On the Horizon

Purpose This paper aims to provide a view and analysis of the immediate field of journals that surround a number of key heterodox economics journals. Design/methodology/approach Using citation data from the Science and Social Science Citation Index, the individual and collective networks of a number of journals in this field are analyzed. Findings The size and shape of the citation networks of journals can differ substantially, even if in a broadly similar category. Heterodox economics cannot (yet) be considered as an integrated specialty: authors in several journals in heterodox economics cite more from mainstream economics than from other heterodox journals. There are also strong links with other disciplinary fields such as geography, development studies, women studies, etc. Research limitations/implications The analysis is limited by its reliance on citation data in the Science and Social Science Citation Indexes provided by Thomson‐Reuters. Practical implications The analysis shows not only whence journals draw their strengths, but also how knowledge between journals and neighboring sub‐fields is diffused. This can be important for editors, authors, and others. Originality/value A network analysis not just focusing on a single journal as a focal point, but combining several journals in a single analysis enables one to visualize structural properties of the field of heterodox economics which otherwise remain latent. This study provides a structural approach to citation analysis as a tool for the study of scientific specialties.

Purpose This paper seeks to study how the democratization of the diffusion of research through the internet could have helped non‐traditional fields of research. Design/methodology/approach The specific case the authors approach is heterodox economics as its pre‐prints are disseminated through NEP, the e‐mail alert service of RePEc. Findings Comparing heterodox and mainstream papers, the authors find that the heterodox are quite systematically more downloaded, and particularly so when considering downloads per subscriber. Research limitations/implications The authors conclude that the internet definitely helps heterodox research, also because other researchers get exposed to it. But there is still room for more participation by heterodox researchers. Originality/value The paper shows how RePEc and NEP try to pursue democracy and help in the dissemination of research. It also shows how heterodox communities can benefit and have benefited from this system, because they need new ways for disseminating research.

How can visions be used to guide the use of emerging instructional technologies? What we think we know and value depends in large measure on the models and media we use to apprehend the world. Over the course of human history we have moved from entirely oral models and media to those based on hand writing and for the last several hundred years, on the printing press. Most of the institutions and values of modernity are firmly rooted in print. But modern electronic technologies are sweeping them away. This paper questions the ethics of using values based on old models and media to guide our evolution into cultures shaped by visual, olfactory and tactile images. It explores the differences of response to concepts when apprehended in different media, and how new responses become commonplace. Finally, some recommendations are made concerning the application of visions and values for defining strategies to address future needs.

Purpose – This paper aims to review a book of insights from a highly successful campus president. Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of an essay review. Findings – The paper provides key insights into presidential leadership, roles and responsibilities, and fundraising. Originality/value – This paper is an original essay review.

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to survey areas of admiration, anguish, and anticipation in higher education. Design/methodology/approach – The article takes the form of a reflective essay. Findings – There is much to admire about higher education; much that causes anguish; and much to anticipate in the years ahead. Originality/value – This is an original approach and an original piece of work.

Purpose – Aims to review institutional change in health care and to look for opportunities in what the author sees as a coming crisis. Design/methodology/approach – A consultant on health‐care systems reviews the forces driving transformation in medicine, including new technologies, telemedicine, and prevention. Findings – Finds forces driving transformation in medicine limited in addressing the crisis of spiraling cost and mediocre, overly complex treatment. Originality/value – Concludes that a dramatic shift in perspective is coming as baby boomers are forced to face the inevitability of death in positive terms.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to give a more appropriate picture of the new trend of career shifts in a late career. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses literature studies. Findings The paper gives a more apposite picture of experiential learning and career shift for mature people. Research limitations/implications The paper gives no exact guidance in how to assess experiential learning. Practical implications Appreciating mature people's experiential learning gives employers a broader and richer hiring base, which is especially important in a period of shortage of employees. Social implications For many societies the age distribution is unfavorable with too many mature people in pension age. The good thing is that many mature people are interested in staying active in the labor market. Originality/value The paper argues that a combination of academic and experiential learning probably will qualify individuals best for career shifts as it leads them to a higher order of competence. Career shifts will blow new air into a person's career and enrich them and the organization, which they serve.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to motivate individuals to use social networking and information tools to address complex personal issues. Design/methodology/approach – This is a discussion paper based on the author's research. Findings – Social networking combined with information tools can greatly enhance an individual's research success and facilitate personal decision making. Originality/value – The social, economic, and technological challenges of our time occur when the maturity of computing, the internet, and social networking provide new options for research and problem solving. This is a time of opportunity for individuals and the organizations that provide social networking services.

