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The purpose of this paper is to explore leadership in the context of the policy shift to collaborative working and integration currently being pursued in the UK NHS. As ways of integrating care are being explored in other countries it can be argued that this topic may have wider policy significance. This paper is particularly concerned with leadership in Primary Care Networks in the English NHS.

This paper is a conceptual paper using literature relating to the antecedents of shared leadership and relevant policy documents pertaining to the English NHS. The paper is informed, theoretically by the conceptual lens of shared leadership. A conceptual framework is developed identifying the antecedents of shared leadership that help to explain how shared leadership may be developed.

The paper identifies the challenges that may be faced by policymakers and those involved in Primary Care Networks in developing shared leadership. It also reveals the implications for policymakers in developing shared leadership.

The paper is conceptual. It is acknowledged that this is a preliminary study and further work will be required to test the conceptual framework empirically.

The paper discusses the policy implications of developing leadership in primary care networks. This has relevance to both the NHS and other countries.

There is limited research on the antecedents of shared leadership. In addition, the conceptual framework is applied to a new policy initiative.

“Growth hacking” is a “data-informed” marketing approach that uses digital marketing tools and tactics as well as traditional marketing channels to help technology companies show “proof-of-concept” and sustainability before gaining funding. The purpose of this study was to identify and understand the relevance and importance of growth hacking and identify what growth hacking tools and techniques are used by such organisations.

The main research method for the collection of primary data was in-depth interviews with both industry experts (senior professionals working for growth hacking agencies) and individual growth hacking practitioners who work for technology start-ups based in the UK. Interviews included the use of dimension cards with key growth hacking terms to act as visual cues to facilitate focus and prompt reflection.

In addition to a data analysis element, growth hacking also requires people to spot emerging opportunities before anyone else does. This makes it very difficult to find people with the right skill-set. It is also important to use traditional marketing methods to bridge the gap between the physical and digital world.

This study shows that growth hacking is a mind-set and process that can help technology start-ups grow quickly with a limited marketing budget. The research offers guidelines and frameworks for start-ups to understand the growth hacking process. The concept has direct synergy with agile marketing and this might be a term/ methodology with which people in the UK may feel more comfortable given the negative connotations of the word “hacking”.

The purpose of this paper is to consider whether successful subsidised arts organisations are more likely to apply a relationship rather than transactional marketing approach to overcome the tendency of not‐for‐profit organisations generally, and subsidised arts organisations particularly, to use marketing for short‐term, tactical purposes.

Research was undertaken to identify whether “successful” subsidised performing arts organisations were indeed more strategic in their focus, whether they had applied a relationship marketing approach and whether such an approach had been influential in the development of their “success”. Preliminary research led to the production of a conceptual framework that identifies major partnerships and specific stakeholder types that need to be considered by a subsidised performing arts organisation if an effective relationship marketing approach is to be developed. This was used as the basis for subsequent research involving a multiple case study approach studying two “successful” theatres and one “unsuccessful” theatre in depth. The strengths of relationship between the various key stakeholder roles and artistic directors within the three theatres were analysed.

Although this research is limited to a case study analysis of three theatres, it does seem to provide evidence to suggest that building strong relationships with stakeholders other than end users can be advantageous to subsidised performing arts organisations.

It is likely that this approach could be successful for the subsidised arts generally and indeed for all those organisations in the not‐for‐profit sector where those who pay do not necessarily receive the service.

This article provides a discussion on successful subsidised arts organisations.

Explains why International Training Service, a human resource development consultancy, decided to work towards BS 5750 and how it achieved registration to BS 5750 Part One across all of its six sites. Covering aspects such as time and cost involved, also describes resistance that had to be overcome among consultants who felt the BS procedures would mean new, less flexible ways of working. Although it is as yet too early to assess long‐term benefits, looks at some of the early signs that all the effort and expense were worthwhile.

This paper seeks to investigate experiential marketing as a potential strategy for cultural attractions operating in a highly competitive leisure marketplace.

The paper examines the relevance of the experiential approach for the UK arts and cultural sector with its multiple stakeholders and innate tensions between commercial objectives and curatorial/artistic goals, between visitor access and preservation and between scholarship and entertainment.

Experiential marketing is evaluated as a means by which organizations in the arts and cultural sector can capture uncontended market space while satisfying the wants and expectations of an increasingly discerning visitor. The analytical basis for the evaluation is provided through comparative case studies – one from the heritage sector and one from the performing arts.

The experiential approach is considered and the findings applied to a conceptual model, with a view to offering proposals for the dissemination of best practice and identifying directions for further research.

This conceptually‐focused paper looks at particular changes implemented in the UK National Health Service. The specific context is the creation of a new organisational form: the primary care group, which brings together general practitioners and other primary care staff in a given locality. The paper attempts to examine the consequences, for the development of these groups, of the shift from competition (in the internal market) to relationships based on collaboration and partnership. The broad policy objectives envisage much greater emphasis on working in partnership, participating in strategy and planning (via new health improvement programmes), developing joint working, and promoting the integration of service delivery. A relationship marketing perspective is explored as one way of conceptualising the development of new relationships between primary care groups, health authorities, local authorities, trusts and other agencies and the paper suggests that relationship marketing offers a way of facilitating policy change.

Purpose – Although hand hygiene is seen as the most important method to prevent the transmission of hospital associated infection in the UK, hand hygiene compliance rates appear to remain poor. This research aims to assess the degree to which social marketing methodology can be adopted by a particular organisation to promote hand hygiene compliance. Design/methodology/approach – The research design is based on a conceptual framework developed from analysis of social marketing literature. Data collection involved taped interviews given by nursing staff working within a specific Hospital Directorate in Manchester, England. Supplementary data were obtained from archival records of the hand hygiene compliance rates. Findings – Findings highlighted gaps in the Directorate's approach to the promotion of hand hygiene compared to what could be using social marketing methodology. Respondents highlighted how the Directorate failed to fully optimise resources required to endorse hand hygiene practice and this resulted in poorer compliance. Practical implications – From the experiences and events documented, the study suggests how the emergent phenomena could be utilised by the Directorate to apply a social marketing approach which could positively influence hand hygiene compliance. Originality/value – The paper seeks to explore the use of social marketing in nursing to promote hand hygiene compliance and offer a conceptual framework that provides a way of measuring the strength of the impact that social marketing methodology could have.

Evaluates a competence‐based management development programme for a public sector client. Utilizes qualitative methodology to gather data about the impact of the programme on participants′ behaviour and skills. The focus is a large city council, and the participants are from a varied occupational background, e.g. careers, environmental health, social work. Concludes that while behavioural changes are evident, there is also continued merit in the more traditional academic aspects of development.

This conceptual paper outlines why, when working in the international as opposed to the domestic environment, the success of a relationship marketing strategy is heavily dependent on levels of psychic distance. The higher the level of psychic distance, the greater the time and effort required to develop successful business relationships. At the different stages of relationship development, different variables of psychic distance assume relatively greater levels of importance which are likely to have implications for the implementation of a relationship marketing strategy.

The Education Reform Act 1988 brought about a number of radical changes in the structure and funding of UK higher education institutions particularly within the “new university” and college sector. As a result, they now operate within a much greater competitive context and need therefore to incorporate a greater market orientation into their strategic planning process in order to acquire a competitive advantage over their rivals. Reports on exploratory research undertaken to assess the degree to which these higher education institutions are aware of the complexity of the student′s role and whether this complexity is considered in the development of an institutions mission statement. Assesses the degree to which institutions display an awareness of the various types of customer that need to be taken into consideration when formulating their strategic plans.