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Aims to focus on the imperative to achieve national activity and performance targets in secondary care as set out in the NHS Plan.

The paper is in the form of “notes from the front line” that are based on the experience of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT).

These include that planning needs to be understood as the means by which the NHS manages its future; that planning needs to become more technically and methodologically sophisticated; that planning is a process rather than a description of an organisational function; and that the NHS will only resolve the shortage of planning competencies once planning is seen as a management disciple.

On the basis of the feedback received from drafts of this paper, it is suggested that the conclusions drawn are generally applicable across the English health service.

Describes how Jaguar Cars in the UK is using robots to manufacture aluminium car bodies for its new XK sports car that is being built in the company's plant in Castle Bromwich, UK.

Describes the major production line techniques that are used in the manufacture of the body‐in‐white structure. These include self‐piercing rivets (SPRs), self‐tapping screws, MIG welding and adhesives.

The use of SPRs and self‐tapping screws are proving essential in the joining of aluminium components manufactured as extrusions, castings and pressings.

The introduction of SPRs and self‐tapping screws, adhesive bonding and MIG welding of cosmetic aluminium skin panels is the result of considerable research work on the part of Jaguar engineers and the company's suppliers, as well as Warwick University. Three of these techniques require the services of robots with their integrated controls. This work is likely to continue in order to reduce cycle times and improve overall product performance, both to the benefit of manufacturer and end‐user – the customer. This paper provides a unique insight into the development of a facility with islands of automation to produce aluminium body shells.

It is likely that arising out of development work into new techniques, processes and standards that will be used throughout the Ford organization, including other companies that form the Premier Automotive Group. Aston Martin, Land Rover and Volvo could all benefit from the technologies developed at Jaguar Cars.

This is the first time Jaguar Cars has used ABB robots in significant numbers to apply SPRs and self‐tapping screws to join aluminium components. ABB robots are also used for body shell inspection and MIG welding aluminum skin panels.

The history of rock n' roll music as a distinctive form is usually traced to the mid‐1950s with the emerging popularity of Bill Haley and the Comets and Elvis Presley. A decade was to elapse, however, before the beginnings of a serious literature of rock, with the appearance of Maury Dean's The Rock Revolution (Edmore Books, 1966). So painfully slow was the acceptance of the new subject that it took until 1972 for the entry “rock music” to be first used in the Cumulative Book Index.

There is a need for more in‐depth exploration of the e‐learning experiences of disabled learners in higher education, taking into account the complex relationship between learners (skills, knowledge and beliefs), their assistive technologies and the e‐learning contexts in which learners are required to operate. Participatory methods appear to have great potential in enabling the voice of disabled learners to be a more central focus of e‐learning studies. This paper will describe and evaluate a two‐year research project called LExDis, which aims to use participatory methods to explore the e‐learning experiences of disabled learners in one higher education institution. The experience of conducting phase one of the LExDis project will be discussed with regards to three main challenges to using participatory methods: informed participation; valued participation; and empowered participation.

Marketing today requires gaining deeper understanding – beyond traditional insight‐gathering techniques –of the “whys,” “whens” and “hows” of human behavior. This article aims to explore how deep you must go, while revealing market‐savvy ways to make your product or brand better serve the needs of your target consumer.

The article is based on Hiebing's more than 25 years of integrated brand development and marketing experience, which has helped hundreds of clients find, design and deliver powerful strategies and communications that have increased brands' impacts and profits.

Gaining true consumer understanding before developing strategies and crafting communications – or even the brand itself – is critical for success. The profusion of consumer options means marketers must delve deeper than ever before to truly understand the target's underlying motivation for purchase and usage of products.

This article challenges the belief that traditional market research alone is enough to succeed in today's world. It is equally important to understand the complexities of consumer motivation and decision making.

To show how companies that address gender diversity issues as business issues, not just as human resources issues, will reap rewards both inside and outside the company. Also, to show how business schools can make a significant contribution toward the understanding of diversity as a business issue.

First, women's corporate managerial roles are examined: the economic and social reasons to focus on gender diversity and the costs of companies’ failure to address diversity issues, specifically, turnover and retention. Next, women's roles as consumers are studied. Finally, women's roles as business students are looked at, specifically, the negative stereotypes reinforced in business school and carried into the workplace. The study concludes with examples of programs developed by Avon Products and Deloitte and Touche, LLP, to address diversity issues.

Provides statistics on women's workforce participation, costs of corporate turnover, women's earned college and graduate degrees. Identifies the key barriers to female career advancement; discusses the role of female consumers and business owners; provides company examples and case studies that illustrate the successful integration of women into academic and corporate life.

Only Stanford and Harvard Business school cases are looked at, although the latter is the largest producer of case studies used in business schools. One of the two longer corporate examples discusses diversity strategies in Avon Mexico which may limit its relevance to other US companies.

Good source for bibliography on corporate and academic diversity. Particularly useful for corporate human resources professionals and women about to enter business school or start their first corporate job. Also useful for researchers/academics writing business school case studies.

Presents a strong case for the retention and development of corporate women as well as the need for business school cases to model behavior and modify negative attitudes toward women in business.

This chapter explores the opportunities and challenges for Western firms that wish to engage in manufacturing operations in Iran, and particularly in the automotive industry. Although Iran has a long and fruitful history of embracing foreign investment, collaboration with foreign firms suffered in the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The imposition of UN sanctions in 2012, following the disagreements between Iran and leading Western powers over Iran’s nuclear policy, has resulted in a further exodus of foreign manufacturers from Iran, hurting the production quality, adoption of up-to-date technology and alignment to international standards for manufacturing, such as vehicle safety and engine emissions in Iran.

The removal of sanctions, contingent on the success of nuclear negotiations between Iran and leading world powers, could provide Iran with an opportunity to recommence manufacturing collaboration with Western firms. The case of the automotive industry discussed in this chapter indicates some of the challenges that Iran is likely to face if it once again wants to become a player in international markets.