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This article aims to report the results of an international survey (USA and New Zealand) that tested relationship effects on ethical behaviour. The findings point to the impact of perceived social bonds on ethical decision‐making. They also reinforce the cultural specificity of ethics. Both these findings confirm the importance of participatory, ground‐up, discussion‐based approaches to developing organisational ethical standards. The article discusses some implications of these findings for internal communicators involved with ethics programmes in organisations.

The research used an established scenario‐style survey to test respondents' ethical decision‐making behaviours under different circumstances.

This article discusses two results that will impact on internal communication approaches to stimulating ethical attitudes and behaviours: the positive influence on people making ethics‐related decisions of a perceived relationship with those affected by the decision, and cultural differences.

The research is limited by the functionalist, hypothetical, descriptive survey design which identifies responses but not motivations, and findings are limited to the specific scenarios described. The results show the importance of future research to elaborate connections between perceived relationships, ethics, and culture.

The paper offers practitioners a research method, which they can use to stimulate personal and group reflection among staff about ethical decision‐making and the different factors that can influence ethical choices. In confirming a connection between perceived relationships and choosing more ethical behaviour towards others, the findings may also reinforce the importance of internal relationship building as an important aspect of organisational investment in ethics‐related outcomes such as fraud reduction and reputation management.

The research provides evidence for some connections that have not previously been explored in the organisational context, between perceived relationships and ethical outcomes. It also confirms the cultural diversity of ethics, but shows that enhancing perceived relationships may help bridge cultural differences on ethical norms.

The literature is divided upon whether a gender difference occurs with respect to ethical decisions. Notable researchers Tannen and Gilligan demonstrated gender difference while subsequent researchers indicate that gender differences are becoming more neutralized. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

This paper analyzes the gender demographic and intercultural influences on ethical decision-making by undergraduate students from New Zealand and the USA through four scenarios.

Overall for the USA and New Zealand, this research demonstrates this split as well, since two scenarios showed significance while two did not. The two that demonstrated a significance dealt with personnel issues and a past client relationship. These two scenarios suggested that a relationship orientation and relativistic nature among women may influence their decision making. The two scenarios without significance were less relationship oriented, involving dealing with a customer (a stranger) and a subordinate (implying a professional supervisory responsibility). In addition, the neutrality exhibited in the latter two scenarios may reflect Tannen's illustration that there is a cross-gender influence on decision making. With respect to the geographic location, the USA, when compared with New Zealand, and the gender demographics, only the USA reported significant differences for two scenarios.

Undergraduate students in the USA provided situations and discussions that resulted in the development of a number of scenarios. Additional research and evaluation of current events, led to a total of ten scenarios with four scenarios yielding business related situations.

Although the condition of food allergy has not always been clearly defined the concept has, in recent years, attracted considerable attention particularly as it is commonly believed that the incidence is increasing and that the condition is exacerbated by modern methods of food processing. The common belief that the medical profession is not sufficiently well informed to deal with the problem has led to a marked growth in ‘alternative methods’ of diagnosis and treatment many of which have little scientific basis. Against this background the Royal College of Physicians, in conjunction with the British Nutrition Foundation, established a joint committee to study the problem and make any recommendations considered necessary. Susan Holmes BSc, SRN, presents a summary of the report and its recommendations.

The following bibliography focuses mainly on programs which can run on IBM microcomputers and compatibles under the operating system PC DOS/MS DOS, and which can be used in online information and documentation work. They fall into the following categories:

This paper reports on a research study examining opportunities for and characteristics of effective leadership for whole university approaches to health, well-being and sustainability.

A multi-method qualitative approach was used: semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with vice chancellors (n = 12) and UK Healthy Universities Network members (n = 10) and online questionnaires were completed by non-UK network coordinators (n = 6) and non-UK health promoting university coordinators (n = 10), supplemented with two interviews.

A total of two overarching themes emerged: opportunities to secure and sustain effective senior-level leadership and characteristics of effective senior-level leadership. Sub-themes under “Opportunities” included aligning work with core business so that health and well-being becomes a strategic priority, harnessing the personal qualities and values of senior-level advocates and using charters and policy drivers as levers to engage and catalyse action. Sub-themes under “Characteristics” included commitment to whole university/whole system working; an understanding that health underpins core business and is a strategic priority; enabling effective coordination through appropriate resourcing; balancing top-down and distributed leadership models and complementing strategic leadership with cultural change.

This study is one of the first to explore leadership in relation to health promoting universities. Drawing on the findings, it presents a guide to developing and securing effective leadership for health promoting universities – of value to researchers, practitioners and policymakers worldwide.

Aarhus Kommunes Biblioteker (Teknisk Bibliotek), Ingerslevs Plads 7, Aarhus, Denmark. Representative: V. NEDERGAARD PEDERSEN (Librarian).

The United States government is the world's largest publisher. Its presses churn out thousands of items annually, covering every conceivable subject. Even though most of the items deal with present day concerns, the United States government is responsible for the publication of a large number of histories. Unfortunately, these works, with the possible exception of the Department of Defense's Military History Series, have received little exposure and limited use. In an effort to bring this valuable resource to light, the following bibliography presents annotated citations to nearly 150 histories published from mid‐1977 through mid‐1979.