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...

Environmental scanning is a key factor to sustained competitive advantage of the firm and it is becoming increasingly important in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) theory and practice. Not surprisingly, it is widely viewed as the first step in the process of strategic management. The main...

In recent years, management training development has secured an increasingly important place in the life of the business managers. After the peace agreement, to find a solution for the apparent lack of managerial strength, many management‐training programmes (MTPs), of an off‐the‐job...

Purpose – This research sets out to examine the role of chief executive officers (CEOs) in the development of the business strategy in small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach – The study explores the hypotheses that there is a relationship between: CEOs' age,...

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 – 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 report on the findings of a recent study which explores the ways/factors which influence and/or determine the effectiveness of the senior management in the Muscat Municipality, Oman, by assessing the perception of senior managers concerning the influences...

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to identify the primary and crucial stressors that Palestinian employees encounter, and in turn design appropriate stress management and prevention strategies that will promote healthy organizations. Design/methodology/approach – A survey...

Purpose – The influences of perception have been studied in educational, army, sports and business settings but never in the development field. The Pygmalion effect generally suggests that the perceiver's positive expectation enhances the target's performance. This first time research seeks to...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of managers in the strategic management process, particularly its application in non‐governmental organizations (NGOs). Design/methodology/approach – The study examines the relationship between managers’ demographic...