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The purpose of the study is to develop knowledge on the implementation of Hoshin Kanri (HK) in small manufacturing companies. Two research questions are addressed: (1) what factors influence the implementation of HK in small manufacturing companies? (2) How do the factors influence the implementation of HK in small manufacturing companies?

The research presented in this paper is based on an extensive literature review and data from the implementation process in five small manufacturing companies. In the literature review, factors influencing the implementation of HK, lean production and total quality management (TQM) in small manufacturing firms are identified. Thereafter, five implementation cases are analyzed. Findings from the cases are then contrasted with the factors identified in the literature and further theorized.

Seven factors were found to either enable or hamper HK implementation in small manufacturing companies. Management involvement was identified as a critical factor. Management involvement can be typologized as collaborative or demanding, and the types of involvement is decisive in implementation processes within the small manufacturing company context.

In this paper, the authors focus on small manufacturing companies as the starting point and relate theoretical and practical results to the implementation processes in this defined target group. Conceptualizing implementation as a learning process, this research contributes to this emerging perspective on small firm development.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the basic principles and introduction of the Hoshin Kanri (HK) strategic management system, as related to the management practices in manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

This paper reports the findings from the introduction of HK to four manufacturing SMEs by following an assistance support-based research approach where teams of coaches and researchers observed and learned from the introduction phase. The overall design of the project is theory building and learning oriented.

It is suggested that the successful introduction of a strategic management system in manufacturing SMEs has to balance the inherent level of formalization therein, with the individual company’s management practices. Based on HK as the strategic management system, pDCA is proposed as an alternative approach to the introduction, matching differences in management practices.

The explorative nature of this research provides room for subsequent studies by elaborating the knowledge on the introduction of strategic management systems in SMEs.

Awareness of the existing managerial practices is essential when introducing a new strategic management system in manufacturing SMEs. Such awareness is the starting point of customizing the introduction, so that proper levels of engagement and flexibility can be balanced with increasing systematic formalization, and optimized adequacy.

Following an assistance support-based research approach the result of this research project is summarized in the iterative pDCA model emphasizing engagement and flexibility when incrementally introducing strategic management systems in SMEs. This model addresses a hitherto under-researched topic in strategic management.

In this chapter, we explore the impact of socioemotional and financial wealth on the resource management of family firms. We use MoDo, a Swedish pulp and paper firm, covering three generations of owner-managers from 1873 to 1991, to grasp the shifting emphases on socioemotional and financial wealth in the management of the company. Identifying four strategic issues of decisive importance for the development of MoDo, we analyze the organizational values that guided the management of these issues. We propose that financial and socioemotional wealth stand for two different rationalities that infuse organizational values. The MoDo case illustrates how these rationalities go hand in hand for extended periods of time, safeguarding both financial success and socioemotional endowments. However, in a situation where the rationalities are no longer in line with the development of the industry context, the conflict arising between the two rationalities may have fatal consequences for the firm in question.

The primary purpose of this paper was to perform an in‐depth analysis of the strategic process that occurs within family firms.

This study analyzed the historical development of the growth strategies of four family firms in the US, Finland, and Sweden.

The results of this study suggest that family firms typically adopt conservative strategies in the early part of their life cycle. During their formative years, family firms often implement financially conservative strategies and place an emphasis on maintaining tight control of the strategic decision‐making process within the family unit. However, the competitive pressures experienced by family firms over time often force these companies to embrace a more entrepreneurial posture during the latter stages of their life cycle.

The stage in the company life cycle plays an important role in determining the strategic behavior of family firms. Future research aimed at replicating the results of this study may help shed further light on the strategic process that occurs within family firms.

Although the firms examined in this study were from various cultures, their strategic development over time was very similar. This tentatively suggests that the evolution of the strategic process that occurs within family firms may be generalizable across cultures.

Our findings indicate that there may be an important distinction between family firms and entrepreneurial organizations. That is, all family firms are not necessarily entrepreneurial, especially early on in their company life cycle.

