By Mark Easterby-Smith and Marjorie Lyles.This book draws together analyses and critical commentary from the leading experts on organizational learning and knowledge management around the world. Links are made to existing bodies of theory in economics, psychology and social theory. The definitive up-to-date guide to the field shows links between ‘knowledge’ and ‘learning’ literatures.

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By Rick Groves, Alan Middleton, Alan Murie and Kevin Broughton Much has been written about neighbourhoods that do not work with the focus on failing estates. The continuing success and popularity of Birmingham’s 100-year-old Bournville Village Trust estate, a neighbourhood that does work, holds important lessons for policy makers and practitioners struggling to improve the quality of life for less popular neighbourhoods and estates. The authors outline the factors that make it successful.

Almost a quarter of the UK workforce is now employed in the public sector and there is no sign of the trend slowing down. Over 50% of all jobs created this year have been in the public arena, which now employs more people than at any time since the creation of the Welfare State in 1948.The latest figures from the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey forecasts a net employment outlook of +11% for Public Administration. The ‘net employment outlook’ is calculated by subtracting those employers who plan to reduce staffing levels from those who plan to hire staff. This figure represent a reduction from the previous quarter which was +21%, but significantly up on the corresponding final quarter of 2002 (+4%).

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The drive to joined-up working between public sector organizations is being slowed down by cultural differences. A survey commissioned by LogicaCMG found that over half of local government and health service respondents and nearly 40 per cent from central government departments believe that the many different cultures are inhibiting this new way of working.Bringing different cultures together presents the greatest challenge for middle management according to two thirds of respondents. Any major organisational transformation makes people wary of what lies ahead and this can lead to resistance to change. Middle managers have to manage the change process and get commitment at all levels, but this is proving difficult because of a lack of understanding.

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