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Many organisations have undergone change to make processes run concurrently in the design and redesign of new products, seeking improvement of their competitive position. Though there are many prescriptions available to the practitioner, few have been grounded in “what has worked best” across a range of industries. There has also been relatively little discussion of the downside to concurrency. This paper reports a study which shows that success is most closely associated with the level of usage of certain tools and techniques, all of which are within the power of the new product development manager to use. In doing so, it is shown that this gives far better chances of success than high levels of usage of technology. This has significant implications for firms’ investment policies for the future. The downside element also needs managing and is discussed, along with the highlighted importance of both project management and training.

Briefly reviews previous literature by the author before presenting an original 12 step system integration protocol designed to ensure the success of companies or countries in their efforts to develop and market new products. Looks at the issues from different strategic levels such as corporate, international, military and economic. Presents 31 case studies, including the success of Japan in microchips to the failure of Xerox to sell its invention of the Alto personal computer 3 years before Apple: from the success in DNA and Superconductor research to the success of Sunbeam in inventing and marketing food processors: and from the daring invention and production of atomic energy for survival to the successes of sewing machine inventor Howe in co‐operating on patents to compete in markets. Includes 306 questions and answers in order to qualify concepts introduced.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a model of consumer response to music in broadcast commercials outlining four variables (listening situation, musical stimulus, listener characteristics, and advertising processing strategy) that affect a consumer's attitude toward the advertising music (A_am).

The paper takes the form of an integrative review of the relevant literatures from the psychology of music, marketing, and advertising.

A_am can be positively but also negatively influenced by many factors. Only some of these variables are employed in any typical study on consumer response to music, which may account for some conflicting findings.

The paper discusses factors for effectively using commercial music to affect A_am, with special focus on advertising processing strategy. Advertisers are urged to exercise extreme caution in using music and to always pretest its use considering factors identified in this paper. The paper suggests ways in which the model can guide future research.

The paper integrates diverse literatures and outlines the major variables comprising our model of consumer response to advertising music. Advertisers can use these variables as a checklist for factors to consider in selecting ad music.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the causes and implications of potential negative consumer response to music in broadcast commercials. It aims to accomplish this by introducing a new consumer response variable, attitude toward the advertising music (A_am) and relating A_am's components to advertising goals. It also aims to propose that A_am is a significant component of attitude toward the ad (A_ad).

The paper takes the form of an integrative review of the relevant literatures in the psychology of music, consumer marketing, and advertising to formulate A_am.

Favorable A_am is a necessary but insufficient condition for favorable A_ad in ads employing music. Furthermore, a negative A_am might cause a negative A_ad. Given the numerous possible negative responses to music in a TV or radio commercial, achieving a favorable A_am among most target audience members is very challenging, especially when music‐message fit is lacking.

The paper offers cautionary advice for advertisers using music and directions for future research.

The paper provides a novel integration of literatures in psychology and marketing/advertising. Whereas most scholars and practitioners assume that music adds value to commercials, the authors demonstrate key ways in which music can cause adverse listener reactions.

This chapter opens the second part of the Volume, focusing on the small farms' role and dynamics within the evolving food system. Assessing small farmers' actual and potential contribution to the change towards a sustainable food and nutrition security requires a deep understanding of their strategic decision-making processes. These processes take place in a context highly conditioned by internal and external conditions, including the complex relations between farm and household, which are mapped and described. Building on an adaptation of Porter's model (Porter, 1990), the chapter investigates how farmers, given those conditions, define their strategies (in particular their innovation strategies) aimed at economic and financial sustainability through a multidisciplinary analysis of scientific literature. Internal conditions are identified in the light of the Agricultural Household Model (Singh & Subramanian, 1986) which emphasizes how family farming strategies aim at combining business-related objectives, and family welfare. Then, a comprehensive set of external conditions is identified and then grouped within eight categories: ‘Factors’, ‘Demand’, ‘Finance and Risk’, ‘Regulation and Policy’, ‘Technological’, ‘Ecological’, ‘Socio-institutional’ and ‘Socio-demographic’. Similarly, six types of strategies are identified: ‘Agro-industrial competitiveness’, ‘Blurring farm borders’, ‘Rural development’, ‘Risk management’, ‘Political support’ and ‘Coping with farming decline’.

