Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the question of whether two early Australian public accounts committees were established for the purpose of legitimating governments of the time. Design/methodology/approach – The paper addressed these issues through a study of the...

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the role of the Japanese state in the development of budgets within “special companies” in the transportation sector between 1928 and 1945. Design/methodology/approach – Using evidence contained in the archives of “closedown institutions” this...

Purpose – This paper has the aim of revisiting the works of Beatrice and Sidney Webb in the field of industrial relations and assessing their intellectual contributions to the study of the labour market, unions and collective bargaining in Britain. Design/methodology/approach – The paper...

Purpose – Urban‐rural interaction in China has evolved over time and presented features in different periods since 1949. The aim of this paper is to measure urban‐rural interaction in China in a 50‐year period from 1958 to 2007, and to see if it bears resemblance to the historical...

Purpose – In a world where the need for effective leadership has never been greater this article aims to: demonstrate that Sir Winston Churchill exemplified key leadership principles; that these principles are still relevant today; that Churchill remains a source of inspiration throughout the...