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WHAT is this thing called… accountability?

Describes a British Library Research and Innovation Centre‐funded project to investigate the provision of European information in public libraries in the UK, via the establishment of the Public Information Relay (PIR), a European Commission initiative to provide information about the European Union to the general public. Discusses the background to the PIR and the literature to date. Describes the project methodology and discusses the major findings of the project. The project found that libraries were making very positive efforts to develop their European information services, but that there were concerns about the future development and resourcing of membership of the Relay. While the support of the European Commission was seen as valuable by respondents, the majority of libraries served a wider community of need than was envisaged by the remit of the PIR, in particular being heavily used for educational and business related purposes.

THE GENTLEMAN who tipped me off about the Ridgmount Street Arrest, on which I commented in August (p151), tells me he cannot find out further how the matter progresses or when it may come to trial. Not being on the staff there, he is not, of course, in close touch; I mention this because the LA frequently reveals an indiscreet interest in my private gossip‐lines to the profession, which do—they may learn with surprise—stretch to both of the principal genders, and include many not on the association's payroll.

THE Norwegian Children's Librarians Association, a sub‐group of the Norwegian Library Association, exists for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting library work with children and young people. The association was founded in 1961 and now has about 130 members.

The following is an introductory profile of the fastest growing firms over the three-year period of the study listed by corporate reputation ranking order. The business activities in which the firms are engaged are outlined to provide background information for the reader.

This paper seeks to report the results of a study, which investigated the use of the internet by political parties and individual candidates in Scotland as part of their campaign for election to the UK Parliament in 2010.

Three methodologies were used in gathering data: the content of the web sites of 18 parties and 12 candidates was analysed in order to identify the ways in which participation by the Scottish electorate was encouraged via the provision of information and of opportunities for interaction, debate and feedback; the extent to which parties and candidates adopted and used social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, during the campaign was investigated and measured; and using e‐mail, Facebook and Twitter, a series of enquiries based around topical campaign and policy issues was directed at parties and candidates to measure the speed and extent of response, as well as any efforts made towards the creation of an ongoing relationship with potential voters.

Party and candidate web sites were being used extensively for information provision, income generation and the recruitment of members and volunteers. However, Scottish political actors were reluctant to encourage online contact and debate, and were unwilling to answer contentious policy questions online. Social media applications were adopted by a significant number of parties and candidates, but were used primarily for the one‐way flow of information to known associates and party activists.

This study forms part of an ongoing series of investigations by the authors, which has examined the use of the internet by political parties and candidates during parliamentary election campaigns in Scotland. These are the only such studies which have looked specifically at the Scottish political arena.

This paper aims to look into the motivations of managers to commit their time and energies to look at environmental, social, and ethical issues. In short, this research set out to answer the following research questions: What are the different types of change agents for sustainability, in terms of their existential needs? What are the motivations and frustrations faced by sustainability managers as change agents? and How are the motivations and frustrations of sustainability managers framed by the sources of meaning in their life and work?

As the research is still at an exploratory stage, a qualitative methodology was adopted. This methodology was also appropriate for the purpose of this research, which was focused on studying how meaning emerges and changes in situated organizational settings. The authors were engaged in 27 value‐laden semi‐structured interviews where they were looking to build a close relationship between the researcher and what was studied. The interview process was divided into three phases to ensure the planning and validity of the process.

It identifies four such categories of sustainability managers, those being Scientist, Messenger, Artist and Storyteller. The findings suggest the key role of expertise, empowerment, values, inspiration, strategic thinking and social contribution as key meaning for these managers. The empirical findings help build on understanding of the different psychological dimensions of corporate sustainability management, and provides a useful tool for developing effective organizational leadership, enhancing recruitment and retention of sustainability talent, and improving individual and team performance for key sustainability growth.

This research has helped to deal application of existential psychology theories to complement corporate sustainability. The findings more or less confirm the usability of major existential psychology theories to find sources of motivations of sustainability managers.

This article's purpose is to record an interview with Professor Michael Roberto.

The article focuses on the importance of stimulating debate and the need to work towards cultivating constructive conflict. Describes the idea behind this approach and explores the challenges involved. Lists the steps to be taken in introducing the process, ensuring maximum participation and avoiding an impasse or the build‐up of potentially damaging bad feeling between participants with opposing viewpoints. Discusses problems of hierarchy and status. Urges leaders to interact closely with front‐line staff to ensure leaders are not fed biased or distorted information or shielded from bad news. Reports that while many companies still avoid conflict, others are recognising its potential benefits when constructively channelled.

Professor Michael Roberto provides his view of the importance of stimulating debate and the need to work towards cultivating constructive conflict.

This article provides an interview with Professor Michael Roberto focusing on the importance of stimulating debate and the need to work towards cultivating constructive conflict while simultaneously building consensus to optimise the decision‐making process.

The aim of this paper was to describe the aesthetics of self-realization as a way to overcome depersonalization, routinization, and linear temporality in the organizational setting. Artists’ self-portraits (Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Dali) are used as metaphors of organizational life. In doing so, they could enable organizational members to reinvent modes of thinking, speaking, and behaving in the workplace. Philosophical novels (Kafka, Proust, and Murakami) could also unveil hidden aspects of human existence that are quite relevant for the organizational life. Artists’ self-portraits and philosophical novels could then help organizational members to avoid estranged depersonalization, while designing their own project of self-realization. Reinventing the real world of organizational life implies to emphasize both moral imagination (against routinization) and openness to all kinds of temporality (against linear temporality). Describing the aesthetics of self-realization could make organizational members more aware of their capacity to endorse radical humanism without destroying the organization itself.