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The aim of this article is to investigate the incidence and impact of FWAs in smaller businesses in Scotland, as an integral part of a recent European Social Fund project. From theoretical perspectives it discusses the influences on, and impacts of, flexible working arrangements. The focus is then placed on the smaller business sector as regards its distinctive features and flexible working arrangements.

The papers presents the findings from empirical work comprising a large‐scale survey of, and series of interviews with, owner‐managers of smaller businesses in Scotland.

Part‐time work, time off in lieu, staggered working hours and shift swapping are the main types of flexible work in smaller businesses. In many incidences flexible working arrangements are requested by employees, operated informally, and centred on the business needs. There is significant scope for greater uptake of flexible working arrangements in smaller businesses, especially in services sector businesses. Positive impacts of flexible work arrangements in recruitment and retention, enhanced employee relations, commitment and loyalty are found, together with disadvantages of operational problems and administrative burdens. It is proposed that the gap between the potential for, and current practice in, flexible working arrangements may be narrowed by targeting information and guidance on such arrangements specifically to the owner‐managers of smaller businesses.

The literature on flexible working mainly concentrates on large organisations. With the growing economic importance and distinguishing features of the smaller business sector in the UK, there is a need to focus as much on this sector as large organisations.

Barchester Healthcare's Memory Lane Communities programme is gaining recognition for its standards in specialist care for people with dementia. In this article, Sheena Wyllie and Val Gains explain the company's philosophy, which recognises that every person is an individual. It is practised by staff who undergo training in Barchester's bespoke dementia care programme, which places the family at the heart of the process of understanding the person with dementia.

This paper seeks to investigate the role of social capital in facilitating the entry of new business ventures into service networks.

The empirical work is undertaken via case study‐based research, featuring three service businesses, each entering and operating in a different marketplace.

Results show that new service businesses are not necessarily able to draw on existing social capital in order to enter a business network and build relationships with potential customers and suppliers.

Future empirical work should re‐examine the distinctions between the role and nature of social capital for new service businesses.

The paper suggests how the new service entrepreneur might invest personal resources in networking to initiate relationships and build a network of customers and suppliers.

The paper presents the little researched area of networking and relationship initiation as a means of developing social capital for new service businesses.

THE MOST problematic aspect of compiling this bibliography was defining the areas of librarianship covered by the term outreach. This leads one to ask whether it should be necessary to draw a line between traditional library service and outreach activities. The answer to this is already becoming apparent. Activities which were previously defined by the terms of “outreach” or “extension” are now accepted as an essential element of the library service. If the public library service is to fulfil the function which its name implies this is a trend which must continue.

This volume looks at the construction of gendered citizenship in different rural contexts: under different welfare and gender regimes, and different rural and agricultural conditions. Through applying the concepts of the welfare state and gender regimes within rural research, this book contributes to the further development of a comparative theoretical framework for rural gender studies. The importance of integrating rural gender studies into both the mainstreams of rural and feminist research has been emphasized in previous volumes, as has that of developing comparative analytical frameworks (Whatmore, Marsden, & Lowe, 1994, p. 2; Brandth, 2002; Shortall, 2006). The conceptual framework adopted in this volume sets out to meet this challenge by approaching rural gender relations as the meeting point of two core research areas: feminist research into gender regime studies and research on rural transformative processes. Research into gender regimes offers a promising analytical framework for comparing gender relations in diverse rural settings. By formulating gender relations in terms of citizenship rights, this approach elevates the concerns of rural gender relations to broader discourses located at the nation state level (Werbner & Yuval-Davis, 1999; Asztalos Morell, 1999a). The evolution of citizenship rights at the nation state level has created hegemonic frameworks that are able to influence and transform rural gender relations. At the same time, by addressing rural concerns, deriving from the specificity of rural transition processes and gender regimes, the approach also contributes to an elucidation of the complexity of citizenship. In accordance to current debates emphasizing the embedded nature of gender relations with other social forces of differentiation, such as age, class and ethnicity (Walby, 1997; Hobson & Lister, 2002) we aimed to elucidate how gendered citizenship is constituted in the rural context.

The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the extant literature of workplace spirituality (WPS) in a manner that helps us trace its emergence in management practices in the past twelve years and to identify the gaps to be addressed by researchers in near future.

A two-step screening process was followed to extract the papers from various databases. The paper reviews one hundred fifty-nine conceptual and empirical articles published in more than fifty journals from 2010 to 2021. Leading databases like EBSCO, Scopus and ProQuest were extensively searched. The papers were analysed and grouped to arrive at the themes and classification criteria.

