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Purpose – The purpose of this chapter is to contribute to the growing academic literature on “post-racial” African American leadership by exploring the election and reelection of Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. Johnson is emblematic of the current generation of young African American leaders: politically moderate, less likely to employ overt racial appeals, and able to assemble a multiethnic political coalition.Design/methodology/approach – This chapter utilizes a combination of semi-structured interviews and multivariate quantitative analysis of an original dataset to reveal both the diversity of the Johnson coalition and the high support for Johnson’s candidacy in Sacramento’s African American community.Findings – Johnson’s case demonstrates the durability of an explicitly moderate, reform-minded, and technocratic coalition and epitomizes the “universalized interest” approach to governance – simultaneously developing strategies to mobilize African American support and formulating public policies to advance group interests while articulating a universalized policy framework.Social implications – On the night that Barack Obama was elected president, Johnson became the first African American, to be elected Mayor of Sacramento. To do so, Johnson assembled a diverse electoral coalition that resembled the Obama coalition. However, this case study demonstrates the unique challenges facing an African American mayor in a majority white city and reveals the continuing importance of race in “post-Obama” urban politics.Originality/value – This chapter utilizes a unique dataset and rigorous methodology for analyzing voting behavior and multiracial coalition formation in American cities. The voter file data analyzed in this study remains an underutilized resource for urban scholars.

This paper focuses on the role of myth in group identity maintenance. It begins by looking at the occupational group, but broadens to show how subsociety and the larger society affected the group's identity and actions. Mississippi Delta blues performers’ use of myth serves as the historical example, and this analysis shows how the group reacted to living in a segregated and racist society. Analysis of songs demonstrates how myth can play a role in tying together this subordinated group in society and perpetuate myth. How the blues subculture still employs these myths today is also addressed.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to reveal a missing chapter of Australian Aboriginal history. Jack Johnson is known as the first black Heavyweight Champion of the world but little is known of his inspiration to many oppressed groups around the globe including Aboriginal Australia. Johnson was flamboyant, outspoken and deeply proud of his heritage.

Design/methodology/approach – This chapter is undertaken as restorative history and examines the interconnected international networks of cultural exchange operational in the early decades of the twentieth century. It privileges the tools of historical narrative (story) as a major method, and is based largely on historical newspapers sources’. Press coverage can provide fascinating insight into historical characters and can deliver their voice and thoughts at the time, and newspapers remain important in forming public opinion.

Findings – Jack Johnson would become one of many influences from the international Black Diaspora upon Aboriginal Australia across the twentieth century.

Originality/value – John Maynard’s work on Jack Johnson (Maynard, J. (2003). Vision, Voice and Influence – The rise of the Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association. Australian Historical Studies, 121(April), 91–105, 2005, 2007) and more recently Theresa Runstedtler’s study (2012) has uncovered transnational links of Jack Johnson to many oppressed groups globally including Aboriginal Australia. This current study places Johnson’s impact upon Aboriginal Australia at the forefront of a shift and awakening awareness of Aboriginal Australians of their global political and racial challenges.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood, in addition to his broad popular appeal. Since his transition from a successful pro-wrestling career to a full-time actor, his onscreen persona has transitioned from one dimensional action hero to more balanced star ‘type’ (Dyer, 1991), alternating action films with more family-friendly fare. Johnson's starring role in the Fast and the Furious franchise has been central to the growth of his career, yet as I will argue, this success is fuelled by his apparent rivalry with other action stars onscreen (Jason Statham) and offscreen (Vin Diesel). As I will show, these rivalries are rooted in the star ‘types’ formulated by Richard Dyer (1991), and this tension is central to the ongoing fan interest in the series.

Johnson's expanding profile has also led to the establishment of his own production company, Seven Bucks, and transition into television series Ballers (2015–2019) and Young Rock (2021–), both of which allowed him to explore autobiographical elements of his early life. As I will demonstrate via a case study of Hobbs and Shaw (2019), Johnson's success as a transnational action star and creative control allowed by Seven Bucks has allowed more explicit on-screen engagement with his Sāmoan heritage. The production history of Hobbs and Shaw illustrates both the successful co-existence of rivalry between action stars as a successful marketing strategy for action franchises, and the evolving action genre which allows a more personal exploration of race and masculine identity.

In the “What’s Hot in 2019: Expanded and Interconnected Notions of Literacy” survey (Cassidy, Grote-Garcia, & Ortlieb, 2019), Early Literacy was identified as a “very hot” topic. This chapter addresses how literacy practices in homes and in schools contribute to early literacy achievement; neighborhood realities are acknowledged. A brief list of expectations for early literacy learners is discussed, and competencies not always found in standards lists are described. Examples of current community activism efforts are noted, and there is a call for literacy academics to speak out against inequities in literacy learning.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the development of body fitness equipment in Taiwan from the viewpoint of innovation and the factor of success for innovation.

