Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the work of Howard Chase within the history of public relations, his role in the birth and development of issue management, and his relevance for contemporary practice. Design/methodology/approach – Research for this paper draws heavily on the...

Purpose – The paper aims to study the relevance of the German historical school and American Institutionalism for contemporary research in social sciences. The subject scope of the paper is to trace how concepts, ideas, and frameworks trickle from the historical school into later research...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of a completed doctoral action research thesis that moved beyond focussing on the instrumentality of project actuality to explore project praxis as social process. Design/methodology/approach – Soft systems methodology is selected...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to emphasise projects as being part of a social process. It aims to move away from the traditional views that lay emphases on linear and predictable models of project practice to one that better highlights the complex nature of human interrelations....

This paper considers the nature of “best practice” recruitment and selection in the hotel sector. Data from a sample of Scottish hotels indicate a reliance on informal methods, particularly in smaller hotels. In larger and chain hotels, structured procedures, including references,...

Purpose – This paper utilises a case study to discuss the applicability of normalisation process theory (NPT) as an alternative lens in understanding how social processes impact on the information systems development (ISD) process. Design/methodology/approach – The research was undertaken at...

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify images used in advertising directed toward young adults, investigate what young adults thought of these images, and explore how young adults used these images. Design/methodology/approach – A content analysis of 674 apparel and cosmetic...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the patterns of social management of knowledge in a knowledge‐community, reflecting on multiple social processes at work. Design/methodology/approach – This is a social epistemological critique of management of knowledge. Findings –...