Purpose - The objective of the paper is to investigate computer processor cycles as an untapped resource in the field of education. Design/methodology/approach - Looks at how computer processor cycles could be potentially used in education. Findings - Finds that test and demographic data could be analyzed more deeply while the computer is supposedly idle. Originality/value - Provides interesting suggestions as to the use of computer processor cycles in education.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce a conceptual framework for understanding and integrating future consciousness at a global level. Design/methodology/approach – This paper makes a case for transcendence beyond routine ways of teaching and learning by developing a holistic framework to examine educational practices and means. Findings – Based on the ancient Indian Ashrama system, and borrowing from Taoist philosophy, a four segment Tao cycle framework is proposed to engage people across a transcendent learning arc. Originality/value – This integrative conceptual framework is a possible lens through which the individual may project their own development throughout the life cycle. It offers a potential alternative, non‐Western diaspora for enhancing future consciousness.

Purpose Proposes to argue that current assumptions about media effects in videogames fail to take into account the variety of messages and potential effects embedded in games. Design/methodology/approach A survey of the game “Grand Theft Auto III” and a short, illustrative, review of “videogames as learning” perspectives. Findings Even a game such as “Grand Theft Auto III”, pilloried for its anti‐social messages and assumed negative behavioral effects, reveals a significant number of positive social messages. Research limitations/implications This paper only illustrates the conflicting nature of media effects assumptions – both positive and negative. It does not attempt to provide an exhaustive review of or context for either the subject‐matter or the research area. Practical implications The perspective presented provides a warning to educators intent on assuming positive learning benefits (effects) of the videogame medium just as it argues against a simple reading of videogames as negative media by groups seeking to censor games. Originality/value This is the first paper to identify the underlying assumptions of both the “videogames as learning” and the “videogames as social danger” camps as both sharing the same conceptual framework.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the less than purposeful shift in post‐secondary education models and the implications for the institution, faculty and students. Design/methodology/approach – Analysis of the impact of technology for post‐secondary education futures. Findings – Advances in virtual connectivity will deconstruct the traditional idea of a university while also challenging the economic models used by students in determining their future. Originality/value – The increasing research and analysis of the ubiquity of knowledge once held within the university indicates that the disruption of post‐secondary education will force all parties to re‐assess the future of the post‐secondary institutions in a global knowledge society.

These five newsletter issues focus on potential developments and critical trends in higher education. Feature articles include: (1) "A Reinvented Model for Higher Education" (Richard B. Heydinger); (2) "Redesigning American Public Education" (James S. Coleman); (3) "Envisioning (and Inventing) the Future" (Ian Wilson); (4) "Human Factors: The Problems of Integrating People and Technology in the Workplace" (Arnold Brown); and (5) "School Is Out--Learning Is In" (Terry O'Banion). Regular columns focus on social, technological, economic, environmental, and political issues affecting higher education, as well as commentaries on higher education issues, the Internet, and computer software. (MDM)

Purpose – This paper aims to discuss current thinking about academic freedom in the digital age. Digital technology makes the classroom more transparent to administrators. This raises new questions about academic freedom that institutions must consider going forward. Design/methodology/approach – The paper begins with a historical survey to define academic freedom. We then look at how new technologies have changed the classroom. The transparency and access of the digital classroom is new and wholly unprecedented in the history of the university. Findings – Academic freedom is undergoing a great change. Literature and policies have not kept up with this change. Colleges need to rethink academic freedom in light of these new technologies. Practical implications – This article is meant to assist universities in making policies for the digital age. How faculty are observed, who can observe the classroom, and the privacy of data are policy areas that must be codified by universities. Social implications – Many faculty are feeling more vulnerable in the digital age. General concerns about privacy can translate into privacy issues for the entire university. Policies need to evolve to be more relevant for the digital age. Originality/value – A Google search found only seven articles on academic freedom in the digital age, and two were by the authors. This paucity of literature shows that more thought and attention needs to be paid to this important subject.

