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Reports on project work in six further education colleges in central England, supported by funding from the Further Educational Development Agency as part of its inclusive learning initiative. The project team investigated a range of materials for student analysis of learning styles, carried out a trial of chosen materials with class groups across a range of vocational subjects, and evaluated the usefulness of the materials to both students and lecturers. The outcomes of the project are analysed and set within the context of current developments in post‐16 education. A follow‐up study at one of the colleges is presented, and the implications of the project as a whole for college management are considered.

The findings reported here are part of a larger study of the role of middle managers in the UK further education colleges. The study proposes and discusses a typology for the middle manager role, analyses factors which facilitate and impede managers in role, and models the interaction of the college environment with the role. This process gives insight into the emerging concepts of professionalism, which are discussed here in relation to the literature of managerialism and “new” professionalism. The paper discusses what manifestations of new professionalism can be observed in the colleges, how perceptions of professionalism differ from role to role and from college to college, and how professionalism can be modelled and further understood.

This paper reports on aspects of a Nuffield‐funded study carried out in 2001‐2002 into the impact of government policy upon sixth form colleges. Case study research was carried out at five colleges, following regional and national surveys of sixth form colleges, general further education colleges and schools. This paper examines the environment for competition and collaboration within which the colleges work. It defines and discusses examples of positive and negative competition, and offers evidence of collaboration, largely to support curriculum development and provision. The implications of working within a market‐driven environment are examined.

The following classified, annotated list of titles is intended to provide reference librarians with a current checklist of new reference books, and is designed to supplement the RSR review column, “Recent Reference Books,” by Frances Neel Cheney. “Reference Books in Print” includes all additional books received prior to the inclusion deadline established for this issue. Appearance in this column does not preclude a later review in RSR. Publishers are urged to send a copy of all new reference books directly to RSR as soon as published, for immediate listing in “Reference Books in Print.” Reference books with imprints older than two years will not be included (with the exception of current reprints or older books newly acquired for distribution by another publisher). The column shall also occasionally include library science or other library related publications of other than a reference character.

Data collected from 319 senior executives and 2477 of their subordinates from a global diversified organization were used to explore the impact of differences in individual personality orientation on the processes by which these individuals enable their workgroups. Personality orientation was defined in terms of self‐ratings on four distinct groupings derived from a k‐means cluster analysis of self‐ratings on the Myers‐Briggs Type Indicator and the Kirton Adaptation Inventory. Perceptions of enablement and ratings of executive behavior were based on questionnaires completed by subordinates. Although no differences were found with respect to the overall degree of enablement experienced by subordinates, personality orientation did affect the specific behaviors employed by executives to enable others and the degree of managerial self‐awareness exhibited (operationalized as congruence in self vs. subordinates' ratings). Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Many jurisdictions fine illegal cartels using penalty guidelines that presume an arbitrary 10% overcharge. This article surveys more than 700 published economic studies and judicial decisions that contain 2,041 quantitative estimates of overcharges of hard-core cartels. The primary findings are: (1) the median average long-run overcharge for all types of cartels over all time periods is 23.0%; (2) the mean average is at least 49%; (3) overcharges reached their zenith in 1891–1945 and have trended downward ever since; (4) 6% of the cartel episodes are zero; (5) median overcharges of international-membership cartels are 38% higher than those of domestic cartels; (6) convicted cartels are on average 19% more effective at raising prices as unpunished cartels; (7) bid-rigging conduct displays 25% lower markups than price-fixing cartels; (8) contemporary cartels targeted by class actions have higher overcharges; and (9) when cartels operate at peak effectiveness, price changes are 60–80% higher than the whole episode. Historical penalty guidelines aimed at optimally deterring cartels are likely to be too low.