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Minority-ethnic, family-run SMEs perform an increasingly important role in the Scottish economy. Yet, research has identified that such businesses are less likely to access publicly-funded business support and training opportunities. This paper draws upon 14 interviews with senior representatives of minority-ethnic, family-run SMEs as well as government agencies and business support organisations to assess the perceived barriers to accessing such support and reports upon the internal dynamics within such businesses. The findings show that minority-ethnic, family-run firms are nested in particular value systems and narratives that exist to protect both the family unit and business entity and give voice to their history and experience. Such firms exhibit a high level of internal control and self-reliance with a preference for individual trust-based relationships rather than formal arrangements with public institutions. The findings also show a disconnect between universalistic business support provision available from government agencies and the preference by minority-ethnic, family-run SMEs for more specific solutions. The paper concludes that family and ethnic cultures play an important role in how minority-ethnic, family-run SMEs choose to learn and this makes the provision of business support and training a complex and often paradoxical issue.

Minority-ethnic, family-run SMEs perform an increasingly important role in the Scottish economy. Yet, research has identified that such businesses are less likely to access publicly funded business support and training opportunities. This paper draws upon 14 interviews with senior representatives of minority-ethnic, family-run SMEs as well as government agencies and business support organizations to assess the perceived barriers to accessing such support and reports upon the internal dynamics within such businesses. The findings show that minority-ethnic, family-run firms are nested in particular value systems and narratives that exist to protect both the family unit and business entity and give voice to their history and experience. Such firms exhibit a high level of internal control and self-reliance with a preference for individual trust-based relationships rather than formal arrangements with public institutions. The findings also show a disconnect between universalistic business support provision available from government agencies and the preference by minority-ethnic, family-run SMEs for more specific solutions. The paper concludes that family and ethnic cultures play an important role in how minority-ethnic, family-run SMEs choose to learn and this makes the provision of business support and training a complex and often paradoxical issue.

The Problem The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a stark light on workplace inequities and injustices. Aside from disrupting daily routines and ways of working, the pandemic has unmasked significant and troubling differences in the treatment and status of productive and reproductive labor. As we recover from the pandemic, how can workplaces properly recognize and value the contribution of reproductive labor? The recommendation We focus on ethics of care as a foundational aspect of learning and human development. Care is proximal and contextual and expressions of care require managers and HRD professionals to engage with and address employees needs in a way that recognizes the complexity of individual situations. This may lead to the transformation of work and workplaces and bring employees into a more participatory, inclusive and democratic relationship with employers. We offer four suggestions for how HRD practitioners can practically embed an ethics of care approach within organizations. The Stakeholders This article is relevant to human resource development (HRD) scholars and practitioners who are interested in building sustainable, caring and healthy workplaces in a post-pandemic world.

The Covid-19 pandemic has severely tested the leadership and communication abilities of political leaders globally. Guiding an effective response to the global pandemic has required leaders to demonstrate not only effective planning and coordination skills, but the ability to communicate clear consistent messages in an empathetic manner as well. In New Zealand the first confirmed case of Covid-19 was recorded on February 28 and over the course of March and April 2020, 1,132 further cases of Covid-19 were confirmed and 19 deaths – a much lower transmission rate than most industrialized nations. On 27 April 2020, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that they had won the battle against community transmission of Covid-19. This paper analyses the speeches and public statements (n = 40) made by Prime Minister Ardern in March and April 2020 through the lens of crisis leadership and crisis communication. In particular, it looks at the use of different mediums (parliamentary statements, daily briefings, Facebook Live broadcasts and podcasts) as mechanisms for engaging in narrative and dialogue with the public. The paper underscores the importance of communication in crisis management and looks at how positive and consistent messaging inspires confidence and social solidarity.

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely tested the leadership and communication abilities of political leaders globally. Guiding an effective response to the global pandemic has required leaders to demonstrate not only effective planning and coordination skills, but the ability to communicate clear consistent messages in an empathetic manner as well. In New Zealand the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was recorded on February 28 and over the course of March and April 2020, 1,132 further cases of COVID-19 were confirmed and 19 deaths–a much lower transmission rate than most industrialized nations. On 27 April 2020, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that they had won the battle against community transmission of COVID-19. This paper analyses the speeches and public statements (n = 40) made by Prime Minister Ardern in March and April 2020 through the lens of crisis leadership and crisis communication. In particular, it looks at the use of different mediums (parliamentary statements, daily briefings, Facebook Live broadcasts and podcasts) as mechanisms for engaging in narrative and dialogue with the public. The paper underscores the importance of communication in crisis management and looks at how positive and consistent messaging inspires confidence and social solidarity.

The Covid-19 pandemic has severely tested the leadership and communication abilities of political leaders globally. Guiding an effective response to the global pandemic has required leaders to demonstrate not only effective planning and coordination skills, but the ability to communicate clear consistent messages in an empathetic manner as well. In New Zealand the first confirmed case of Covid-19 was recorded on February 28 and over the course of March and April 2020, 1,132 further cases of Covid-19 were confirmed and 19 deaths – a much lower transmission rate than most industrialised nations. On April 27, 2020, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that they had won the battle against community transmission of Covid-19. This paper analyses the speeches and public statements (n = 40) made by Prime Minister Ardern in March and April 2020 through the lens of crisis leadership and crisis communication. In particular, it looks at the use of different mediums (parliamentary statements, daily briefings, Facebook Live broadcasts and podcasts) as mechanisms for engaging in narrative and dialogue with the public. The paper underscores the importance of communication in crisis management and looks at how positive and consistent messaging inspires confidence and social solidarity.

Argues that cultural influences may not only affect a professional's implicit concept of what constitutes effective practice, but may also affect researchers' explicit theories. Suggests that this means that many HRD practices, processes, procedures and language are specific to cultures. Explores some of the reasons underlying the increasing importance placed on cultural issues by multinational companies, touching on a number of theoretical and epistemological debates. Draws no firm conclusions but attempts to locate various positions and boundaries on the universalism‐relativism continuum.

The biodiversity-productivity relationship (BPR) is foundational to our understanding of the global extinction crisis and its impacts on ecosystem functioning. Understanding BPR is critical for the accurate valuation and effective conservation of biodiversity. Using ground-sourced data from 777,126 permanent plots, spanning 44 countries and most terrestrial biomes, we reveal a globally consistent positive concave-down BPR, showing that continued biodiversity loss would result in an accelerating decline in forest productivity worldwide. The value of biodiversity in maintaining commercial forest productivity alone—US$166 billion to 490 billion per year according to our estimation—is more than twice what it would cost to implement effective global conservation. This highlights the need for a worldwide reassessment of biodiversity values, forest management strategies, and conservation priorities.