Despite numerous studies and extensive research in the past decade, the construct of WPS lacks a conclusive definition and has overlapping dimensions. It is a multidimensional concept having personal, psychological and social aspects. It is a dominant field in organisational behaviour domain.

The review explains the multidisciplinary nature of WPS, having roots in organisational behaviour, psychology and theology. Further, the paper provides a clear picture of the present state of literature and enumerates future research avenues which will enable the researchers to further expand the area of WPS.

The review highlights multiple positive attitudinal outcomes that managers can attain through WPS-related initiatives. Various techniques like prayer breaks, meditation and yoga can be used by the managers for spiritual incorporation process.

This study acquires significance, for, unlike previous studies, it does not propose that inclusion of WPS will always be gainful, rather it also broaches its potential harm, if incorporated sans due caution. Considering the complexity of spiritual beliefs, it will enable managers to weigh the pros-cons of such inclusion. The research gaps identified in the review will help future researchers in furthering the field of WPS.

Max Weber called the maxim “Time is Money” the surest, simplest expression of the spirit of capitalism. Coined in 1748 by Benjamin Franklin, this modern proverb now has a life of its own. In this paper, I examine the worldwide diffusion and sociocultural history of this paradigmatic expression. The intent is to explore the ways in which ideas of time and money appear in sedimented form in popular sayings.

My approach is sociological in orientation and multidisciplinary in method. Drawing upon the works of Max Weber, Antonio Gramsci, Wolfgang Mieder, and Dean Wolfe Manders, I explore the global spread of Ben Franklin’s famed adage in three ways: (1) via evidence from the field of “paremiology” – that is, the study of proverbs; (2) via online searches for the phrase “Time is Money” in 30-plus languages; and (3) via evidence from sociological and historical research.

The conviction that “Time is Money” has won global assent on an ever-expanding basis for more than 250 years now. In recent years, this phrase has reverberated to the far corners of the world in literally dozens of languages – above all, in the languages of Eastern Europe and East Asia.

Methodologically, this study unites several different ways of exploring the globalization of the capitalist spirit. The main substantive implication is that, as capitalism goes global, so too does the capitalist spirit. Evidence from popular sayings gives us a new foothold for insight into questions of this kind.

The learning outcomes of this study are as follows:▪ to explain the marketing of products that fall under “stigmatised” products;▪ to develop a multi-segmentation strategy and identify variables used in segmentation;▪ to identify the target segments;▪ to draw a value proposition canvas;▪ to construct positioning statements; and▪ to decide the product portfolio based on segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP).

This case considers the dilemma faced by Deep Bajaj, CEO of Sirona Hygiene Pvt. Ltd., a company in the female menstrual and intimate hygiene products space, in May 2021. During an investor meeting, an investor questions Sirona’s focus on menstrual cups (MCs) and advises Deep to expand instead the sanitary pads category. While the company has been growing at more than 100% year-on-year and has also been profitable for the last three years, the case considers how Deep can better participate in the bull run in the Indian menstrual hygiene market. Should he discard menstrual cups from Sirona’s product portfolio and concentrate on sanitary pads – India’s most highly accepted menstrual hygiene product? Alternatively, should he discard sanitary pads from his product portfolio and focus on MCs – his flagship product? Or, could he tap the large and growing menstrual hygiene market to “have his cup and pad too”?

This case is suitable for a class of 90 min in an undergraduate course or an extended session of two 90-min classes in a graduate MBA course. It can be studied as part of the STP module in a Marketing Management course. It may also be used in a strategic management course within a graduate MBA program to provide an understanding of the value proposition canvas as part of the module on business model canvas.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 8: Marketing.

The purpose of this study is to provide an analysis of the teacher education program focused on the development of the research competence of the preservice teachers, difficulties they encountered in conducting action research and the need to provide them with realistic research opportunities.

This qualitative study made use of data sources taken from observations, feedback sessions, presentations and follow-up written interview of 133 randomly selected preservice teachers.

Findings reported that the multicultural preservice teachers have novice research skills and that the real-world application of their research skills developed their research competence. However, they encountered difficulties creating their action research, such as in the literature review and the research conceptualization.

Aside from the self-reported experiences of the students, the training on the action research mainly focused on the conceptualization, design formulation of interventions and proposal writing stage but were not implemented due to course constraints.

This study can assist policymakers to integrate a mandatory research course as part of the curricular offerings and for the university to create space for students to practice their research skills based on real-life problems in the basic level institutions.

Understanding the challenges, difficulties, and basic competence in the research development of the preservice teachers would strengthen the research practice of the future teachers for evidence-based teaching in the schools.

The limited literature focus on the development of research competence on teacher education students using action research, including the difficulties that university students experience in doing research based on a societal context.