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In light of the faster than expected take up of the community interest company (CIC) in the UK, the purpose of this paper is to revisit findings from a study undertaken in 2000 on the impact of asset‐locks on the longevity, growth and management styles in co‐operative social enterprises.

This paper is both conceptual and empirical. It examines different worker co‐operative traditions and develops a meta‐theory that explains underlying assumptions in different forms of co‐operative social enterprise. Using empirical data from five common ownership co‐operatives and five equity‐based co‐operatives, this exploratory study finds differences in management style, access to finance and growth prospects both within and between the two groups.

Devolution of management responsibilities is more prevalent in co‐operatives permitting both individual and collective ownership, as opposed to common ownership. Access to external finance is less problematic for organisations where individuals have made investments. Despite this, it is not established that organisations with external equity or loan finance grow quicker or fare better over the longer term.

The value of the paper lies both in the development of a meta‐theoretical framework for differentiating forms of worker co‐operative, as well as empirical evidence on the impact of asset‐locks in the management and development of social enterprises. The study suggests that the companies limited by share (CLS) version of the CIC, or abandonment of the CIC in favour of an appropriately structured CLS or Industrial and Provident Society model, may be appropriate for social enterprises wishing to grow, but makes little difference in small service oriented social enterprises.

Economic rationalism is a major driver of the education system in many parts of the world. In the scramble to facilitate economic rationalism, the education needs required at national level to keep nations, like Australia, competitive into the twenty‐first century have not been fully considered. Such countries have ignored the needs of education for the first‐tier requirements of global organisations. First‐tier decision making is that aspect of centralized decision making activities, usually in highly developed countries, undertaken by those who can direct and control organizations, confining the rest of the world to lower levels of activity and income. Income, status, authority and consumption patterns radiate out from this tier along a declining curve. Neglecting the needs of the first tier has relegated education users to a follower, second‐ or third‐tier position. This paper considers this three‐tier system and how it relates to the Australian context that aspires to a first‐tier position.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the contribution of corporate architecture to social value creation. It especially analyses the social effects of investments in experiential corporate architecture that have been carried out by Italian industrial companies.

This study follows a qualitative approach. It is based on a survey and semi-structured in-depth interviews undertaken with six Italian industrial companies. The dimensions of the social-entrepreneurship model (innovativeness, proactiveness, risk management) proposed by Weerawardena and Sullivan Mort were chosen as a framework to investigate the social effects of investments in corporate architecture.

The social effects of the innovativeness dimension are the integration of the company with the territory and development of sustainability. Proactiveness is related to improving the employees’ wellbeing in the workplace and the community’s quality of life. Risk management ensures the development of the local economic-social fabric.

This study combines social entrepreneurship and corporate architecture by highlighting the social effects of corporate architecture. Further, it proposes the structural embeddedness of the company in the territory of reference, a sense for beauty, and a sense of gift giving as further entrepreneurial traits that are generally not proposed in the social entrepreneurship literature.

The results of this study suggest that top management should consider: that investments in corporate architecture are a deliberate strategy of the company; that profits are not a purpose in and of themselves, but rather a means to achieve the social mission’s objectives; and the relationship with architects in terms of mutual involvement in order to understand corporate and local needs and effectively transform them into appropriate architectural solutions.

Corporate architecture can help to solve a number of social problems, such as improving the community’s quality of life, providing employments opportunities, allowing the community to benefit from places of socialisation and aggregation, and offering facilities and services that support culture and encourage cultural exchange. Given that the social benefits are reciprocal, all stakeholders should financially support companies that invest in corporate architecture.

To the knowledge, this is the first study to connect social entrepreneurship and corporate architecture. This research brings to light some Italian industrial companies that are investing in corporate architecture to create social value in the twenty-first century, after the pioneering investments of the Olivetti company.

This paper examines the employment relations (ERs) scenario in Indian organisations. The investigation is based on a questionnaire survey of 137 Indian firms in the manufacturing sector. The analysis of existing literature highlights the role of three key actors (management, unions, and the state) in the management of ERs in Indian organisations. It also shows the significant impact of the competitive pressures created by the liberalisation of the Indian economy in the changing nature of ERs in Indian firms. The study has key implications both for academicians and for practitioners.

