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This article argues that critical realism (CR) offers an ontological position suited to understanding the dynamic relations between multinational companies (MNCs) and the complex political spaces within which they operate. After outlining the core assumptions of CR, the key arguments are elaborated through two case studies which focus on issues of staffing and expatriation. The first case concerns recent developments in the Middle East, highlighting the shifting reality of nationality-based definitions of staffing the MNC, and the second examines the internationalisation of Chinese firms, exploring the way MNCs restructure space to retain access to home-country advantages.

This chapter argues for the unrealised potential value of methodologies derived from a critical realist research philosophy in the field of entrepreneurship studies. Critical realism offers methodological alternatives that, through the generation of new insights into social relations, social structures and key generative mechanisms, can offer significant value for entrepreneurship researchers. Reflecting on their personal experiences researching from a critical realist perspective in entrepreneurship studies, the authors explore how this research philosophy can extend the field of inquiry and promote new perspectives. The chapter explores this in relation to the specific topic of enterprise policy and demystifies some aspects of critical realism by setting out some of its basic principles to demonstrate their potential to develop new insights. Further, this approach can create significant impact, for example, through the development of effective interventions. The chapter concludes by identifying implications for enterprise policy development, implementation and evaluation.

This chapter addresses current trends regarding how the meta-theory of critical realism (CR) frames comparative and international education research and practice. It introduces the key tenets of CR and explores how these ideas have been and can be applied in educational research. It demonstrates how CR provides a valuable alternative to the positivist, interpretivist and constructivist paradigms, and leverages elements of all three to provide new approaches to develop knowledge that is free from the dualisms embedded in their ontological assumptions. I argue that by offering a dialectical understanding of structure and agency, as well as the material and ideational dimension of social reality, CR provides an ontological framework that does not do conceptual violence to the reality we seek to research. This ontological basis is particularly valuable to the social justice agenda of educational research in general because it allows researchers to work beneath the surface of empirical research to disclose the field of possibilities for social action.

This paper aims to offers suggested practices for dealing with the challenge of providing relevant and reliable information to boards.

Notes and reports from formal governance reviews have been considered from five organizations where board information was flagged as a key area for improvement. The cases were chosen from dozens of organizations the author worked with over a 10-year period.

The paper explains that boards struggle to process information because of challenges such as group dynamics and cognitive biases. Key themes identified reveal that both the type of information and how it is presented matters to boards. Most significantly, giving more information to boards is not always better.

This is not an empirical study but instead seeks to use themes identified in practice as the base for suggestions for boards to consider when seeking relevant and reliable information to make decisions.

This paper makes practical suggestions on how boards and managers can ensure boards receive appropriate information from managers. These include having a clear philosophy for presenting information to the board, being clear on the story that is told, using knowledge visualization when appropriate, explaining how information is relevant to decision items and information items and appointing a steward to oversee the process if needed.

The struggle around board information has been noted in both research and practice. This paper empowers boards and managers with proactive strategies to steward processes and procedures related to board information.

This paper aims to offer a solution to the dilemma of board members using their personal values to drive decision-making and strategy. Board members are asked to discuss the collective values at the onset of strategy planning.

Six questions, developed over a 15-year period of working in the area of strategy and governance, unite research on values in organizations, and provide a guide for arriving at a set of agreed-upon values for decision-making.

Two examples from practice showcase how agreeing on values before beginning the strategy process has assisted boards with better decision-making.

The questions and process are meant to be a reflective tool for board members to consider when discussing values and decision-making rather than predicting behaviour or explaining outcomes. The process is most effective for boards whose culture supports a desire for improvement and therefore a willingness to experiment with new processes. The process can be enhanced by using an external facilitator having the ability to extrapolate meaning as the discussion unfolds.

This work empowers board members to be more effective in assessing strategic options and in communicating the inner logic and meaning of the strategy throughout the organization and to the external stakeholders.

Advocating that boards engage in focused discussion around values at the beginning of the strategic process improves decision-making and provides a litmus test for evaluating the strategic options. Agreeing on a set of values also makes board members more aware of the implications of each option in the long term.

