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Competitive issues are comprehensive and global. Global competitiveness has driven U.S. technological competitiveness from being globally strong to globally losing or maybe lost (Shultz, 1991), and has caused U.S. manufacturing competitiveness to suffer (Enen, Jr., 1991). Although there is an immediate need for small and medium businesses in the United States to globalize, these same companies seem reluctant to get involved in overseas export opportunities (Mahone, Jr., 1991).

This article is written to advance the idea that U.S. small and medium‐sized firms should have something more than a domestic presence and to help business owners to become aware of free or low‐cost international growth assistance. One such resource, the USDOC Commercial Service Multi‐State International Catalog Exhibition Program (ICEP), is designed to work in partnership with state offices of international business development and/or with individual client firms. Through active participation small firms can leverage their limited export promotion resources. Objectives and benefits of multistate international catalog exhibitions and participation details are discussed.

Trade barriers between countries, especially cash‐strapped countries, are being revised and/or dropped as a means of promoting international trade. Even the U.S. is aggressively seeking trade with countries as a way to create jobs, boost our economy, and improve our trade balance Because of the importance of international trade, governmental agencies assist this process by “greasing the wheels of investment” through the provision of information, consultation, and exploration as they attempt to assist small‐ and medium‐size businesses gain international trade experience (Business Korea, June 1999). For the U.S., SMEs will be the engine of economic growth over the next few years (Field, 1997). SMEs can go it alone, using internet technology, or they can seek low‐cost assistance in learning the ropes relative to international trade.

British public librarians have long been ambivalent about fiction stock, accepting its contribution to loans statistics, but reticent, even shamefaced, about its content. Once there were frequent articles in the professional press on “the fiction question” as it was called: today there are fewer such, while the volume of research, and the number of conference papers on fiction is disproportionately small compared to the staff time, money and shelf space allotted to it. Whether librarians have made a conscious decision, or the climate of the times has changed, there is now less professional agonizing over novels' role in the book stock. Strangely, however, the result seems to be much the same: observation in a number of libraries suggests that there is still a residual reluctance to accept fiction as a legitimate, important part of the service, needing and deserving as much professional thought and care, and as adequate a level of provision, as the remainder. For example, do stock editors spend as much time, proportionately, to checking the quality of their fiction as they do to subject books.

The purpose of this study is to look at the experiences of university academic staff setting up a small computer games studio to provide work placement opportunities for undergraduate students and the supporting role of industry.

The case study uses sense making to explore the boundaries between “simulated” and “real” work in an educational setting.

For students and teachers to work together in a commercial setting, relationships have to be reconstructed. Teaching focusses on developing the individual and personal attainment, the work environment prioritises the team so that organisational and business needs are met. Differences in culture and working practices between industry and academia and the organisational constraints of a university, present challenges for academic staff engaged in enterprise.

The authors recognise the limitations of a single institution case study and intend further investigation into factors around employability, enterprise education and the availability of work experience for students studying in the creative technologies including experiences in other institutions.

Practical experience and business knowledge gained through the studio development process by the student and staff, has informed the curriculum through the introduction of team-working modules. The studio provides a unique interface between the university and games industry partners.

The study shows the value of a university-based games studio in providing work experience for students and enhancing employability and provides insights into university/industry partnering.

Presents 35 abstracts from the 2001 Employment Research Unit Annual conference held at Cardiff Business School in September 2001. Attempts to explore the theme of changing politics of employment relations beyond and within the nation state, against a background of concern in the developed economies at the erosion of relatively advanced conditions of work and social welfare through increasing competition and international agitation for more effective global labour standards. Divides this concept into two areas, addressing the erosion of employment standards through processes of restructuring and examining attempts by governments, trade unions and agencies to re‐create effective systems of regulation. Gives case examples from areas such as India, Wales, London, Ireland, South Africa, Europe and Japan. Covers subjects such as the Disability Discrimination Act, minimum wage, training, contract workers and managing change.

It has long been recognised that effective staff training and remuneration allows an organisation to provide a unique and differentiating standard of service in industry, resulting in increased profitability to service providers. The purpose of this research study is to investigate the training strategies, and hence the training profile, of organisations within the accommodation sector. The extent and role of training and remuneration is examined in local independent accommodation providers, and then compared to the larger, chain operations. The quantitative findings are complimented with qualitative research undertaken through interviews with human resource (HR) managers from a number of international hotels in both Perth and Singapore. This mixed method of analysis approach is used to determine the extent of relationship between local accommodation providers and international chains. HR practices in the industry were viewed in Singapore as being very traditional in both the multi‐chain hotels, failing to keep up with new practices and technology, and focusing on administrative rather than strategic goals. No comments on practices in Australia were forthcoming, but it is probable that practices are also very traditional.