The controversy over genetically modified organisms in the UK came to a head with the publication of three official reports in May 1999. A review of the three reports leads to the suggestion that the controversy is exacerbated in part by the conflation of three sets of issues: the underlying...

A small part of the budget of the Human Genome Project was reserved for the study of the social, legal and ethical questions raised by personal genetic profiles. Answers may be slow in coming, but around the world public concern increasingly drives the legislative agenda. There is now a pressing...

RTS is a Finnish robot technology company that acquired the automation division of British company Thurnall in 1998 to form RTS Thurnall plc. The article discusses the background to this merger and describes the activities of the two operations and how they complement each other. RTS has...

Aims to corroborate the observation which the title states, and answers the question which it poses by drawing on the results of a project conducted at a pharmaceutical company. Results showed that: the roles of sales executive and sales management had primary performance demands which were...

Discusses the relative merits of standardized and customized marketing strategies for organizations operating in international markets. Suggests that the suitability of either strategy is heavily dependent on market and environmental conditions. Reports on an examination of the characteristics...

Ten years after the Earth Summit, a frequently asked question is how much, if any, progress has actually been made toward sustainable development. This article provides insight into the progress made by business in addressing and measuring progress toward sustainable production. Using a...

How do you ensure that representatives can confidently sell a complex product to a sophisticated audience? This was the problem faced by a European pharmaceutical company whose salesforce and managers needed to understand the features and benefits of its novel “high tech” molecule – and be...

The present paper compares the protests that CVS, a leading chain retailer, experienced as it attempted to establish a new drug‐store on the Upper West Side of New York City’s borough of Manhattan with those Walgreen, another major chain pharmacy, encountered as it attempted to enter a...

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to understand discursive strategies used by organizations to restore their fading legitimacy. This longitudinal case study is built around two events representing a threat to the legitimacy of the pharmaceutical industry. This study describes some subtle...

Describes a research project carried out within the Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) to evaluate and improve the recycling and disposal of pharmaceutical products. Discusses supply chain management practices in the National Health Service and, in particular, focuses on the concept of reverse...