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Academic libraries have sought to become the leaders in the provision of information literacy (IL). The purpose of this paper is to identify to what extent IL is being promoted through institutional websites.

Data were collected from all UK university websites (n=133) in early 2015 to identify the promotion of IL. Content analysis was used for the five categories: IL in the mission statement, visions or strategic plan; IL model or framework; IL policy; IL assessment; and, IL training. Data collection was limited to information in the public domain which could be accessed from individual websites, which were searched and browsed systematically.

In total, 85.7 per cent of universities promote IL to some extent on their websites in at least one of the five categories, however the degree of the information provided varied extensively. Less than 6 per cent of universities promote IL at institutional level. Only 17.3 per cent refer to a model or framework, 15.8 per cent show their IL policy and 9 per cent provide information on their assessment of students’ IL skills. Information on IL training is offered on 84.2 per cent of websites, the most common method being online tutorials, although 52.6 per cent only offer training for one or two aspects of IL, primarily information seeking and citing and referencing.

This paper provides up-to-date data concerning how universities in the UK promote IL in the public domain via their websites. It should be of interest to academic librarians who are responsible for IL provision.

This study examines the use of the search engine, Google Scholar, from the perspective of a specific study group, that of international postgraduate students. Based on the theory of task perceived performance and effort expectancy influencing intention to use, further factors of system, individual, social and organisational, in the postgraduate student context are explored.

The questionnaire for the measurement of 11 factors was developed from related studies of e-library use, and data were collected from 200 international postgraduate students studying in the UK. Analysis using confirmatory factor analysis established the contextual influencing factors, and structural equation modeling examined the predicted model.

The findings confirmed the influence of the task-based factors of performance and expectancy and revealed that these were based on the perception of the visibility, accessibility and relevance of the system, and on perceived self-efficacy. The perception postgraduates held of themselves as competent users of Google Scholar was further borne out in the participants' own words when asked for the reason for their preference.

The approach taken enables research into use of search tools to go beyond ease of use as a main driver and to explore the relationship held among the internal and external influences of use. Recommendations for further user research are suggested as well as possible impact on the university library provision and support of services for students.

In France the state controlled training of apprentices is well developed and integrated with vocational education generally. The article offers an analysis and comparison with the UK system, which lags behind France in providing an educated, trained and flexible workforce.

As the repercussions of 3G licensing reverberate across the telecommunications industry, it has frequently been speculated that the European mobile communications industry is about to consolidate around a handful of players. However, many of these speculative comments fail to take into account either the scale of the players concerned or how they have acquired licences in the past. In this paper, we establish licence ownerships patterns, identifying in the process 13 multiple licence owners that collectively own 161 of the 225 second and third generation licences that have been offered to date across Europe. The multiple licence owners are then categorised by their scale and geographical focus, demonstrating in the process the considerable variation that occurs in both of these areas.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue on research carried out at the Department of Information and Communications at Manchester Metropolitan University.

The paper reflects on two factors: the context of the Department within the University; and beyond that in the “city region” of Manchester. It also introduces the contributions to the special issue from the Department.

The papers are opinion pieces, exploratory studies, evaluation of practice and critical perspectives and reflects the research of the Department of Information and Communications in the context of developments in the information and knowledge disciplines. The scope ranges from the detailed study of a particular system or organization to the understanding of the sector, which enables the information and communications industry.

The paper is important in the face of the renewed focus on the applicability of the academic enterprise.

The aim of this paper to shed light on the strategies adopted by chefs and to identify the most successful in terms of Michelin rating and profitability.

In‐depth exploratory interviews with 20 great chefs located in France, Belgium, the UK and Switzerland having gained two or three Michelin stars over the last ten years.

Chefs use three different strategies for revenue‐generation: core business, full diversification and partial diversification. The reasoning behind the choice of strategy varies between two‐ and three‐star restaurants. The first strategy seems to lead to higher Michelin star ratings, and strategy, the second seems superior in terms of profitability. The third strategy yields inferior results, but is less risky.

The observations are constrained to “recently successful” restaurants, and hence may not be applicable to longer‐standing restaurants.

Concentrating on the core business leads to higher star rating, but lower profitability. Full diversification increases profitability but can jeopardize Michelin rating. The middle‐of‐the‐road approach seems inferior in any case.

To this day, little research has been conducted on the way in which great chefs having two or three stars in the famed Michelin Red Guide run their businesses. In particular, very little is known about their revenue‐generating strategies: what options are available and which revenue models are the “best”. This paper is exploratory in nature and aims to inform further research about luxury restaurants.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the usability of the user interface to an online catalogue and to explore how user assessment of both system usability and functionality can provide recommendations for the improved design.

Drawing on previous studies, the usability testing used a mixture of search tasks, interviews and a structured focus group. Representative users completed tasks designed to test the system's features and a “think aloud” protocol collected data about the users' responses when using the system and on its perceived functionality.

The analysis of the data on users' evaluation, preferences and expectations by a set of usability attributes enabled recommendations to be made with respect to key areas of the system functionality.

The usability study helped to improve the “look and feel” of the interface and demonstrates how the user expectation of what constitutes a supported experience can help make recommendations for the design of a system that is both usable and useful.

The paper demonstrates the benefits of using a mixture of approaches to test system usability and to gain a better understanding of usability from the perspective of the system's users, their expectations and perceived usefulness of the system.

In recent times there has been much speculation about the need for consolidation in the European telecommunications industry. However, consolidation has not happened as expected with the market fragmenting instead. This article seeks to explain this phenomenon.

A distinction is made between second and third generation mobile technologies, and the ownership of mobile licences in 41 European countries identified. The ownership footprints of mobile operators are mapped, with patterns of consolidation and fragmentation commented upon.

The results show that, although many mobile operators have been intent on building empires both within and outside Europe, almost all of these operators have been forced to curtail their ambitions. As a consequence, consolidation has not occurred as expected.

It was widely anticipated that mobile operators would use third generation licensing to expand their footprints into new markets. This paper, however, argues that this has not happened and the European market has instead fragmented.

New technical consultancy. Corrosion prevention, welding and testing are among the fields covered by the newly‐formed Corrosion and Metallurgical Consultancies Associated.

Competition is a major driver of industry consolidation, pushing firms towards mergers or alliances. This paper discusses growing competitive challenges that make business partnering a core component of company strategy. We develop two frameworks for resource sharing using two dimensions: operational integration, and knowledge transferability. We analyze critical interface points at three levels in organizational design: corporate, business unit, and functional, and show that mergers could succeed without high level of integration. Large groups such as Renault and Ford witness such industry pressures from globalization, lower government protectionism, and shifts in buyer tastes. The framework illustrates preservation, incubation, osmosis, and full absorption as post-merger firm relationships, each requiring alignment with corporate strategy. The frameworks are illustrated using the Renault-Nissan relationship, the motivation behind it, its benefits, and its challenges.