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The attached paper describes the keys to success for Southwest Airlines, including its approach to quality management. Southwest did not implement a formalized “quality management program.” Numerous companies in the USA have implemented formalized “quality management programs” and they failed because they were “programs of the month.” Implementing “quality” throughout a company is not the result of a formalized program but requires a cultural change in the way daily activities are conducted. The requirement of “doing it right the first time” must be integrated into the daily activities or culture of the company. The chairman of the board and president of a company must establish the tone for quality in not only what they communicate but also in their daily actions. Quality must be ingrained in the overall business model and strategies of a company. Southwest is very effective in integrating the importance of quality in its overall business model, strategic plan and its daily operational activities. Southwest did not engage outside consultants to develop a “quality program” but its style, culture and emphasis on quality were implemented in Southwest’s daily activities by Herb Kelleher, Chairman of the Board, and his management team.

It was the aim to apply basic epistemological concepts, as presented by Heinz von Foerster, to current problems of medicine and biology.

The relation of genes and human behaviour is an important issue in current medical discourse. Many states and diseases are claimed to be caused by a genetical disposition. To prove the soundness of such claims, a strict methodology has to be applied.

The usual approach of combining genetical findings with observed behaviour is based on an insufficient epistemology. The neglect of recursive processes leads to misinterpretations that have far‐reaching consequences, especially if disease and therapy are concerned.

A precise analysis of recursive traits would allow more reliable models of the relation between genetical disposition and environmental influence.

The paper reflects trivial or non‐trivial relations in social behaviour that are often neglected.

Discusses the Human Genome Project, which aims to map the structure and function of approximately 100,000 genes in the human body. Describes some of the ethical and legal problems of genomic research, pointing out that such research presents both promise and problems and that it must be conducted according to well‐defined, rational rules if human rights are to be protected. Calls for a multidisciplinary involvement, both nationally and internationally, in the establishment of the necessary laws; and exhorts Australia and New Zealand, which have hitherto remained largely uninvolved, to make a larger contribution both towards the debate and towards funding for the project.

Applied computational ontologies (ACOs) are increasingly used in data science domains to produce semantic enhancement and interoperability among divergent data. The purpose of this paper is to propose and implement a methodology for researching the sociotechnical dimensions of data-driven ontology work, and to show how applied ontologies are communicatively constituted with ethical implications.

The underlying idea is to use a data assemblage approach for studying ACOs and the methods they use to add semantic complexity to digital data. The author uses a mixed methods approach, providing an analysis of the widely used Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) through digital methods and visualizations, and presents historical research alongside unstructured interview data with leading experts in BFO development.

The author found that ACOs are products of communal deliberation and decision making across institutions. While ACOs are beneficial for facilitating semantic data interoperability, ACOs may produce unintended effects when semantically enhancing data about social entities and relations. ACOs can have potentially negative consequences for data subjects. Further critical work is needed for understanding how ACOs are applied in contexts like the semantic web, digital platforms, and topic domains. ACOs do not merely reflect social reality through data but are active actors in the social shaping of data.

The paper presents a new approach for studying ACOs, the social impact of ACO work, and describes methods that may be used to produce further applied ontology studies.

This paper aims to examine the social phenomenon known as tagging and its use in libraries' online catalogs, discussing folksonomies, social bookmarking, and tagging web sites. The paper also seeks to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of a controlled vocabulary such as the Library of Congress Subject Headings, and how tagging can assist the LCSH in information retrieval. LibraryThing and the University of Pennsylvania's PennTags are examined.

Review of recent literature in print and online, as well as browsing Library OPACs using tagging, was the basis for the paper.

The paper concludes that access to information is the main purpose of cataloging, and use of both traditional methods of cataloging as well as interactive methods such as tagging is a valid method for reaching library users of the future.

The paper lists many problems and concerns of which to be aware, if a library should choose to adopt tagging for their catalog. It looks at the options of using outside web sites to provide the tags as well as creating tagging systems on the library's web site itself. The focus of the paper is how libraries can use tagging, as opposed to the phenomenon of tagging itself, as well as a discussion of how tagging compares with controlled vocabularies.

To provide internal auditors with a summary of the communications skills needed for a successful professional career in internal auditing.

A range of recently published (2000‐2004) publications, which aim to show the importance of communication skills to internal auditors, is reviewed to show internal auditors the importance of highly‐developed communication skills in almost every aspect of their activities.

Internal auditors need to possess excellent communication skills in order to succeed and advance in the changing, complex international global marketplace. Auditors utilize communication skills in almost every situation they encounter. Auditors must create an image of adding value to the organization and not just being investigators. Auditors must possess strong listening and interpersonal skills. Auditors have to be careful in using certain voice reflections when working with different types of individuals at various levels within an organization. Auditors must be aware of how their mannerisms impact auditees.

This paper identifies the importance of communication skills for internal auditors in their daily activities as professional auditors. Internal auditors will be more cognizant of the need to continually improve their communication skills throughout their professional career after reading this paper.

To provide accounting department management and employees issues to consider when building trust within an accounting department.

A range of published (1994‐2005) publications, which aim to show the importance of building trust within an organization, are reviewed to show management accountants the importance of accomplishing organizational trust within an accounting department.

Accounting departmental employees need to trust accounting management. Accounting departmental employees need to feel comfortable communicating with accounting management. Employees will feel more comfortable communicating honestly and frankly if they feel their opinions and viewpoints are respected by accounting management. Accounting management should remember organizational trust is very important and a top priority in a well‐managed department.

This paper identifies the importance of accounting departmental management building organizational trust in their daily activities as professional managers. Management accountants will be more cognizant of the need to continually build organizational trust within the accounting department after they read the article.

To provide accounting practitioners and educators some of the reasons for the decreasing trend of students majoring in accounting and describe some of the activities that can be undertaken by accounting educators and practitioners to reverse the trend.

A range of published (1995‐2005) publications, which aim to show the reasons for the decreasing trend of students majoring in accounting, are reviewed. A study was conducted at a regional US university identifying – when student made the decision to major in accounting; the influence accounting instructors had on their decision to major in accounting; and the influence of the courses Managerial and Financial Accounting on their decision to major in accounting.

The majority of students majoring in accounting decide their major prior to their first university accounting course. A significant percentage of accounting majors rate accounting instructors as having no or minimal influence on their decision to major in accounting. A majority of students rate the Managerial and Financial Accounting courses as significantly impacting their decision to major in accounting.

This paper identifies the importance of accounting practitioners and educators working together to more actively recruit students to major in accounting. The paper provides suggestions for accounting practitioners and educators to become more active in recruiting students to major in accounting.

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

Scans the top 400 management publications in the world to identify the most topical issues and latest concepts. These are presented in an easy‐to‐digest briefing of no more than 1,500 words.

Southwest Airlines have the combined market capitalization of all other US‐based airlines put together. How have they accomplished this? The economic climate over the past four years has not been kind to airlines, so how has the company which did not lay off any staff following September 11, 2001, remained top of the pile? By seeing their employees as the top customer, allegedly.

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to digest format.