The research methods include a literature study and a case study. In addition, the innovation activity of an enterprise is based on the viewpoint of procedure (input‐process‐output). The innovation activity of an enterprise is separated into three phases: innovation motivation, innovation process, and innovation performance.

The enterprise's competitive advantage and efficiency can clearly be seen, and the reason for the enterprise's success can easily be identified through a structural analysis of the innovation process. The research results indicate four factors for the success of Johnson: mastering technology, good management, employment of diversified talents, and clear brand positioning.

The innovation research model provides a comprehensive summary of the innovation process, stressing innovation activity. The study of the factors of success does not establish quantified or non‐quantified innovation indicators.

The factor of success of innovation is not exactly the same for every company. Sorting and analyzing the individual cases can serve as a basis of reference and act as a guidepost for other companies in similar industries during their business development.

The analysis model of innovation activity can clearly explore the development process of the innovation success of an enterprise. Simultaneously, this research can serve as a role model for other companies when they innovate.

This article sets out to discuss the Johnson Center Library, a gateway library in a multipurpose academic commons building first opened in 1996 at George Mason University, to identify the successes and limitations of this type of library concept, particularly in the context of more recent thinking about various types of information commons in libraries.

Descriptive information is provided about the architecture and layout of the library, its collections and services. The final part of the article uses a lessons learned approach to identify key experiential and consensus‐based observations of library staff, library administrators, and others about the changing mission of the library over a decade (1996‐2006).

The key findings of the authors focus on the need to revitalize the mission of the Johnson Center Library in order to move beyond the original gateway library concept. The findings also focus on the need to develop programmatic linkages with other stakeholders when a library facility is located in a multipurpose building; to create better architecturally defined spaces in order to enhance collection security; to design more flexible spaces that can be repurposed for changing needs in the networked environment.

The paper discusses a different approach to library services, a variation on the information commons concept, and shows how library‐as‐place is still very significant because of the blending of the social and the academic lives of students, when a library is part of a blended social and academic student center such as the Johnson Center itself.

This paper applies the social contract and legalistic ethical frameworks, to study whether or not corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability support corporate financial performance. The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical data from Johnson & Johnson, a pharmaceutical firm, to document whether or not CSR has contributed to creating financial wealth and value for the corporation.

The paper approaches CSR as embedded in social contract and legalistic ethical frameworks, which suggest that business organizations are self‐motivated to report on CSR. The underlying premise of the research is that socially desirable sustainable activities are expected to improve financial performance.

A case study of a multinational corporation (MNC) and CSR member company, Johnson & Johnson, substantiates that CSR and sustainability have contributed to improve the organization's economic performance. The empirical evidence from Johnson & Johnson suggest that profitability can be sustained for a long period of time if economic performance is effectively integrated with social and environmental goals, as part of the business strategic planning process, to benefit shareholders, consumers, society and the community at large. When CSR is incorporated in business strategies of sustainability, including social and environmental performance, it complements economic profitability objectives.

The contribution of this paper is in the extension and application of the importance of sustainability and CSR in the pharmaceutical industry. It is one of the few studies that examined the impact CSR and sustainability have on the financial and economic performance of the health care industry. The study has documented that sustainability promotes transparency, adherence, and disclosure that incorporates and promotes social equity, environmental restoration/renewal and financial performance. It is argued that in the long run, organizations that have integrated sustainability and CSR in their strategic planning processes are able to manage risks and take advantage of opportunities of programs that are safer, greener, and economical.

This paper seeks to demonstrate that a specific business/education partnership model – bridge to employment (BTE) – benefits society by re‐establishing the critical connection between academic achievement and practical application, i.e. the connection between the world of school and the world of work. Representatives of the corporation engage community stakeholders to identify opportunities in the schools where Johnson & Johnson support and volunteerism can help make a difference in the lives of young people.

The paper reports on an existing school to career program that was developed in the USA but has recently been adapted to meet the needs of Ireland's education community.

Past research has shown the importance of linking academic studies with real world applications to improve educational outcomes for pre‐college students. The BTE program has been shown to have positive benefits for students, schools, communities and Johnson & Johnson employees. In addition, BTE may provide a possible solution to the declining number of students pursuing health care careers.

This paper looks at a unique US‐based business/education intervention from the perspective of stakeholder engagement. Second, the paper provides an example of a US education model's application to a European Union context.