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The purpose of this paper is to undertake a critical consideration of the role of scenarios as prospective sensemaking devices through the dual theoretical perspectives of social constructionism and narrative.

The scholarly literature in the fields of strategy and scenario thinking, sensemaking, social construction and narrative are analysed and critically discussed, with their major contributions to the debate identified.

The main findings suggest that transformational change is observed to occur through inductive strategizing at the organization's periphery, in contrast with deductive strategy making at its centre. This causes one to question one's understanding of the strategist as a rational planner. An alternative perception of the strategist as interpretive bricoleur is offered. Adopting a scenario outlook and developing the capacities that comprise sensemaking are said to enhance the abilities of the inductive strategist. Through this, managers are more open to the unexpected and are able to construct meaning from uncertainty and ambiguity, laying the foundations for transformational strategizing. Originality/value – This paper is of value to both practitioners and scholars. For those involved in practical scenario construction it proposes a refocusing of scenarios from influencing managers’ decision making to enhancing their sensemaking capacities. For scholars, it supports and joins the call for strategy researchers to focus on how strategy in organisations is constructed and offers conceptual pointers on what may prove fruitful avenues to pursue. The paper concludes by proposing that through prospective sensemaking individuals can construct meaningful interpretations of their socially constructed worlds.

The purpose of this paper is to report on the Society for Scholarly Publishing's 30th Annual Meeting

Conference report

The meeting was an informative and welcoming event for any librarian interested in finding out what is happening in the world publishing

Provides a report on the Society for Scholarly Publishing's 30th Annual Meeting, which will help to promote dialogue and learning.

With the aim of developing a conceptual framework which aims to facilitate semantic metadata interoperability, this paper explores overarching conceptual issues on how traditional library information organisation schemes such as online public access catalogues (OPACs), taxonomies, thesauri, and ontologies on the one hand versus Web 2.0 technologies such as social tagging (folksonomies) can be harnessed to provide users with satisfying experiences.

This paper reviews works in relation to current metadata creation, utilisation and interoperability approaches, focusing on how a social constructivist philosophical perspective can be employed to underpin metadata decisions in digital libraries. Articles are retrieved from databases such as EBSCO host and Emerald and online magazines such as D‐Lib and Ariadne. Books, news articles and blog posts that are deemed relevant are also used to support the arguments put forward in this paper.

Current metadata approaches are deeply authoritative and metadata deployments in digital libraries tend to favour an objectivist approach with focus on metadata simplicity. It is argued that unless information objects are enriched with metadata generated through a collaborative and user‐driven approach, achieving semantic metadata interoperability in digital libraries will remain difficult.

In this paper, it is indicated that the number of metadata elements (fields) constituting a standard has a direct bearing on metadata richness, which in turn directly affects semantic interoperability. It is expected that this paper will contribute towards a better understanding of harnessing user‐driven metadata.

As suggested in this paper, a conceptual metadata framework underpinned by a social constructivist approach substantially contributes to semantic interoperability in digital libraries.

States that owing to foresight and planning by Portuguese business executives, most firms in Portugal survived the difficult 1970s and 1980s and, as a consequence, are stronger in today’s competitive internal and external challenges. Sets out the methodology used and gives data analysis and results in a descriptive way, with the use of explanatory tables. Closes by stating that time‐based differentiation may offer new ways for firms competing in highly differentiated markets.

The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the role of education as the formal means for preparing people for the future, outlining the need for interdisciplinary and systemic use of new learning technologies to re‐align with present learning needs.

Using the lens of Miller's Living Systems Theory, such a collaboration between learning scientists, educators, and policy makers is now both possible and necessary because of emerging learning technologies.

Using these learning technologies across the curriculum throughout a learner's life will assist them to adapt within increasingly fast‐paced, interconnected, and complex systems.

Administrators should collaborate with teachers, organizations, learning scientists, and students, themselves to integrate these new learning technologies in substantive new ways that enhance future conciousness.

The paper provides a potential bridge between the abstract notion of future consciousness and the proliferating use of new learning technologies. Educational leaders may find here ideas for situating their institutional visions, missions, and strategic directions.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the relationship between three concepts: organisations, transformability and the dynamics of strategy. These three concepts together with their interrelationships are central in explaining the life cycle of organisations, their survival and renewal.

The development of this explanation has been based on bringing together a diversity of perspectives. Each perspective provides a horizon of understanding by directing attention in a particular way. The benefits of this approach are that it avoids the pitfalls of one‐dimensionalism. This approach more accurately reflects the multi‐faceted reality within which organisations operate.

Discusses, compares and contextualises the findings and approaches of the papers in this special issue.

The perspectives considered represent a small sample of the diversity that exists. However, this sample as serves a starting‐point in developing a wider, more holistic debate that aims to bring theory and practice together.

The purpose of this paper is to look back on 150 years of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and reflect on the recent challenges to organised labour.

Places unions in their current context and discusses how they have responded to the challenge of declining membership.

With declining membership levels and the lack of a “silver bullet” solution, unions continue to face many challenges, although there is some light at the end of the organising tunnel.

This paper introduces the special issue which reflects on 150 years of the TUC.

In considering my academic history as a professor both in marketing and management, I hope to demonstrate that it is possible to research challenging and interesting topics in a variety of guises.

The presentation is primarily chronological but also, to some degree, selective. I have focused on my research activities but not forgotten the importance, at least to me, of both academic administration and indeed a broader set of interests in more general terms.

While there is inevitably a significant degree of path dependency in my academic career, I have also been quite keen to explore more broadly both the boundaries of my subjects and the application of various different research methods. I have been particularly fortunate to have worked with some excellent academic colleagues and stimulating doctoral students.

I believe there are a twin set of implications for other academics; however, I would emphasise that there is no single right way. For me it has been important to pick topics which are of interest to others and at the same time try and demonstrate some distinctive value added in my approach.

I hope that those who are earlier in their career will take heart from two principles, one being to do one’s best to be in interesting places and the other to work closely with colleagues who have challenging and different perspectives.