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The ranks of upper and middle managers of multinational business firms include more and more people whose native language is not that of their corporate home country. Two factors are largely responsible for this trend and its continuation: the desire of a growing number of companies to hire the best management talent available, irrespective of the potential candidates' nationality; and the pressure exerted by host countries to have an ever‐increasing number of their own nationals involved in decison‐making processes, even in expatriate companies. These influences have wide‐ranging implications, for they directly affect the communication processes and practices of multi‐nationals.

The aim of this study is to understand how parents-to-be expect their future holidays with their first child to change accordingly, and most important the reasoning behind this.

By the use of a qualitative-explorative research approach (Grounded Theory method), ten in-depth interviews were done with Dutch parents-to-be, expecting their first child.

The results show that emotional response ranks high in terms of the occurred changes, which originate from a set of interrelated consequences. A strong link with a deep fundamental basis rooted in daily life values can be made.

To surmount the limitations of this study observational methods would have to be employed. The collection of information relating to decision making can only evoke faults if the research would take place after the couples transform into parents-to-be through a setting of a longitudinal study. In addition, generalization should be carefully taken into account in terms of cultural backgrounds, which can devise changes as well.

This will oblige the tourism industry to consider product differentiation to serve this segment better and to capture a competitive position in the dynamic tourism industry.

The holiday has been perceived as a part of daily life and should create a certain degree of added value which refers to a deeper fundamental basis. Therefore, it can be argued that this study contributed to the decision-making literature by going beyond the scope of family holidays.

One reason for the poor performance of UK industry in the management of technology is the rift between corporate decision‐making and technology as a discipline, creating a barrier to the influence of technologists on policy making. This paper presents evidence from recent secondary sources, which indicates the weak position of technologists by comparison with other specialists in organisational hierarchies. Reasons for this relative lack of organisational power can be found both in the aspirations and attitudes of technologists and in culturally‐induced organisational structures, which act to severely limit the participation of technologists in decision‐making at the highest levels. Some cross‐national comparisons are referred to. Suggestions are made for ways in which a more even balance between disciplines within UK companies might be achieved.

This paper aims to describe the emerging practice of joint management‐stakeholder‐committees (JMSCs) in which corporate executives take decisions in collaboration with stakeholders.

To identify firms involving stakeholders in their governance arrangements, the authors analysed 51 companies regularly participating in Business in the Community's Corporate Responsibility Index in the UK. The data provided by the index as well as corporate reports were then analysed to evaluate the impact of JMSCs on corporate decision‐making.

The research finds that JMSCs strongly influence corporate governance mechanisms such as monitoring and measurement as well as the policy development of firms.

The analysis builds on corporate responses given to the questionnaire sent by the Corporate Responsibility Index as well as corporate reports. Future research is encouraged to triangulate findings with stakeholder opinions on the effectiveness of JMSCs.

JMSCs prove to be an effective tool to involve stakeholders in corporate decision‐making processes. Owing to their effectiveness JMSCs are more likely to create trust between firms and their stakeholders.

The paper is the first empirical investigation into the effectiveness of engaging stakeholders in joint management‐stakeholder committees, demonstrating the impact and effectiveness of such engagement.

This article provides an overview of operational approaches to risk in financial institutions along with a more specific look at risk in banking. The coverage includes traditional approaches to the subject and more recent developments such as the use of computer simulation models.

How closely does internal audit match the attributes of a profession? In terms of its relatively short history — and in comparison with the longer‐established professions — it would seem that in the United States it already meets many of the necessary criteria: public service obligations, training and accreditation, standards of practice, publication and dissemination activities; there is also evidence of employer requirements and practices becoming more exacting. However there is some way to go before full recognition and acceptance as a distinct professional discipline are achieved. One crucial dilemma is over independence, as between loyalty to employers or profession, in situations of conflict. A concept of a management‐oriented service is advocated as one of the most constructive resolutions for future development.

The issues of culture and leadership in the Asian context are discussed and the cultural perspectives related to Asian management style are reviewed. A qualitative research study is presented in which two different groups of Asian managers describe their best or worst leader. The results indicate that leadership behaviours are better indicators of effective leadership than are leadership characteristics. This sample of Asian managers prefers leaders who are both task‐and people‐oriented. They prefer participation to direction.

The aim of this study is to analyze the capitals moved in decisions about sustainability in narratives from and referring to Samarco Minerações, S.A. under a perspective guided by Bourdieusian sociology.

Oriented by historicist ontology and historical epistemology, this research is classified as qualitative, descriptive and documentary, with narrative analysis and case study. The selected organization-case was Samarco Minerações, S.A. The documentary sources considered were sustainability reports, social networks channels and news published in Brazilian newspapers of high circulation. The collected information was submitted to the narrative analysis method.

Samarco Minerações, S.A. maintained the sustainability posture before and after the ore tailings dam rupture. The decision models adopted (decentralized) and the moved capitals (economic and technological) after the ecocide revealed a change in the organizational practices in front of a new instability scenario, and the organization’s attempt to reach acknowledgment, legitimacy and power.

The organization was selected because of its involvement in an ecocide. The crime generated economic (suspension of tax collection caused by the organizational inactivity), social (unemployment and deaths) and environmental (iron ore tailings contaminated the region’s ecosystem) impacts.

