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One of the greatest challenges facing managers and administrators in an international environment is effectively communicating and negotiating with their foreign counterparts. Yet, a main portion of their time is spent in these most critical activities. Much has been written about the differences in the perception, motivation and behavior of people from different cultures, especially about the American and Japanese interface. However, very little scientific confirmation and measurements exist. In this empirical study the nature and intensity of cross‐cultural similarities and dissimilarities have been tested and measured with selected statements on a Likert‐type scale on a sample of 41 American and 29 Japanese practicing managers pointing to weak intra‐cultural bimodality, but strong cross‐cultural contrasts.

Examines the relationship and importance of cross‐cultural negotiations to successful international marketing activities. Provides examples of differing cross‐cultural behaviour, and its potential impact on multinational (multi‐cultural) negotiations and hence on international marketing success or failure.

Suggests that important aspect of doing business in a foreign country is familiarity with its culture which preconditions its people to perceive, think, feel and act according to the norms of their culture. The norms and values of two different cultures frequently clash with each other, yet are crucial for the marketing and operational success of a foreign company. Discusses the German and Australian cultures and their implication for business decisions from an outside viewpoint.

The art of negotiation has been explored in a number of bestsellers over the last decade. With the advent of a truly global economy, international and cross‐cultural relationships are forming out of necessity. The potential for error when talking between cultures is considerable and many negotiations have failed owing to cross‐cultural communications breakdown. Pointers are presented of the pitfalls to watch out for when undergoing cross‐cultural negotiations and how to avoid them so as successfully to complete agreements with those from other cultural backgrounds.

Since the nature of marketing is meeting the needs and wants of one′s customers and those needs and wants are culturally based, it is of especial importance for the marketeer to understand another culture and the differences inherent before he attempts to market goods or services to a foreign county. Culture preconditions a people to perceive, think, feel and act in the norms of their own culture. Norms and values between two cultures frequently clash. Yet it is the understanding, respect and acceptance of another culture and the ability to put aside one′s own cultural mores which separate the successful international marketeer from all others. Utilizes the experience of the authors and discusses examples of cultural differences between the German and the South Pacific Island cultures, their implications in the marketing and business decision‐making function, and provides recommendations for the conduct of a successful business arrangement between Germans and Pacific Islanders.

A distinction must be drawn between a dismissal on the one hand, and on the other a repudiation of a contract of employment as a result of a breach of a fundamental term of that contract. When such a repudiation has been accepted by the innocent party then a termination of employment takes place. Such termination does not constitute dismissal (see London v. James Laidlaw & Sons Ltd (1974) IRLR 136 and Gannon v. J. C. Firth (1976) IRLR 415 EAT).

Most studies of innovation have a biased high tech slant to them. For an innovation to be considered of major importance it must ordinarily be a high tech innovation which advances the knowledge of society. But innovation is not the exclusive domain of the Western or industrialized world. So‐called primitive societies have succeeded in innovations which in some cases the West has yet to duplicate. Examines the definition of innovation, presents examples of low tech innovations by “primitive” societies and provides several recommendations.

Focusses on a seldom‐studied barrier to the adoption of innovation, namely, the installed base of the technology or the product being supplanted. Examines three dimensions of this “installed base effect”, namely, supply, demand, and externalities. Describes the magnitude of these barriers and makes recommendations for overcoming them.

With the World Economic Forum's 2019 theme based on the new era – Globalization 4.0: Shaping a New Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution – this chapter takes into consideration innovation as defined in the previous chapter and builds on the escalation of innovation required for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and to reach the sustainable development goals (SDGs) deadline by 2030. Proposed is an entire ecosystem change of how the world lives, eats, makes money, sleeps and breathes. This chapter considers these changes with an explanation of CSR 1.0 and CSR 2.0 to CSR 3.0, providing case studies of these, plus discussing the transition from Globalization 3.0 to 4.0, and the various known and unknown system changes that may be required including integrated value creation (IVC). We live in exciting times where IVC and other systems, such as the well-being economy, exponential economy, shared economy, innovation and resilience economy, may be part of a new ecosystem. This chapter concludes with a discussion of these themes, and the development of CSR 4.0 mapped on to Globalization 4.0 within a deeply transformed systems approach to create transformed value (CTV). Emerging research opportunities as a result of these changes are discussed throughout this chapter.

What is it about academia anyway? We profess to hate it, spend endless amounts of time complaining about it, and yet we in academia will do practically anything to stay. The pay may be low, job security elusive, and in the end, it's not the glamorous work we envisioned it would be. Yet, it still holds fascination and interest for us. This is an article about American academic fiction. By academic fiction, I mean novels whosemain characters are professors, college students, and those individuals associated with academia. These works reveal many truths about the higher education experience not readily available elsewhere. We learn about ourselves and the university community in which we work.