, personal methods of communicating their own concerns to the school. There was some variability of results according to the year level of the student. The study suggests a number of administrative strategies which the school can implement to enable it to remain open to the ideas, preferences and expectations of parents.

Computer‐based educational information systems can extend the “bounded rationality” of administrative decision making. They structure the administrator's problem‐solving approach and systematize the communication linkages within organizations. They produce information for providing decision makers with a more complete knowledge, an increased range of alternatives, and an improved capability for anticipating decision consequences.

Purpose: This paper aims to present the case study of the SHE (Šibenik Hub for Ecology) hub project, ecofeminist business practice in Croatia. The SHE hub is a sustainable tourism project based around issues of ‘ethical consumerism’ and sustainable development and shows that is possible to implement ecofeminist ideas in business.

Method: Paper is divided into two parts. The first part is theoretical and presents an overview of relevant literature regarding ecofeminism, sustainable development, corporate social responsibility and green consumerism. The second part is a case study of the SHE hub project, based on analysis of the project website, content analysis of the media coverage regarding the project and an in-depth interview with project initiator.

Findings: The results show that strengthening of the ethical consumerism movement has given a new impetus to the realisation of ecofeminist projects in real life and that SHE hub is a good example of this. Although the SHE hub has insufficient transformative social potential, it is important to notice that sustainable change always begins with small steps.

Originality/value: The topic of the relationship between social corporate responsibility and ecofeminism has not been researched, so this case study represents a valuable contribution to the research of this relationship.

During the 1990s the value to an intending professional accountant of undertaking a period of liberal (general) studies was promoted internationally by a number of individuals and organisations, including the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (the “Institute”). The Institute significantly changed its admissions policy for Chartered Accountants in 1996 and one change was to require four years of degree level study with a compulsory liberal studies component. This study surveys the perceptions of New Zealand accounting practitioners on the impact of this compulsory liberal component. The results of this study demonstrate that there is little support from accounting practitioners for IFAC’s claim that liberal education “can contribute significantly to the acquisition of professional skills”, including intellectual, personal and communication skills. In addition, the majority of respondents did not perceive any improvements in the professional skills of the staff that had qualified under the Institute’s current admissions policy. However, any perceived improvements were mainly attributed to the Institute’s admissions policy change. Notwithstanding the lack of support for the assertion that liberal education develops professional skills, there is a strong belief by respondents in the value of liberal education for intending professional accountants.

This chapter focuses on ecofeminism that primarily refers to feminist theory and activism informed by ecology. Ecofeminism is concerned with real connections between humans and Nature, as also by the domination of Nature by man and, specifically, by women's subservience to men. The foundational ecofeminist assumption is that environmental issues are basically feminist issues, and vice versa. It believes that ecofeminism, best understood and operationalized, can restore Mother Nature (endangered by industrial extraction and exploitation) and reassure rights to animals (deanimalized and threatened by factory farming). Although ecofeminism is a diverse movement, ecofeminist theorists share the presupposition that social transformation is necessary for ecological survival, that intellectual transformation of dominant modes of thought must accompany social transformation, that Nature teaches and reveals nondualistic, nonhierarchical systems of relations that are models for social transformation of values, and that human and cultural diversity are values in social transformation; some of these values and movements even influenced the world via the UN. Accordingly, this chapter highlights major positive contributions of ecofeminism.