Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to convey to authors that, by avoiding passive constructions in scholarly writing, academics can demonstrate a more thorough understanding of materials, thus strengthening arguments and presenting articles with clarity. Design/methodology/approach –...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review a collection of research papers concerned with challenges commonly faced when initiating, implementing and evaluating the results of reform in an international context. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the literature on reform, mainly...

Purpose – The paper aims to highlight the challenges faced by international organisations such as the United Nations when facing the ever‐changing demands for change through the adoption of a holistic reform process. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses the UN as a case for...

Purpose – This paper draws on a recent case study in Ghana that explored the human resource development (HRD) challenges facing local government in a reforming public sector. It aims to investigate how public sector reform (PSR) has affected worker motivation and effectiveness among civil...

Purpose – This paper aims to present an analysis of the nature and determinants of corruption, using recent data to clarify the nature of the corruption phenomenon and answer the question of whether corruption can categorically be said to be a problem requiring public sector reform, or is a...

Purpose – In Iran the role of entrepreneurs in developing communities is considered to be a special issue by planners and policy‐makers; thus the aim of this paper is to explore and examine some of the main structural, behavioural and environmental barriers faced by entrepreneurs in Iranian...

Purpose – This paper seeks to explore the similarities and differences in terms of managerial effectiveness between public‐ and private‐sector organisations from the dimensions of motivation, constraints and opportunities. Design/methodology/approach – This research was undertaken in the...

Purpose – This study seeks to propose that executives need to be prepared to adopt roles as a mechanism for rotating leadership if those groups of which they are a part are to perform to their full potential. Design/methodology/approach – A validated framework provides insight into the...

Purpose – Examination of the challenges of dependence on the private sector of public‐sector projects is the central concern of the paper. With ongoing research suggesting that dependence on the private sector is inevitable, this paper tries to assess whether the dependence is an imperative...

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between mission statements and firm performance in the small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME) sector. Design/methodology/approach – This research is based on an empirical survey of small and medium‐sized enterprises...