Explains that international mobility forms an integral part of the academic work of most faculty members. Considers some implications of faculty mobility in cyberspace and some of the constraints of the virtual world. Formulates recommendations for the enhancement of faculty mobility in the virtual world at the international and department levels. Discusses new cultural, social and educational challenges related to virtual mobility. Concludes that through virtual mobility, the real collaborative links become even more efficient and that real mobility is an added value to virtual mobility and vice versa.

Looks at the changing face of education and where it is going. Sees many changes brought about as the global economy develops, IT moves on apace and there’s a widening range of education providers.

Comments on the drive towards choice and accountability in education. Highlights three general trends that are emerging as a result of this move: standardised curricula, texts and methodology; greater distribution of resources across the wider continuum of students; and institutions of teacher preparation are required to be accountable for the performance of their graduates.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the scenarios, visions and strategies that resulted from a five-day foresight workshop for AKEPT (Higher Education Leadership Academy), the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – An anticipatory action-learning course/workshop with over 50 lecturers and deans framed by the “six pillars” futures approach. Methods given the most attention were: the futures triangle; causal layered analysis; and scenario planning. Lecturers deliberated for the first three days, and deans for the last two. After their debates, the lecturers and deans presented their findings and recommendations to each other, and to the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia. As well, they considered how they as individual scholars can also pursue specific actionable steps towards their preferred futures visions. Findings – The recommendations by lecturers and deans can be systematized in the following categories: establishment of a pilot project; enhancement of digital teaching and learning processes; customization of degrees; changing of the culture in higher education; enhancing collaboration; supporting research activities; rethinking of dominant frames of reference; and anticipating upcoming futures trends. Research limitations/implications – As the process included lecturers and deans as key participants, and not, for example, students or the community, stakeholder perspectives are limited. Specific actionable steps, as per recommendations, are being pursued by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, as well as by individual participants. Originality/value – Description of an action learning process in its second year. Year three will continue with a different group of participants who will reflect on the initial findings presented here. Description of the foresight process and findings of this case study may be of value to other ministries of higher education in the region and elsewhere.

Discusses whether, in ten years, campus-based, nation-funded, local student oriented universities will exist, and introduces the notion of huge multinational players into the educational market.

This is the third of seven reports on the development of software to support performances in which learning takes place. We will introduce a school administrator study population in this article and follow up with three highly descriptive reports of their assessments of software-supported learning performances.

Purpose – In response to the less satisfied National Student Survey, UK universities have committed to transform assessment and feedback experience. This paper aims to explore how the diversity of online assessment and feedback offer a better learning experience for international students. Design/methodology/approach – By using the action research method, the research investigated academic and international students' first experience on audio feedback and online text. Video interviews and online questionnaires were carried out. Findings – All research participants would like to receive assessment feedback in audio form. This reflects the learning experience of students and suggests that the support of a higher educational institution or a tutor could provide for assessment and feedback enhancement in the digital world is mandatory. Other than the technological and instrumental advantage, the “human element” of audio feedback makes it unique and interesting to listen to in contrast to online written feedback. Research limitations/implications – It is recognised that the number of student participants was small but the qualitative findings demonstrate some key issues in relation to international student experience and the effectiveness and engagement of assessment feedback that may inspire future empirical research. Practical implications – Some conditions under which feedback is likely to be effective are not met as frequently as originally believed, audio feedback can be thoughtfully considered as an alternative assessment feedback mechanism for international students. Originality/value – The “‘human element’ of audio assessment feedback” defeats online written text for international students. They appreciate the effort spent by the tutor to provide them assessment and feedback personally by “talking to them”.

The changes associated with how higher education institutions teach students have presented and will continue to present major challenges for years to come. One thing is certain: as the mode of delivering higher education has evolved, students, faculty, and administration have already come to expect financial assistance to support growth in distance education programming. A large part of an institution’s ability to compete in the distance education marketplace will be measured by its campus wide commitment to delivering financial assistance to distance learners.

