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Ironically, the business challenges which require many senior executives to develop greater personal flexibility and adaptability often reduce the time available for personal development. An approach to assessing executive‐level development needs, which is both time‐and cost‐effective, is described. A framework for successful development, the determination of company expectation, establishment of the personal change context, auditing of personal strengths and development needs, and a development‐planning process is outlined. A summary model of the entire process concludes.

The second of a two‐part article elaborates on the themes espoused in Part 1 by identifying three development centre (DC) models: resource development, resource management and resource control. These illustrate the values on which the organisation is based and the messages it communicates; and then the models are linked to the business development cycle.

Discusses the development of potential in middle managers. Describes the development of competence in key areas and creating the mechanism for learning including action learning groups, performance management programmes and development centres. Concludes that the transition from middle to senior management should be more like a campaign march than a leap into the unknown.

Explains how British Telecom researched and implemented competence‐based development programmes. Describes their strategy for personal development planning among 20,000 managers. Reports on trials of development centres designed around specific skills leading to identification of participants level of competence. Concludes that putting resources into getting the development process right may be more important than concentrating on the accuracy of competence‐based assessment.

Development Centres (DCs) are an increasingly popular method of assessing key personnel to determine their development needs. They are also a highly visible and powerful organisational intervention which reveals an organisation′s core values and culture. This two‐part article focuses on DCs from two perspectives: first as a HR tool; and second as an organisation development intervention. Part 1 (here) examines what DCs are, what they comprise, the benefits, and key steps in establishing a centre. Part 2 (in the next issue) examines the linkages between three alternative DC models and both organisation culture and the business development cycle.

For any convergent nozzle passing a compressible fluid and discharging against a pressure below the expanding power of the nozzle, there is a unique pressure and temperature distribution both of which depend upon the overall resistances to flow and the reheating effect incurred. By measurement of a single function of state along the flow path it is theoretically possible to calculate the reheat and expansion efficiency. The following analysis for one‐dimensional irrotational flow is an attempt to predict on a basis of theory the probable difficulties which would arise in practice and the accuracy to be expected. It is found that the pressure distribution is insensitive to reheat, but that the temperature distribution provides a fair indication.

We publish this month a report of a case which was recently heard by the Stipendiary at Middlesbrough, in which a Co‐operative Society was summoned for being in possession of meat which was condemned as tuberculous and as unfit for human food. In view of the magisterial decision, it is of interest to review the facts of the case. It appears that Inspector WATSON visited the defendant society's slaughter‐house, and that he saw there several carcases hanging up and an employee dressing a carcase which was obviously tuberculous. In reply to Inspector WATSON'S demand, the internal organs of the animal were produced and were found to be covered with tuberculous nodules. Dr. DINGLE, the Medical Officer of Health, accompanied by Mr. G. ANDERSON, the Chief Sanitary Inspector, subsequently visited the slaughter‐house and agreed that the carcase was undoubtedly tuberculous and quite unfit for human food. Accordingly they seized the carcase which was subsequently condemned by order of the magistrate. When the defendant society was summoned before the Court, the counsel for the prosecution pointed out that when Inspector ANDERSON visited the slaughter‐house he asked the slaughterer why he had continued dressing the carcase when it was obvious to anyone that the meat was tuberculous. The condition of the carcase was not disputed by the defendants, but it was contended that the slaughter‐house was under the control of the manager and that no carcase would be removed until it had been inspected by him. In view of this contention for the defence, the magistrate held that it had not been proved that the meat was intended for human food, despite the fact that the diseased internal organs had been removed, and that the carcase had been dressed as if it were intended for use as food. If the decision in all such cases rested upon evidence of a similar nature, it is obvious that the Public Health Acts would become inefficient and useless, inasmuch as it would only be necessary for a defendant to state that any diseased meat found in his slaughter‐house was awaiting the inspection of the manager, and then the law could not interfere. Such a condition of things would obviously be unsatisfactory. The Stipendiary observed that the prosecution was justified, and commended the ability with which the Health Department carried on its work.