The greatest value and contribution this paper offers is an alternative intermediary methodological approach using Bourdieusian micro-sociology to analyze narratives based on capitals dynamics and doxa. This theoretical and methodological approach can prove fruitful for further research in sustainability studies on other topics, and even in other fields.

Analisar, bajo orientación de la sociología bourdieusiana los capitales movidos en decisiones sobre sustentabilidade, desde narrativas referentes a Samarco Minerações S.A.

Orientado por una ontología historicista y epistemología histórica, esa pesquisa se clasifica como: cualitativa, descriptiva y documental, con el analisis de narrativa y estudio de caso. La organización elegida fue Samarco Minerações S.A. Las fuentes documentales fueron: informes de sustentabilidad, canales en redes sociales y notícias publicadas en periódicos brasileños de gran circulación. Las informaciones recogidas fueron sometidas al método de analisis narrativa.

La Samarco Minerações S.A. mantuvo la postura de sustentabilidad antes y después del rompimiento de la represa. Los modelos de decisiones adoptados (descentralizado) y los capitales manejados (económico y tecnológico) después el ecocidio, revelaron un cambio en las prácticas organizacionales frente una escena de instabilidad, y el intento de la organización de alcanzar reconocimiento, legitimidad y poder.

La organización fue elegida por su participación en un ecocidio. El crimen generó impactos económicos (interrupción de recaudación de los impuestos causado por la inaticvidad organizacional), impacto social (desempleo y muertes), impacto ambiental (desechos de minério del hierro contaminarón al ecosistema de la región).

El principal valor y contribución que el artículo ofrece es un enfoque metodológico intermedio y alternativo que se utiliza de la microsociología bourdieusiana para analisar narrativas basadas en la dinamica de los capitales y de la doxa. El enfoque teorico metodológico puede ser benéfico para las nuevas pesquisas en los estudios de sustentabilidad, de las narrativas, en otros temas y hasta mismo en otros campos.

Analisar, sob orientação da sociologia bourdieusiana, os capitais movimentados em decisões sobre sustentabilidade, a partir de narrativas da e referentes à Samarco Minerações S.A.

Orientada por uma ontologia historicista e epistemologia histórica, essa pesquisa classifica-se como: qualitativa, descritiva e documental, com análise de narrativa e estudo de caso. A organização selecionada foi a Samarco Minerações S.A. As fontes documentais foram: relatórios de sustentabilidade, canais em redes sociais e notícias publicadas em jornais brasileiros de grande circulação. As informações coletadas foram submetidas ao método de análise narrativa.

A Samarco Minerações S.A. manteve a postura de sustentabilidade antes e após o rompimento da barragem. Os modelos de decisão adotados (descentralizado) e os capitais movimentados (econômico e tecnológico) após o ecocídio, revelaram uma mudança nas práticas organizacionais diante de um cenário de instabilidade, e a tentativa da organização de alcançar reconhecimento, legitimidade e poder.

A organização foi selecionada por seu envolvimento em um ecocídio. O crime gerou impacto econômicos (suspensão de arrecadação de impostos causada pela inatividade organizacional), impacto social (desempregos e mortes), impacto ambiental (rejeitos de minério de ferro contaminaram o ecossistema da região).

O principal valor e contribuição que o artigo oferece é uma abordagem metodológica intermediária e alternativa que se utiliza da microssociologia bourdieusiana para analisar narrativas baseadas na dinâmica dos capitais e da doxa. A abordagem teórico-metodológica pode ser benéfica para novas pesquisas em estudos de sustentabilidade, de narrativas, em outros temas e até mesmo em outros campos.

The purpose of this paper is to examine securities analyst independence in China's capital market and the effect on analyst independence of institutional investors’ shareholding and separation between control rights and cash flow rights of ultimate controller.

Using data of China's listed companies from 2006 to 2012, the authors empirically tested the relationship between analyst following and volatility of stock return. And based on the test, the authors investigated the role played by institutional investors’ ownership and separation between control rights and cash flow rights of ultimate controller.

According to the empirical results, there is a significant negative correlation between analyst following and volatility of stock return. Also, shareholding of institutional investors and the separation between control rights and cash flow rights of ultimate controllers will have an impact on the relationship between analyst following and volatility of stock return. When institutional investors hold higher proportion or the separation between control rights and cash flow rights of ultimate controllers keeps at a high level, the negative correlation between analyst following and volatility of stock return will weaken.

First, based on the theory of market intermediation, the paper examined analyst independence by investigating and analyzing the relationship between analyst following and volatility of stock return. Second, it analyzed the factors affecting analyst independence by integrating enterprise characteristic variable and market characteristic variable on the basis of introducing two variables – shareholding of institutional investors and the separation between control rights and cash flow rights of ultimate controllers.

Strong versions of the Precautionary Principle (PP) require regulators to prohibit or impose technology controls on activities that pose uncertain risks of possibly significant environmental harm. This decision rule is conceptually unsound and would diminish social welfare. Uncertainty as such does not justify regulatory precaution. While they should reject PP, regulators should take appropriate account of societal aversion to risks of large harm and the value of obtaining additional information before allowing environmentally risky activities to proceed.