Technology-facilitated violence and abuse is a truly global problem. As the diverse perspectives and experiences featured in this book have shown, the deep entanglement between technologies, inequality, marginalization, abuse, and violence require multi-faceted and collaborative responses that exist within and beyond the law. When this chapter was written, society was (and continues to be) facing an unprecedented challenge in COVID-19 – a global pandemic. At the same time, a renewed focus on racist police and civilian violence has occurred following the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor in the United States. As we describe in this chapter, these two major moments are ongoing reminders of the profound social inequalities within our global communities, which are grounded in systemically discriminatory oppressions and their intersections. This chapter draws together some thoughts on technology-facilitated violence and abuse in an era of COVID-19 and antiracist protest. It explores these within the context of the book as a whole, highlighting the importance for improved understanding of, and responses to, technology-facilitated violence and abuse as part of a broader push for social justice.

As society becomes more technology oriented, cyberstalking is becoming an increasing concern. The purpose of this paper is to compare US state and federal statutory and case law to a survey of public perception of cyberstalking to examine if cyberstalking laws reflect public opinion.

A national sample of 303 participants ranging in age from 18 to 69 years (M=33.35, SD=10.45) completed a novel cyberstalking survey and demographic questionnaire. The survey encompassed participants’ perceptions about the scope of cyberstalking as a crime, views on punishment of cyberstalking, and behaviors they have engaged in online or experienced from others that could constitute cyberstalking.

Findings indicated numerous areas of disagreement between public perception and statutory case law, such as a public preference that cyberstalking be treated as a separate offense from stalking, that a threat of violence is not required for behavior to constitute cyberstalking, and that there should be a private civil cause of action for cyberstalking. Findings also indicated that a substantial minority of participants had engaged in or been the victim of cyber actions that could be considered cyberstalking, and that the public preferred sanctions other than incarceration for cyberstalking.

This is the first study to examine whether cyberstalking policy in the USA reflects public perception of cyberstalking.

Previous research has documented a negative association between subjective well-being and different forms of victimization. The present study aims to examine differences in well-being among university student victims of cyber dating abuse and bullying after controlling for acceptance of dating violence.

This a cross-sectional study involving 1,657 Spanish university students (62.1% females, 37.1% males) using a quantitative approach.

The multiple regression analysis results showed that the university students who reported low bullying victimization and low acceptance of dating violence also reported higher emotional, social and psychological well-being, although the association between bullying and well-being was weak. No relationship was found between cyber dating abuse victimization and the well-being dimensions examined (emotional, social and psychological). Indeed, the participants not involved in any form of abuse and the cyber dating abuse victims presented the highest level of emotional, social and psychological well-being compared to the bullying victims and the combined victims.

Prevention and intervention programs need to specifically address bullying and cyber dating abusive in university, with a special focus on normative beliefs about both types of victimization and offering different sources of support to overcome negative consequences on mental health.

This paper analyzes the subjective well-being correlates simultaneously in victims of cyber dating abuse and bullying among university students without assuming that every form of victimization has the same mental health outcomes.

The purpose of this paper is: first, to consider the reported problems in sexual function caused by psychotropic medication. Second, the complex undertaking of completing an assessment of sexual functioning. Third, the role of the pharmaceutical industry is explored. Finally, implications for future research and practice are suggested.

As a commentary this paper draws on the available literature to synthesise what is already known about the relationship between psychoactive substances and sexual functioning.

The limited literature and lack of research attention given to psychotropic induced sexual dysfunction limits our collective understanding of how many people are affected and in what way.

A greater focus on psychotropic induced sexual dysfunction is needed for people with a dual diagnosis. There has been an over reliance on single case studies and self-reporting. Large scale epidemiological investigation would help understand the extent and nature of the problem more fully. The demographic shift particularly in relation to an ageing population should be considered as psychotropic substances effect individuals in different ways as they grow older.

There is scope for workers to engage more fully in a conversation with clients about their experience of using psychotropic substances and how this has impacted their sexual functioning. The literature suggests that clients want to talk about this issue but staff are unwilling or unable to discuss the topic.

To the authors’ knowledge this is the first paper that draws on the available literature to explore the known and likely implications of psychotropic induced sexual dysfunction for this client group.