The purpose of this research is to measure Organizational Learning Capability (OLC) perception in the managers of public, private and multinational organizations and establish the link between OLC and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach – The data were collected from a sample of 612 managers randomly drawn from Indian industry, using a questionnaire survey. Findings – Organizational capability perception for the managers of the IT sector and of multinational firms was the highest, while it was lowest for the engineering sector. Mixed results were found for the market indicators of firm performance, i.e. firm's financial turnover and firm's profit as predictors of OLC in Indian organizations, where financial turnover was predicting organizational learning capability. Research limitations/implications – The research paper does not test the possibility of firm performance affecting OLC, which may be true, and the author acknowledges it as a limitation of the research study. Future studies may investigate this further. Originality/value – The managers felt that the processes for encouragement of experimentation and environmental scanning needed more attention in Indian industry. The variable of sensitivity to people and their potential provides implications for a rigorous talent management strategy. If adequate attention is paid to this dimension, then it can lead to gaining of competitive advantage, through retention and development of key talent.

Although workaholism in organizations has received considerable popular attention, our understanding of it based on research evidence is limited. This results from the absence of both suitable definitions and measures of the concept. The purpose of this paper is to examine gender differences in three workaholism components, workaholic job behaviors and work and well‐being outcomes among Norwegian journalists.

Data are collected from 211 journalists (138 males and 68 females) using anonymously completed questionnaires, with a 43 percent response rate.

Females and males are found to differ on some personal and situational demographic characteristics, and on one of three workaholism components (feeling driven to work, females scoring higher). Females however report higher levels of particular outcomes (e.g. negative affect, exhaustion) and less professional efficacy, likely to be associated with lower levels of satisfaction and well‐being. Females and males score similarly on the experience of flow at work and absenteeism.

All data are collected using self report questionnaires. It is not clear the extent to which these findings would generalize to men and women in other occupations.

This study adds to the small but growing literature on flow and optimal experience in organizations.

Research was conducted to investigate whether, and how, political accountability might stabilise when agents are faced with profound changes in external structures such as competition laws and austerity policies.

We performed a field study from 2007 to 2015 in a regional hub in Finland and worked with data from document analysis, interviews and meeting observations. We have used embedded research design, where we apply methodological bracketing as well as composite sequence analysis for field research.

Accountability declined when irresistible external structures were the dominant influence on the unreflective actions of agents-in-focus. With time, however, the agents started acting critically by drawing on structures that could facilitate strategic actions to stabilise political accountability.

The field research and interpretation of the data were limited to the organisation analysed; however, the theoretical arguments allow for analytical generalisations.

The research demonstrates how public officials and political decision-makers can eventually adopt a strategic approach when faced with irresistible change in external structures.

The research demonstrates how public officials and political decision-makers can eventually adopt a strategic approach when faced with irresistible changes in external structures.

The study locates political accountability in the context of strong structuration theory and discusses how it is redefined by external structures.

The purpose of this paper is to address the recent calls for an in-depth investigation of the entrepreneurial marketing (EM) practices of small businesses and a further conceptual development of EM under market uncertainty. Drawing on the EM mix (i.e. person, purpose, practices and process), the authors aim to conceptualise EM under market uncertainty through principles of effectual networking.

The authors conducted an in-depth case study of an owner-manager who networks with many different stakeholders to create new markets for wool in the Norwegian wool industry.

Situated within the creative and craft-based industries, the study demonstrates that market uncertainty can be reduced through effectual networking to produce highly beneficial outcomes for small businesses. The findings give rise to a new model of the EM mix under uncertainty, emphasising the role of the owner-manager (i.e. person) and the purpose as the outset and driving force of the EM process. These two elements constitute the initial means in the means-driven EM process and the foundation for subsequent EM practices. The person, purpose and practices interact iteratively, and focal effectual networking principles guide EM practices.

This paper expands and contextualises existing theories on EM under market uncertainty by introducing the effectual networking perspective. This represents a hitherto under-investigated area of research in small business marketing.

Examines the current attack on the legitimacy of the administrative state, and the question of how public administration should respond, in light of Weber’s account of bureaucratic domination. Finds in Weber a political theorist who rejects rather explicity the claim that bureaucracy can articulate and defend substantive values properly or wisely; one who provides an account of why administrators ‐ notwithstanding their considerable talents ‐ are an especially threatening participant in struggles over the ends of the state. Explores Weber’s account of the tension between political leadership and a system based increasingly on expertise and instrumental rationality. Explains how Weber’s analysis offers fresh insight into the current dilemma of public administration with respect to its role in governance and its search for professional status.

Customers are widely demanding that organizations be committed to achieving higher and higher standards, in return for their loyal support. Information technology (IT) can potentially help to achieve this commitment, and we examine some successful cases. Yet, for most organizations, the implementation of such strategies is fraught with problems. Databases which should be gold mines degenerate into dustbins, and inter‐departmental strife tears apart the organization's commitments. We examine how organizations can negotiate binding commitments to customers, which cross departmental boundaries, and draw some lessons about the successful use of IT to support organization's marketing objectives.