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The automotive industry in North America is experiencing a period of far‐reaching reorganization. Part of that change is in the automotive supply chain, including firms in the industry, such as Ford or General Motors, that assemble the vehicles and firms that are their suppliers. The particular emphasis in the research reported below is on the new relationships among these firms in the automotive supply chain. Some of the data come from in‐depth interviews with twenty‐six senior executives in North American automotive companies, from a survey of 175 firms in the North American automotive industry, and from sessions with an advisory board of representatives of leading industry companies. Additional data derive from historical accounts of the industry. This paper briefly summarizes the differentiation of the supply chain into four types of firms, and the reallocation of tasks within the supply chain. This has meant a transfer of responsibilities from the assemblers (such as Ford) to various kinds of suppliers, and a resultant shift in the system of responsibility and authority in the supply chain. The paper then explores in detail changes in the nature of relationships among firms in the supply chain from a type termed the market model to a type termed the commitment model. Additional topics include changes in the way relationships among firms are initiated and reasons for the new type of relationship. The changes are interpreted in terms of both firm‐level and industry level‐factors. The changes and their underlying causes allow certain predictions: the process of change to the new type of relationship will continue at least until 2005; and it is uncertain how far the new mode of relationship, the commitment model, will extend through the supply chain.

The Norsk Senter for Informatikk A/S (NSI) recently became a privately‐owned limited company. The main shareholders are the Bergens Tidende, Fabritius, IDA (a consortium of three banks), NTNF, Kunnskapsfor‐laget and twenty‐nine of the thirty‐four NSI staff members. Among its new projects will be a videotex network between Oslo and Bergen so that users in Oslo can use the Bergens Tidende videotex service bureau. Under the reorganisation NSI will place more emphasis on being an umbrella IP, on the establishment of closed user groups and development of hardware and software.

This paper examines ongoing research (Blass & Carr, 2006) exploring the development of future leaders using new and innovative approaches. Research asking experienced leaders about what they wish they had known 10 years ago is used to provide an insight into the critical incidents that shaped these leaders' careers. These critical incidents were used as the basis for an innovative leadership development programme for the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) which is further examined in this paper.

As the wrong Enterprise Software (ES) acquisition can lead an organization with chronically exceeded budgets and settling for minimum returns, so can an unfavorable contractual agreement. Often the acquiring organizations become vulnerable to risks and mistakes as the software contracts are habitually written using legal terminologies and mainly to the advantage of the vendor. To avoid costly ES contracting mistakes, the purpose of this paper is to empirically identify the critical success factors (CSFs) of contracting in the context of ES acquisition.

A questionnaire survey was conducted to gather the data for this study. Statistical analysis conducted for this study include descriptive statistics, factor analysis with reliability and validity tests and nonparametric test.

The five key factors are: contractual assurance, forward compatibility and licensing; right to use, own and use of own, confidentiality and payment; software acceptance; license assignment; and vendor obligation for intellectual property. The research and managerial implications of these factors are given in discussion.

As with most empirical studies, the subjectivity of the opinion of respondents from only two industries presents some limitations to generalization. Another limitation is the respondent has been asked for the degree of criticality for each of the contracting issue given in the questionnaire. There could be critical issues other than the listed ones which are more specific to the organization.

The results can be used by managers to improve their understanding on the critical contractual issues in ES acquisition negotiations.

The significant value of this study identifies the CSFs for ES contract negotiations while acquiring the software.

Examines the nature of the Web and its development pace. Against a background of some consumer uncertainty, the Web is growing according to predictions, but is still not a consumer media format, and will not be until greater reliability, speed of access and ease of use arrive. Until then an elite of professional wired users is monopolising the Web, and they are likely to continue to do so, leaving others behind, until interactive digital television takes it into the living room and makes it a true consumer medium. It's difficult to predict what the rate of growth and final impact will be, as this is the first time a new mass medium has been introduced against the background of an old one: all previous ones were introduced into a vacuum of ignorance, whereas this one is heavily signposted long before most will use it. When it does arrive, however, advertisers will learn to exploit the global/local aspect of it to create a new layer of cultural diversity and individual, one‐to‐one consumerism.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the precise role of intrinsic motivation and autonomy in relation to intellectual stimulation in creating a creative climate in a professional services firm. The intention is to discover whether theories that stress the primacy of the need for intrinsic motivation and autonomy over other managerial goals such as monitoring find support.

The authors propose and test a model for the relationship of interest. The theoretical model is tested through analysis of multilevel data gathered across in two iterations over two years from 177 employees and 64 teams in one company.

The authors find that intrinsic motivation and autonomy mediate the relationship between intellectual stimulation and creative climate. Autonomy exercises a stronger mediating effect than intrinsic motivation.

The single company research context’s specificity; causal relationships between variables cannot be empirically investigated; the verified research model cannot claim to represent how the organization actually functions, for which qualitative work is required.

Theories stressing the primacy of employee autonomy are supported over those stressing a need for management to monitor and control autonomy-seeking employees.

This paper shows the vital mediating role of employee autonomy and to a lesser extent intrinsic motivation in a professional service firm context.

The purpose of this study was to determine the roles of employee proficiency, adaptivity and proactivity in predicting different aspects of internal service.

Managers evaluated 142 professional employees on proficiency, adaptivity and proactivity and about six weeks later 2–3 internal customers evaluated each of the employees on dimensions of internal service, namely reliability (i.e. performing dependably and accurately), assurance (i.e. knowledge, courtesy, and the ability to inspire trust and confidence), responsiveness (i.e. willingness to help customers and provide prompt service) and empathy (i.e. caring and providing individualized attention).

Employee proficiency and proactivity were the main predictors of delivering reliable services. Employee proficiency was the main predictor for creating a sense of assurance. Employee adaptivity was the main predictor of being viewed as responsive. Employee proactivity was the main predictor for establishing a sense of empathy.

In a given situation, some aspects of internal service will be more important than others. The results will enable organizations to improve internal service in a more effective and efficient manner by developing interventions that are targeted at the specific dimension of interest.

The authors identified the types of employee behaviors that are likely to be most effective in impacting different aspects of internal service.

Considering that context is important and relying on a contingency perspective, the purpose of the study is to analyze the relationship between an entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and firm performance in one of the world's oldest economies: Italy. The contingency perspective relies on competitive strategy as a moderating variable.

Using a mix of primary and secondary data sources, relationships are explored in a sample of 229 Italian for-profit firms. Moderated regression analysis is used for the sample and additional tests are conducted by firm size groupings.

The analysis suggests that an EO is positively associated with firm performance in the sample firms. Further, competitive strategy acts as a moderating influence: a low-cost strategy negatively influences the relationship, while a differentiation strategy positively influences the relationship. The firm size groupings do not appear to affect the results.

The study examines only for-profit firms in a single country, Italy; therefore, generalizability is limited. The results must be interpreted in light of these limitations.

This study contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by considering a relatively new international context in the EO–firm performance relationship. Further, a new contingency perspective is advanced by considering competitive strategy. In doing so, this study extends an understanding of the conditions under which an EO might be associated with firm performance.

The new Management Team which is to take the new‐style Aslib into the 80's and beyond, is taking shape.