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For Yaohan International Group, the most important aspects of management development are not the acquisition of knowledge and the training of skills per se, but the cultivation of the right mind and spirit. The group thrives on the corporate culture which believes in the unlimited potential of each employee, and its philosophy, based on the Truth of Life’s philosophy, embraces all its employees scattered around the world as members of the single family, removing the walls of prejudice which separate them by religion and race. Only when the hearts and the minds have been won, can the real education and training begin. This was embodied in the group’s declaration, based on the vision of its present chairman, Kazuo Wada, which has guided the growth of the group from a humble provincial store into a global retail conglomerate.

This article examines the essence of the New Age movement: its reservations about the Judaic‐Christian heritage, its pantheistic/monistic orientation, its individualism, its search for the mystical experience, its skepticism of modern science and technology, its openness to androgyny, its ecumenicalism, and its prediction of a new dispensation. The article traces the New Age predecessors and influences: gnosticism, the Catholic potpourri, romanticism, the writings of C.G. Jung, and Theosophy. It speculates that the movement’s influence – given its individualism, skepticism of structure and organization, and hostility toward modern methodology – will be implicit and indirect. Finally, it notes the ambivalence of the core ideology, lending itself to both “progressive” and “non‐progressive” interpretation.

This study aims to validate a potential synergistic venture between cash waqf (Islamic endowment) institutions (CWIs) and financial cooperatives (FCs) in the provision of affordable Islamic home financing (IHF) in Malaysia.

The study adopted semi-structured interviews with ten experts to validate the cash waqf-financial-cooperative-mushārakah mutanāqiṣah (CWFCMM) model. Thematic analysis technique was used to analyse the verbatim texts.

The findings show that the majority of the informants have positive perceptions of the potential of the CWFCMM model to provide financially affordable IHF products in Malaysia. Nevertheless, this study sheds light on the varying degrees of latent issues and challenges that might arise in the implementation of this model. For example, FCs need to practice the correct business model, implement good governance structures and employ the right people. Meanwhile, CWIs need to work on their accountability issues by publishing their audited accounts in mainstream newspapers, much like what is being done by non-governmental organisations such as the widely recognised Malaysian Medical Relief Society (MERCY Malaysia).

This study interviewed a small, industry-specific number of informants in generating its findings. Time and budget constraints are some of the limiting factors in carrying out the study. Because of these factors, the generalisation of the study’s findings will be limited.

First, the CWFCMM model offers an alternative, financially affordable IHF instrument to low- and middle-income households in Malaysia. Second, the involvement of third-sector institutions such as FCs and CWIs in the provision of IHF will reduce the burden of the government in its spending on home financing solutions for civil servants. Third, this model will harness the potential of waqf-based financing beyond the contemporary limited applications to mosques, graveyards and taḥfīẓ (Qurʾan memorization) schools.

This study presents an alternative IHF model that transcends the current institutional framework that is heavily dominated by Islamic commercial banks and government-owned home financing institutions. The study does not focus on a single third-sector institution but on an integration of at least two of them, CWIs and FCs, in implementing the IHF model.

The purpose of this paper is to revise Burgelman’s idea (1991, 1994) that induced strategic processes is necessarily variation-reducing. In doing so, the authors explore whether major change in a firm’s administrative system can be managed in an evolutionary fashion via induced variation-increasing mechanisms. In particular, the authors focus on a multi-business multinational firm in which different administrative systems were experimented simultaneously as a way to determine which of these systems provided the most conducive context for innovation and capability development.

The authors adopted an inductive perspective and developed a single case research project aimed at documenting the process of experimentation and subsequent selection and adoption of a new administrative system by a large multi-business multinational firm.