Calls to attention the ways in which education has been mobilized in the service of dominant economic ideology. Looks particularly at the corporatization of Australian universities and argues that this will lead to a serious degradation of the system as a whole.

Compares the process experienced through the reading of books with that of taking information from the internet. Indicates that the interaction between the book reader and the text is very rich and based around the life experiences of the reader. Indicates the importance with regard to the internet of organizing data and information into active knowledge. People need to be “participators of knowledge who will bring their inherent creativity to an understanding of how to use their knowledge”.

Presidential books vary in range and scope. They include memoirs, collections of essays on common or similar themes, topical and exploratory books that examine a single topic and collections of speeches and essays prepared for different audiences. The three books reviewed represent two of these types, and exemplify the effectiveness of each. The books are critiqued and a summary of each is provided.

On the Horizon was born in the mind of our current Editor Emeritus, Jim Morrison, as an environmental scanning journal. Published for a number of years by Jossey-Bass, On the Horizon was acquired by a small, selective, house in the UK, Camford. Today we are pleased to announce that OTH will be published by Emerald, http://emeraldinsight.com, a major international publisher of over 130 professional journals. Beginning with Volume 10, in January 2002, OTH becomes a quarterly, doubled in size with expanded features, longer, more in-depth articles, and a global focus, as it adds regional editors to its board.

Purpose The aim of this paper is to describe the rapid development and effectiveness of online education in an urban college, emphasizing the use of distance education by local students, their academic performance and perspectives for future growth. Design/methodology/approach The paper provides a description of the phases of distance education development. It analyzes of survey data on student response to online learning and analysis of grades indicating academic performance online in relation to overall undergraduate performance. Findings The paper finds that early unplanned development has brought increased administrative support: plans are being made for programs, major concentrations, and advanced degrees on the undergraduate and graduate level. Student academic success reflects the special demands of online education and indicates the need for special screening processes and support services. Research implications The academic success of students reflects the special demands of distance learning and qualifies the popularity of distance education as seen in rapid increases in online enrollment. Practical implications The promise of distance education for a local student population (to speed progress to degree completion by increasing the number of courses per semester) should be tested in terms of student academic success. Originality/value This account of how distance learning can develop in an urban, commuter college and the possibilities for improving service to existing students while increasing enrollment, suggests strategies for effective integration of online courses into the existing undergraduate and graduate curriculum.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify a business simulation appropriate for MEng Engineering students. The selection was based on the following factors; exploring methods for evaluating potential software and enhancing the learner experience. Design/methodology/approach An interdisciplinary project team was formed to try and resolve the pedagogic, technical and business aspects that would need to be addressed in order to implement such software within the programme. Tools included a questionnaire to assess the potential enhancement of employability skills and a usability questionnaire on ease of use. These were supplemented with discourse on technical and pedagogic issues. Findings After the initial scoping study, the findings indicated that two business simulation software packages had potential. These were “Marketplace – Venture Strategy” and “SimVenture”. Marketplace proved to be the most suitable in terms of the pedagogic and technical requirements. Research limitations/implications The authors were not able to fully trial each simulation over the recommended duration of play because of practical time constraints and they did not have any student contribution to the process. Findings will need to be verified with the piloting cohort of students. Further pedagogic research could be carried out to evidence the enhancement to the student learning experience. Originality/value This study is valuable because it purposefully uses an interdisciplinary team comprising expertise in teaching and learning, technology, business and sector knowledge. This was vital in the decision‐making process. It is also valuable in its development of generic methods and tools to measure and evaluate software suitability in relation to usability and employability skills.

Highlights the growing trend towards e-learning and the increased need for universities to accommodate the needs of a busy workforce who are engaged in lifelong learning. Considers the detail of who should own the content of the courses – faculty, the school or the e-learning partner.

