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The purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of the recent recession on both the automotive manufacturer as well as their suppliers. The research aims to identify if the impact has been the same at each of the organizations, or if there has been a difference.

This paper carries out a case study research, into the need for suppliers to increase their responsiveness following recession and the impact this has had on supplier relations. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were carried out at the vehicle manufacturer with two members of production control staff from VMUK plus seven production control staff at seven tier 1 suppliers to VMUK.

Supply chains have been enhanced through an increased level of responsiveness, following the economic downturn and supplier relations have had a positive impact post-recession.

Literature argues that competitive advantage can be achieved through responsiveness, and that responsiveness is critical during a period of volatility and market uncertainty. Furthermore, literature also argues that competitive advantage can be achieved through positive supplier relations. This study investigates both of these arguments.

This study concludes that the positive supplier relations offer a competitive advantage when there is no cost advantage to be found elsewhere. Furthermore, this study concludes that as a direct impact of the recession, supplier relations have improved within the case studies investigated.

Information systems (IS) managers have become key senior executives for organising the IT resources for delivering support to businesses. Understanding characteristics of IS managers’ employment positions is hence an increasingly important topic in computer personnel research. An investigation in Singapore that included a job advertisement analysis, surveys and case studies was thus conducted to investigate such aspects. This article presents the findings of the job advertisement analysis concerning what kinds of IS managers the market is seeking and what are the basic conditions for such management positions. The literature in this area asserts that job advertisements represent firms’ wishes and the nature of the conditions required of different IS personnel. The results of this analysis therefore reflect a collective market perspective about the changing IS managerial workplace. The results of the analysis benefit both firms and IS employees in formulating personnel development plans and actions, and raise issues for further research.

This Editorial Viewpoint explores what changes are taking place in manufacturing technology management with the aim of identifying future challenges that should be represented in the scope of JMTM.

The viewpoints use an analysis of relevant articles in JMTM, published since 2007, which have focused on future challenges for manufacturing. It also draws on two recent reports.

While the analysis confirms the inclusion of some subjects already in the journal scope, there are elsewhere gaps that merit it being expanded.

Evidence for the findings is only from a limited number of articles identified in this journal together supplemented by other secondary sources.

There are implications for practice concerning the future of manufacturing from the analysis and the sources used, especially the reports.

Although it has limitations, the article is based on original bibliographic research.

In 2009, the European Operations Management Association (EurOMA) celebrates its 15th anniversary and its precursor, the UK OMA, its 25th anniversary. The purpose of this paper is to review the origins and foundations of today's EurOMA and how it has progressed to being a vibrant and successful organisation.

The review draws on archived documents, especially newsletters and board minutes, as well as memories of all of those involved.

The review shows an important evolution from two groups of like minded individuals, through building annual conferences and brings these together as one. It then shows how it has evolved both through formalisation of its activities, building international links and, most importantly, developing a portfolio of activities to develop and support young researchers.

Where records are not available, the paper draws on individual memories of events from a long time ago.

As well as providing an invaluable record, it can provide a model for the development of similar organisations.

Social policy in the UK has subsumed race inequality into a wider framework of inequalities, managing diversity and social exclusion. However, the David Bennett Inquiry and the Race Relations Amendment Act (2000) have placed ‘race’ firmly back onto the policy agenda, particularly within mental health services. In response to the Inquiry and as part of a wider strategy, the Department of Health has set out proposals to improve mental health services to black and minority ethnic (BME) communities. Although there is a long history of race equality training to address race inequality in public services in the UK, the definition and effectiveness of race equality training remains unclear.This paper presents an overview of approaches to training in the UK, the evidence of effectiveness and explores whether cultural competency is an appropriate and adequate framework to address race inequality.

This chapter discusses the experiences of black men who encounter the phenomena of a mental health diagnosis, detention and death in a forensic setting in England. Although there are black women with mental health issues who have also died in forensic settings, the occurrence is significantly higher for men who become demonised as ‘Big, Black, Bad and dangerous’. The author discusses the historical over representation of mental ill health amongst black people in the general community and the plethora or reasons attributed to this. The author then discusses the various points of entry into the criminal justice system, where black men with mental health issues are over represented. The author explores some inquiries into the deaths of black men in custody and the recommendations that were subsequently made, which successive governments have failed to act upon. The author argues that the term ‘Institutional Racism’ is insufficient to explain this phenomenon; and offers her own theoretical interpretation which is a combination of systemic racism influenced by post-colonial conceptualisation

It is again suggested that people from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities comprise a disproportionately high percentage of mental health inpatients. Furthermore, the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) concluded the Department of Health (DH) did not have ‘due regard’ to the Race Equality Duty, retaining major concerns regarding the ability of the DH to ensure future compliance (CRE, 2007). In light of these ongoing problems the DH published a five‐year action plan, Delivering Race Equality (DRE) in Mental Health Care to develop race equality and cultural competence training for mental health practitioners (DH, 2005).A focused review of literature was undertaken, structured around three questions.1. How is cultural competence in mental health care defined?2. How is cultural competence in mental health care delivered?3. How is the delivery of cultural competence in mental health care evaluated?Consensus is lacking on definition of cultural competence and on the sequence of when the components should be acquired, some terms being used interchangeably. It is unclear how cultural competence in mental health care can be delivered. No attempts have been adequately evaluated, particularly by service users (Bhui et al, 2007). More innovative research is needed to develop a consensual definition of cultural competence and to facilitate the delivery and evaluation of such, in ways acceptable to service users and service providers.