Explores the relationship between educational providers and company clients on tailored MBA programmes. Examines the potential benefits and disadvantages of such programmes in terms of the relative number of providers/companies involved, and describes and evaluates the authors′ experience of developing and operating a consortium MBA involving two providers and nine companies. Presents both provider and company perspectives, and concludes that the resolution of potential conflicts resulted in a programme which satisfied the requirements of providers, companies and participants. Further, increased collaboration between educational providers may more accurately respond to the needs of clients, who may wish to use a number of providers in constructing “their” MBA programme.

Four types of biologically active molecules were examined for their structure/activity relationships as applied to textile functionalization. Bio-molecules including enzymes, peptides, carbohydrates, and lipids have been found to retain their activity when linked to cotton fabrics. Wound dressing protection against the protease destruction caused by human neutrophil elastase was examined with cellulose conjugates and formulations of peptides, carbohydrates, and lipids attached with various chemistries to cotton dressings. These serve as a model for protective textiles at the surface of the skin. Additional biological activities that were explored included antibacterial and haemostatic fabrics related to wound healing, and neurotoxin neutralization related to decontamination. Lysozyme was found to have robust antibacterial activity when conjugated to cotton. Peptide conjugates of cellulose have been explored as enzyme substrates, antimicrobial agents, and cell adhesion promoters on textiles for wound healing. Carbohydrates ranging from low molecular weight monosaccharides to high molecular weight polysaccharides have both molecular and functional activity when crosslinked or grafted onto cotton with numerous textile performance properties. Textile bound lipids have been explored for a variety of applications including antibacterial, hygienic function, and enzyme inhibition. A lipid: albumin complex that serves as a carrier transfer agent involved in enzyme inhibition is given as an example.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate employees' attitudes toward society, organisations and work in electronic industry of the three Finno‐Ugrian countries from an institutionalist perspective.

Survey was done in two plants of the electronics industry in Estonia, Hungary and Finland. The survey was conducted in two plants of the electronics industry in Estonia, Hungary and Finland, respectively: one produces telecommunications equipment and the other electrical goods for household use. Data from the three countries were compared by means of the ANOVA‐test. The factors influencing job satisfaction and organisational commitment were identified by using linear regression analysis.

The results of an empirical study in the three Finno‐Ugrian countries, Estonia, Finland and Hungary, indicate significant differences, as well as similarities, in attitudes toward society, organisations and work in electronic industry of the three Finno‐Ugrian countries. It is argued that the differences in work‐related attitudes are influenced by the respective countries' historical legacy, in particular differences in levels of institutional development.

In order to draw broader conclusions it is necessary to explore alternative explanations and conduct further empirical research in other industries and countries.

Estonia and Hungary are new EU members and their citizens can now seek employment in another member country. The paper gives information about the work‐related attitudes of Estonian and Hungarian employees compared to Finnish employees.

The model developed explains differences between three countries.

Russia has been undergoing a profound political and economic transformation since the mid 1980s. The article explores various aspects of economic transformation from the viewpoint of an industrial enterprise in the Russian province, focusing on four aspects of the transformation process: ownership and control, mutual indebtedness, social assets and labour restructuring. In doing so, the aim is to compare and contrast the Russian experience of transformation with that predicated by economists at the early stages of transition and with the experience of the other transforming countries in Central and Eastern Europe. What emerges is a distinctive picture of transformation in Russia, as Russian companies have developed at times idiosyncratic responses to the general issues they face. A general conclusion of the article is that the Russian economy is evolving towards a market system with distinctive Russian characteristics.

The article seeks to explore the importance of entrepreneurial behaviour and inter‐firm co‐operation for small firms seeking growth in a volatile, recession‐hit environment. Entrepreneurial behaviour is defined as seeking opportunities, developing new products and entering new markets. Strategic thinking and strategy type determine behaviour. Inter‐firm co‐operation includes both horizontal and vertical relationships.

A case study of co‐operating firms and questionnaire survey of independent firms were conducted in the Turkish shotgun industry.

Small firms engaging in co‐operation and applying prospector/analyser‐type strategies achieve greater success and growth than independent firms in the same industry. Moreover, co‐operation includes socio‐psychological, strategic and network dimensions, which are essential factors for success and growth.

Since the sample comprised only one case and a small number of independent firms, generalization is difficult. Moreover, the results may not apply to other industries.

Relevant government agencies and other researchers should consider co‐operation and/or clusters to mitigate the impact of economic recession and sustain employment levels.

Although the Huglu case is unique in Turkey, clusters and co‐operations can enhance firm performance, job creation and general social welfare.