The paper’s main contribution is the concept of “induced variation”, understood as intra-organizational variation-increasing mechanisms deliberately created at the top level of the organization to trigger an intra-organizational evolutionary process of management innovation. This finding extends and modifies Burgelman’s discussion of induced and autonomous strategic behavior by showing that induced processes need not necessarily be variation-reducing, but may actually be variation-increasing. Additionally, the authors explain how an evolutionary process aimed at learning about the relative merits of alternative administrative systems through in vivo “reflection in action” (Schön, 1983) unfolds in a complex global organization.

While the work provides several insights on the development of an evolutionary process leading to management innovation, its inductive nature limits its external validity and requires the development of further work for such purpose.

The authors explore the roles of regional organizations in creating new corporate capabilities for the MNC.

The authors show how management capabilities developed in the Latin American context were rolled out to other locations.

The authors' findings confirm that major drastic reorganization initiatives can actually be approached using an evolutionary approach.

Current global shifts in education towards inclusive early childhood education are deeply engineered by the crisis of educational exclusion. In responding to exclusion, teachers have mainly utilized dominant western theories to plan and implement inclusive teaching. In this chapter, we draw on a non-western philosophy, a Nichiren Buddhist (Soka) philosophy, to provide a ‘kaleidoscopic’ lens through which to create inclusive educational learning spaces that engender full participation of all children. The Soka education philosophy is a humanist concept which can guide teachers when preparing to create inclusive education. The aims of this chapter are threefold: The first is an exploration of the Nichiren Buddhist (Soka) philosophy. The second aim is to highlight how this philosophy can enable teachers to unleash the unlimited potential of children in inclusive learning settings. Thirdly, we argue that grounding early childhood teacher education in this philosophy can help improve the effectiveness of inclusive educational experience for all children.

The Equal Pay Act 1970 (which came into operation on 29 December 1975) provides for an “equality clause” to be written into all contracts of employment. S.1(2) (a) of the 1970 Act (which has been amended by the Sex Discrimination Act 1975) provides:

As a consequence of both limited funding and a desire to remain independent of any single supplier, the University of Lancaster Library is developing an integrated library package with software based on the Pick operating system. The first stage in the library's automation programme, an acquisitions system, went live in April 1987. This article presents an account of its implementation, and shows how wide participation in its development has resulted in various refinements and in swift acceptance by all levels of staff. A full description of the system is given, showing the day‐to‐day procedures involved and the unlimited enquiry potential provided by the Pick access language. The system is judged a great success, both on its own merits and as the First stage in the library's continuing automation programme.

Focuses on the impact of environmental risk on lenders′ behaviour. Begins by sketching background information then focuses on risk‐return relationships and offers scenarios faced by lenders. Addresses rational creditor behaviour and the implications and consequences this behaviour has on borrowers and society.

The purpose of this study is to enhance the existing enterprise risk-management (ERM) theory by introducing both a resource-based view and a dynamic capability perspective. These strategic management concepts might resolve several theoretical shortcomings in the field of risk management. The concept of risk-management capabilities is proposed as an explanation of a firm’s risk resilience.

This paper is conceptual in nature. For illustrative purposes, the paper refers to practical examples.

First, the resource-based view provides a framework that helps to set priorities in risk management. Second, the dynamic capability perspective illustrates how firms can handle unforeseen events. Third, it is proposed that dynamic capabilities are needed to allow a constant reassessment of the impact of specific resources and, consequently, of ERM priorities. Fourth, a risk-management capability, as an integral part of a dynamic capability, allows firms to develop risk resilience in turbulent environments.

This paper develops an enhanced framework for ERM within specific boundary conditions. It shows how priorities at the strategic level are to be set, and how these priorities influence the operational level of risk management.

The framework provides clear guidelines on setting priorities in ERM and implementing a risk-management process within firms.

This study contributes to the theoretical literature on ERM by enhancing it through a new framework. The resource-based view and dynamic capability perspective benefit through insights from risk-management literature.

Examines the impact of the Internet on the marketing aspects of businesses today. Looks at its future and how businesses can use its unlimited potential to their advantage. Concludes that the Internet has many risks associated with its use, but it has many benefits too.