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In this chapter, I suggest three conceptual tools developed by William R. Freudenburg and colleagues that characterize the failure of institutions to carry out their duties – recreancy, atrophy of vigilance, and bureaucratic slippage – are of use beyond environmental sociology in the framing of the September 11, 2001 disaster. Using testimony and findings from primary materials such as the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Joint Inquiry hearings and report (2002, 2004a, 2004b) and the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (2004) alongside insider accounts, I discuss how Freudenburg’s tools have the potential to theorize institutional failures that occur in national security decision making. I also suggest these tools may be of particular interest to the U.S. intelligence community in its own investigation of various types of risk and failures.

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study to discuss approaches taken within a traditional undergraduate degree course to embed employability skills, encourage student uptake of sandwich placement and increase graduate prospects. A number of new initiatives are presented, including working with live industrial clients, formally preparing students for placement applications and the introduction of an externally facing student run design consortium. Alongside these new initiatives, details of the existing sandwich year provision are also considered and their effectiveness.

A case study-based action research approach presents changes to a specific undergraduate course, measuring the effectiveness over a four-year period using externally collected national Destination of Leavers in Higher Education (DLHE) data and internal student feedback to assess the long-term effects on employability.

The paper considers improvements in the graduate employability over the four year period covered, in particular, an increase in the graduate employability from 81 to 100 per cent and graduate prospects from 62.5 to 95.2 per cent for sandwich students. Data presented also considers additional student feedback correlating with an increase in their preparedness for employment.

The implications of undertaking the changes highlighted within this paper have been relatively straightforward, due to the small incremental nature of the changes and the opportunities available through the agencies within the university, and should be replicable at least in part at other HE institutions.

This paper considers the impact of employability initiatives undertaken on a single undergraduate course and how these have affected the employability of graduates over a four-year period, supported by student feedback both internally and externally through national feedback mechanisms. It is anticipated that this research would be beneficial for informing and guiding the development of employability on other undergraduate programmes.

In Europe, as in other developed regions of the world, formal protected areas (PA) are, almost by definition, conservation islands within a wider landscape of intensive farming, towns, industry and transport links. The recognised need for “more, bigger, better and joined” implies the need for complementary approaches. The purpose of this paper is to examine some innovative funding and delivery mechanisms in the UK and their strengths – and weaknesses – compared to the formal system of PA.

Building on recent research undertaken for the UK Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) the HLF landscape partnership (LP) programme is described and related to other area-based approaches including the Wildlife Trust’s Living Landscapes, the Futurescapes programme of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the UK government’s Nature Improvement Areas (NIA).

LPs represent an increasingly important vehicle for securing conservation of the natural and cultural heritage alongside the formal system of designated PA. Their reliance upon local initiative, community engagement and multi-agency participation presents significant advantages. The strength of the LP approach is that it is “bottom up” and in some ways opportunistic.

Non-tax funding of innovative approaches to landscape governance presents significant opportunity for natural and cultural heritage conservation, particularly in their capacity to mobilise local enthusiasm and support. However, it fits also with neo-liberal approaches which seek to transfer to the “third sector” responsibilities previously the province of local and national government.

This paper is one of a very limited number of studies of developed-country LPs. It widens the concept of “PA” beyond formal IUCN categories and indicates the potential for innovations in funding and governance.

This paper aims to explain and illustrate the potential for workplace learning from small group projects and the role of action learning in fostering personal, professional and organizational outcomes.

The paper uses a briefing session with resource and other examples to outline an effective process for establishing small group projects in the workplace.

Action learning releases the potential of all team members by enabling them to grow, to innovate and develop their creativity and talent by learning about themselves, from each other and from the workplace.

The paper outlines the approach used by one of the world's leading family resorts to ensure that personal and organizational learning keeps pace with change.

The paper draws on prior experience and examples to explain how an outcomes‐directed process has been embedded in a large resort with large‐scale team member participation.

As American firms formulate competitive strategies for the 1990s and beyond they are realising that significant profit opportunities exist outside the United States. As managers deal with globalising their logistics systems to support overseas marketing efforts transportation becomes an extremely important factor. The readiness of the US transportation system to support the growing global logistics needs of American business is examined. The authors conclude that with few exceptions the US international freight transport industry cannot meet the challenges presented by the rapid globalisation of the marketplace.

Short-term military simulations of scenarios or conditions that U.S. military personnel might meet are generally the largest, in terms of cost and personnel, of all operational training events. That at least six such exercises were scheduled for September 11, 2001 raises serious questions about whether or not the events of 9/11 were at least partially orchestrated by U.S. command.

In light of the aforementioned military exercises and the fact that the 9/11 Commission's Final Report barely mentions them, neither were they significantly discussed nor investigated during the hearings, this essay briefly explores four key questions that will hopefully stimulate further inquiries, investigations and perhaps subpoenas that will ultimately break the silence and force declassification of the information surrounding the war games.1.Has there been a high-level suppression of information about the military drills?2.Might the military drills have been a significant factor in the success of the attacks?3.Who was in charge of the military drills and what motives may have been operating for this person?4.In what way might Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person charged in the United States for the attacks, be a link that connects to the person in charge of the games to another tragedy that may have been “an inside job” – i.e. Senator Paul Wellstone's death, and how might Moussaoui connect all of this to the Pentagon?

The purpose of this paper is to outline the objectives for learning at work and the strategic imperative to ensure that the rate of individual and corporate learning keeps pace with change.

The paper uses an interview format to reveal personal insights on the challenges, benefits and outcomes of human resource development by action learning.

The paper concludes that customized learning provides the best way of facilitating self‐actualization at work – both for employees and the organization as a whole.

The paper provides senior leader insights on the potential for learning at work and the underlying themes that enable organizations to develop as authentic learning organizations.

The paper reveals the benefits of embedding and cascading action learning so that participants can develop themselves and at the same time, their workplace environment.

This paper seeks to introduce the Sandals philosophy and how it enabled Sandals Resorts International to become the world's most celebrated ultra all‐inclusive resort company.

The paper profiles the company's growth and approach to human resource development.

The paper concludes that an active, practical learning method is the most suitable development process to enable personal, professional and organizational development.

The paper illustrates the importance of organizational learning in sustaining corporate success.

The paper provides a perspective on the business philosophy that underpins the development of Sandals Resorts International.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions and experiences of senior hotel industry practitioners in relation to business imperatives, career development and organizational learning.

The paper uses an interview discussion format to explore the challenges, benefits and outcomes of organizational development by action learning.

The paper observes that action learning provides an effective way of retaining, developing and enabling people to realize their potential at work and that this process is wholly beneficial to the host organization.

The paper provides senior leader insights on the potential for learning at work and the underlying themes that enable organizations to develop as authentic learning organizations.

The paper reveals the benefits of embedding and cascading action learning so that participants can develop themselves and at the same time, their workplace environment.