Purpose A growing number of educators are turning to games for a model of next‐generation learning environments. To date, there has been a lack of critical inquiry into what kind of learning occurs through game play, and how games get learned by their players. Aims to plug this gap Design/methodology/approach This paper is a critical study of Viewtiful Joe, a cult‐classic sidescrolling 2D fighting game for the Nintendo Gamecube. Noted for its difficulty, Viewtiful Joe is an interesting case because, as a fighting game, it embodies many of the principles fundamental to the medium, most of which are missed by educators illiterate regarding the medium. It shows the cognitive complexity that goes into a fighting game, as well as a cutting‐edge example of how to manage that complexity. Far from button‐mashing, success in Viewtiful Joe requires the player to learn to read the game symbol systems, understand Viewtiful Joe's capacities, and see potential interchanges between them. Findings The paper analyzes how Viewtiful Joe is structured to balance flow and novelty, encourage players both to develop new skills and to master those they have. Finally, the paper examines how learning occurs through game play as an activity system, using player‐generated FAQs to analyze how gamers represent their practice and suggest theories of expert game practice. Originality/value Central to this paper is the argument that playing Viewtiful Joe is a performative act, where declarative knowledge, while clearly present for players, is secondary to players' ability to see and do in real‐time.

Purpose – This paper aims to outline the beginnings of online education. Design/methodology/approach – This article is a narrative account by an “early adapter” of her initiation into online learning, at a time when few people could even conceive the potentialities of the mode and nobody could clearly envision them. Findings – This article reveals a side to the endeavor that is usually edited out of more formal histories, which focus primarily on major discoveries – the untidy process of coming to terms with new possibilities in the course of daily life, while struggling with both incomprehension of one's peers and personal uncertainties of one's own. Originality/value – The article illustrates how innovation is driven not simply by pragmatic needs as much as by the lure of the unknown.

Discusses changes that will affect the Academy in the new Millennium. Explores the impact of the Internet on many aspects of academic life, including scholarly communication and publications, collaborative research, e-education, and entrepreneurship in education.

Game centers are increasingly being started at various universities around the world. The paper explores and expounds on the incorporation of an official university center that has a mission on the study and making of games and simulations. To focus this discussion, the paper looks at the ideas and initiatives that led up to the successful creation of the Applied Media and Simulation Games Center at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

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A discussion of the changing role of community colleges in the US. Should they follow the baccalaureate path, offer four year courses, etc? Suggests that the colleges have to change to remain in existence. Explores some of the options.

Discusses research and service collaborations between universities and community-based organizations. Examines factors that promote effective university-community research and service collaboration, based on the 15-year experience of the Environmental Resource Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Introduces the notion of Distributed Competence and Performance Base Learning. Notes that cannot always learn for the future and asserts that DC ensures that people learn for the present. Provides examples of Distributed Competence Intervention and Performance Base Learning in practice.

This is the sixth article in our series projecting a shift from learning to perform to performing to learn. This article summarizes and comments upon the last of three story-writing exercises undertaken by 166 Minnesota public school administrators in late January 2001.

Purpose – This paper sets out to review Mark McElroy's article which looks at the new knowledge management. Design/methodology/approach – A critique of McElroy's work: The New Knowledge Management: Complexity, Learning and Sustainable Innovation is presented. Findings – The new KM requires changes in traditional organizational practices: managers should defer to workers, creating optimal knowledge production environments; organizations should become open, broadly sharing the knowledge production process. The adoption of the new KM is critical to the organization's ability to remain competitive in the Knowledge Age. Originality/value – The new KM falls somewhat short of McElroy's claim for it to be an implementation strategy for organizational learning, because of its limiting assumption that knowledge is a product. The theory of knowledge that supports the new KM does not adequately deal with knowledge and the knower, or with truth or wisdom. This theoretical weakness does not detract from the power or value of its insights; rather it renders problematic the placement of KM within the organization and the organizational relationship of managers and employees.

The essayist contends that American academia is rife with a "dog-eat-dog" version of Social Darwinism, or survival of the fittest through brutal competition. Offered as evidence are the training of too many students for limited career opportunities, prolongation of graduate training to provide professors with cheap assistants, conversion of 40 per cent of faculty to adjunct status, crushing student debt. Higher education is becoming a bloated, inefficient, non-innovative, and marginally productive process.