Not many researchers have attempted to numerically quantify a supply chain’s degree of leanness or agility. Although focusing predominantly on food, the purpose of this paper is to propose a simple and universal methodology to quantify the degrees of leanness and agility at any point within any supply chain.

Daily processing capacities of stochastic model runs and real supply chain data were projected onto a standardized Euclidean surface. Indexes that calculate, amongst others, the agility, leanness, baseline production and ceiling conditions were derived.

The indexes were often well correlated across the various supply chains. Leanness correlates negatively with agility, as can be expected, however, these attributes do not stand opposed to each other. Most supply chains seem to exhibit both lean and agile attributes simultaneously. Sugar, various types of tomatoes, avocado and onion supply chains are discussed and compared. Although a large amount of data were analysed, there exists an opportunity to widen this study significantly.

This paper presents a unique and simple approach to quantify the degree of supply chain leanness and agility. Although these terms are often used, only a few authors have made attempts to quantify these attributes and in most cases the approaches are relatively cumbersome. The relatively simple indexes create an opportunity for supply chain management to measure, evaluate and communicate their strategies along the supply chain and between different chains.

The study of “wisdom” is a subject normally outside the traditional bounds of management studies. Recent financial scandals and management blunders suggest that the time is ripe to introduce, via management development programs, an introductory study into the nature of “wisdom”, and followed by further study into the nature of “managerial wisdom”. Decisions are being made by people practising management which demonstrate that they do not know how to exercise good judgement, nor do they demonstrate that they have an understanding of what it means to be “wise”. This paper looks at the way philosophers have addressed the topic of wisdom from Greco‐Roman times. It includes references to wisdom in history and literature. The paper summarises some of the ideas and developments of more recent research published in psychology journals. It is an extension of ideas expressed in an earlier paper published in this journal viz. “Philosophy in management: a new trend in management development”. Both these papers suggest that management development studies should include areas of study more akin to the great classical tradition, where education is aimed at developing the “whole person”. An introductory study of “philosophy in management”, and “wisdom” in particular, are seen as two ways of expanding the present offerings in management studies

To examine the role of new aeronautical technologies in improving commercial aviation’s environmental performance.

Reviews the environmental improvements that may be conferred through the adoption of alternative aviation fuels and new airframe, engine and navigation technologies.

Although aeronautical technologies have evolved considerably since the earliest days of powered flight, the aviation industry is now reaching a point of diminishing returns as growing global consumer demand for air transport outstrips incremental improvements in environmental efficiency. The chapter describes some of the technological interventions that are being pursued to improve aviation’s environmental performance and discusses the extent to which these innovations will help to deliver a more sustainable aviation industry.

It seems that the only constant of this rapid‐changing world is the “change” itself – whether it is from the organization itself or from its outer environment. From multinational corporation managers to local franchise investors, abilities to cope with changes are definitely essential. The purpose of this paper is to provide no magic but a framework that helps decision makers watch their steps while making strategic plans.

Working from the perspective of the resource‐based view (RBV) for sustained competitive advantage, the paper looks into the decision‐making process by considering constraints and illusions. The journey of deviation from the ideal goal starts when the decision maker is attracted by a maze of illusions. The paper illustrates the phenomena of escalation of commitment in static and in deterioration‐in‐motion.

For the recovery from an errant path, awareness is of the essence and a constant awareness of the organization's chances and pitfalls would be the only way to regain competitive advantage.

By bringing together the concept of the RBV of competitive advantages and the phenomena of escalation of commitment, the paper provides a concise framework and illustration that is easy to be reminded of for organization decision makers who are constantly facing challenges in this ever‐changing world.