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If Britain enters the Common Market within the next few years, four‐fifths of the population of what will then be the British home market will be non‐English speaking by birth. A small number of British companies already have properly‐organised company language training programmes. In this article the author discusses the principles of effective language training in the hope that this will encourage others to follow suit, whether such training is carried out within the company, at a local technical college, or at a commercial language school.

An ageing population will include increasing numbers of people who have mobility problems, and many who will be unable to perform personal care tasks such as toileting. Support for these groups is likely to be provided by a combination of human carers and electromechanical telecare devices. Many of the technologies that will be needed are already available, and the challenge may be to make them aesthetically appealing to the users. This paper describes some of the current approaches and the likely emergence of robotic devices or personal electronic appliances that will offer people an alternative means of support when they feel that they are unable to perform tasks for themselves. The devices may provide telecare monitoring so that people are only able to accept the electromechanical support when it is actually needed.

As telecare systems replace traditional social alarms, service providers must change their operating procedures to deal with increasing numbers of people who need emergency responses to a range of different emergency situations. The telecarers or teleresponders will need immediate access to properties that they have probably not previously visited. This must be managed securely using digital access codes that operate either electronic door locks or key‐safes that contain the relevant key(s). This approach must offer a robust and reliable method of gaining access, which is acceptable to insurance companies, to service users and their families and to the emergency services. This paper describes the strengths and limitations of practical solutions, yielding a list of best practice principles, which should be adopted by telecare service providers.

Assesses the capability of dealing with all the issues resulting from a major incident. Looks at some ways to develop and improve management capability and success in introducing and working with an Incident Command System. This also helps company staff to heighten their awareness of the importance of safety and environmental protection.

Purpose – Because businesses conducting e-commerce are often able to set up off-shore to avoid regulation, taxation, and other aspects of corporate responsibility, the developed-developing divide which tends to inform World Trade Organization (WTO) policies is especially an impediment to future global e-commerce. This chapter explores the particular accountability challenges represented by WTO e-commerce policies.Design/methodology/approach – The framework of inquiry focuses on a policy research study of relevant WTO e-commerce policy documents, especially the ones related to the negotiations under the WTO Work Program on Electronic Commerce and the GATS Agreement.Findings – The virtual nature of e-commerce interactions means that businesses are often able to circumvent the national boundaries and controls of conventional commerce. Because of this, the WTO and its e-commerce policy are crucial to the responsible and accountable development of future global e-commerce. Such policies need to be significantly improved as a matter of urgency to overcome current omissions and inadequacies.Research implications – Accountability gaps within WTO’s e-commerce policies provide a basis for companies from developed countries to set up off-shore to avoid their corporate social responsibilities. A constructive critique of international agency policy documents is able to provide a basis for recommending change and improvement to the overall WTO framework.Practical and social implications – Companies should profess genuine rather than merely surface commitment to global as well as local corporate social responsibilities. Likewise the WTO should also aim to practice deep rather than “shallow” accountability by aiming to rectify omissions and inequities in its e-commerce policies.

To bring together different takes on Marks & Spencer's turnaround since 2004, offering comments from CEO Stuart Rose and a comparison to the current fortunes of Philip Green's rival store Bhs.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments.

Though Stuart Rose may well claim that there are no hard feelings between him and Philip Green, there's a reasonable chance that Green may not find himself feeling quite so amicable. In 2004, Rose moved from Green's retailing group Arcadia to head up Marks & Spencer, knowing full well of Green's takeover plans. He resisted the approach and has spent the time since then successfully rebuilding trust in the longstanding M&S's brand. Meanwhile, Green's declaration of war on M&S has thus far got him nowhere fast. His rival store Bhs has failed to even approach the targets he set for the company, and as M&S has grown, Bhs has fumbled. Whether or not Rose and Green are friends in private, in business they remain rivals. So where might Green do well to notice his opponent's recent strategy?

Suggests a very simple approach to retail strategy and illustrates its potential success with a case study of M&S.

The paper illustrates how a longstanding but threatened brand resisted a hostile takeover and won back its fans by returning to simple and traditional business values. It offers direct comments from top staff at M&S and considers the position of M&S's rivals and analysts.