The authors draw on their considerable experience in writing and using case studies both in the UK and abroad to explain the potential benefits of using the case study method in management teaching. In this, the first of two articles on the subject, they elaborate on the potential benefits of...

This is the second of two articles about the use of case studies in management training and development. In the first article the authors explained the potential benefits of using this method as well as some of the dangers. They also explained the methodology of running cases effectively. In...

The various pressures that managers are under to accept ready‐made solutions to problems that they face are identified. However, if the causes of the problems are not carefully diagnosed in the first instance it can be a matter of luck whether the solutions work or are actually...

The skill of chairing meetings is a key one that can greatly influence personal and organisational effectiveness. However, it is often assumed that people know how to handle meetings by a process of osmosis. Sometimes this is justified but often not, and standards of chairing vary widely. In...

The problems of operating employee appraisal schemes effectively are identified in this two‐part article. Appraisal of formal appraisal schemes suggests that most do not operate satisfactorily. Multipurpose schemes can be cumbersome and include conflicting objectives. The feedback process can...

In this two‐part article the problems of operating employee appraisal schemes effectively are identified. Appraisal of formal appraisal schemes suggests that most do not operate satisfactorily. Multi‐purpose schemes can be cumbersome and include conflicting objectives. The feedback process...

Purpose – To establish how people become managers. Design/methodology/approach – A survey of 50 managers carried out at the end of 2004 by students on the BA in Business and Management course at the University of Westminster. A total of 25 students chose two managers each to interview. Of...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the case for the incremental development of corporate strategy and related issues of management development. Design/methodology/approach – A background in consultancy and management development in the UK and abroad is used to examine the...