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate the extent to which post-secondary educational institutions in Greece have incorporated into their curriculum modules related to occupational stress management in order to equip graduates with the required knowledge to cope with the stress caused by the precarious and intensified nature of contemporary jobs. Design/methodology/approach – In the present study, extensive secondary data analysis was undertaken, which was complemented by an empirical quantitative survey. Regarding the secondary data analysis, an in-depth examination of all the available core and elective modules was undertaken in 150 programs of 35 Greek post-secondary educational institutions. The analysis involved the detailed examination of the curriculum content across 20 disciplines. As for the empirical part of the study, a self-administered questionnaire survey was used involving 100 students across the 20 selected disciplines. Findings – The findings revealed that in Greek post-secondary education there is minimal systematic training provision for students around work-related stress management. The results show that stress management education is not incorporated in the curriculum as part of a key skills development scheme (either in the form of stand-alone modules or embedded in the curriculum) in most disciplines, which raises questions on the contribution of educational institutions in developing graduate employability. Research limitations/implications – The study argues that there is an immediate need for post-secondary educational institutions across the country to develop relevant modules around managing occupational stress in order to respond to society's contemporary needs. To this end, the study argues that stress management training should be introduced in all VET and HEIs in Greece in the form of compulsory, stand-alone modules across all disciplines. The module should cover at least three main thematic areas: symptoms of work-related stress; impact of stress on individuals and organizations; and ways to cope with occupational stress. Practical implications – The present study is particularly relevant to education policy makers throughout the world, due to the high levels of organizational change and uncertainty generated by the present global financial crisis and recession. Stress at work is likely to remain a “hot” topic in the agenda of government officials across the world, and finding ways to cope with occupational stress is likely to become a key challenge of post-secondary education. Originality/value – Despite the importance of stress management training for graduate employability, very few studies have been conducted around that topic. This work comes to fill a significant knowledge gap in relation to the nature and extent of occupational stress management training provision for students in the context of post-secondary education.

A discussion on the need for integration of distance learning into regular courses to ensure quality of education for all. Face-to-face students and distance learners should exist in the same communication environment, and faculty who introduce new technology in this way should be rewarded.

This editorial continues the consideration of forces acting upon the university, both internally and externally. Particularly focuses on the impact of partnering. Suggests that outsourcing is now a firm part of the delivery of higher education and the issue is to what extent this has or will continue to occur. Looks also at the concept of “co-opetition” where institutions in one country have partnered with those in another. Suggests that the nature and rate of change present difficulties in terms of future planning for universities.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that the traditional scholarly journal system is outdated and in need of revamp, and new internet technologies provide opportunities for change unavailable until now. Design/methodology/approach – The four functions of the scholarly journal: registration; awareness; certification; and archiving are discussed in turn and alternative ways of undertaking those functions are explored. Barriers to change and ways to overcome these barriers are addressed. Findings – The functions of registration and certification are already met with an open peer review system in place for some high profile journals. Recently developed searching and browsing facilities give academics access to a greater proportion of scholarly literature, providing a more efficient awareness function than traditional journals. The function of archiving is not being adequately addressed by commercial publishers, and the steps being taken by institutional repositories to that end are more sustainable. The fundamental tenet of science as part of the public domain is being eroded by commercial gain, and a move away from the traditional scholarly system can reverse that trend. Barriers to change are: the publisher's commercial imperative to maintain the status quo; the academy's reluctance to change; and the reward system. However, recently both publishers and academics have demonstrated a willingness to try new systems. The barrier of institutional reliance on metrics poses the greatest threat to change. Originality/value – This paper builds on an historical background of arguments dating back to 1926, but uses up‐to‐date examples of ways publishers are moving towards change. The paper will inspire debate in the scholarly community.

In recent years, scholars and academic librarians have begun to consider alternatives to the print-based model for research publishing. Fortuitously, two significant trends emerged almost simultaneously. While libraries faced canceling subscriptions in response to escalating journal prices and declining budgets, the creation of the World Wide Web made a ubiquitous electronic alternative to the print journal possible for the first time.

Purpose – Business Schools have received much criticism up to, and definitely after, the most recent economic meltdown. Management education in particular, whether at the undergraduate or graduate level, has come under scrutiny, and the pressure is on to make management education more aligned with contemporary workforce needs. This paper aims to review the validity of this demand, and offer some options to prepare current students for the volatile work environment that awaits them. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on the author's experiences as a management educator, and her observations of the changed nature of management, hence, the changed needs to educate this phenomenon. Findings – Reflections are offered on what is perceived as possible ways for management educators to prepare future workforce members for management in a rapidly changing work environment. This is presented in a unifying, three-tier approach: 1. Connection: Establishing interaction with current workforce members and situations. 2. Completion: Ensuring a well-rounded approach by including interdisciplinary elements in our education. 3. Comprehension: Instilling the eagerness to become lifelong learners. In addition, the changed nature of work and the inability to optimally prepare future workforce members for jobs and careers that yet have to come into existence are underscored. Originality/value – The paper presents an overview of alternative facilitative approaches and insights based on in-depth review of-, and extensive engagement in management education.

Purpose - This paper explores the interrelationship between the fields of education and workforce in the context of post-industrial societies. We analyzed key challenges associated with the match (and mismatch) of skill supply and demand between education and the work force.Design/Methodology/Approach - Using a ‘purposeful sample’, this study provides an evidence-based analysis that explores how and to what extent soft skills are currently required by world recognized organizations such as Greenpeace, World Bank, OECD, Google, Apple and Samsung.Findings - After a revision of different perspectives to identify and categorize the key skills of the 21st century, this study describes seven non-technical cognitive and social key skills called soft skills for innovation.Research Limitations/Implications - After exploring a small sample size of five recent job vacancies promoted by six major international organizations, this study analyzes the current demand for soft skills for innovation such as, collaboration, critical thinking, contextual learning, searching, synthesizing and disseminating information, communication, self-direction and creativity. The methodology adopted and the data retrieval process can be replicated with either a larger sample or more focused workforce sectors.Practical Implications - The described ‘skills mismatch’ emphasizes the importance of creating different strategies and tools that facilitate the recognition of skills acquired independently of educational contexts.Originality/Value - Finally, this study provides evidence-based information (data available online) that can contribute to rethinking curriculums and exploring ‘blended’ models that mix real life and teaching contexts stimulating the development of soft skills for innovation.

Part one of this paper highlights how students today think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors, as a result of being surrounded by new technology. The author compares these “digital natives” with the older generation who are learning and adopting new technology naming them “digital immigrants”.

Purpose To explore the status, interests, and intentions of peer reviewers and how editors enlist and muster these factors to enhance the prestige of a scholarly publication. Design/methodology/approach Case study: use of a 30‐year accumulation of editorial office records of one scholarly journal to analyze the contents of peer review comments and correspondence; direct quotes highlight key themes. Findings Peer reviewers labor to obtain more than the certification, authentication, and quality of individual works. The volume and variety of commentary generated by a double‐blind peer review process reveal concerns behind reviewer comments to authors and effects over time. Research limitations/implications The study centers on one journal, Libraries & Culture, a publication committed to the specialized, interdisciplinary research about the history of libraries and the collection of cultural records. Originality/value The strategic nature of the administration and management of the invisible work of peer reviewers becomes more apparent. The interests and intentions of peer reviewers surface in commentary intended only for authors. Commentary relates to a variety of themes including personal interests, pedagogical and disciplinary objectives, field expansion agendas as well as the prestige of the publication. These themes suggest peer review as a potentially effective guiding mechanism for long‐term endeavors that benefit author, reviewer, and editor as interrelated players in arenas where distinction is at stake.

Moral education, a primary component of Japanese education, has no precise equivalent in Canadian education. The focus of moral education is development of personal attitudes and social values. The content of this discipline is a kind of secular humanism which has engendered in the postwar Japanese the values, attitudes, behaviors, and virtues that have propelled them into the 21st century without the social and political disruptions that have plagued other modernizing nations. Moral education is allotted 34 to 35 hours per school year in grades one through nine. Teachers receive national guidelines for moral education. The many objectives for this discipline include respect for life, good manners, personal hygiene, individual freedom, respect for the advice of others, and rationality. Moral education is infused into such physical education activities as kendo and karate, into student-teacher interaction, and into social studies. The teaching of moral education in Japan offers many valuable lessons for the Canadian educational system. (LP)