One of the more regular observations of management students and managers is that it (management) is all ‘common sense.’ We are left to ponder then, ‘if management is common sense, why is sense in management so uncommon?’ This question is prompted by observations of managers and their decisions and actions over a number of years and reflections about various models of management. It is also a question appropriately asked in light of ‘globalisation,’ which is currently fashionable. Can ‘sense’ in management ever be ‘common,’ or do we need to revise our understanding of what is a ‘sound, practical perception or understanding’ according to the contexts within which the perceptions take place?

Organisations are becoming increasingly flexible in staffing, often using a small core of permanent staff and a peripheral contingent of contract, casual and temporary employees. Recent Australian and overseas studies suggest that this is also true in the higher education sector, with a casualisation of the academic workforce, particularly in the lecturer and below range. This is creating a large group of marginalised academics, the majority of whom are women. Such academics' opportunities may be limited because of the values implicit in the university culture. The possibility of a model of permanent academics on the one hand and a ‘casual’ underclass on the other has the potential to cause significant problems and to affect the quality of education provided.

This paper is an abridged and revised version of a report that was originally published in the Australian Research Council (ARC) report ‘Management Research in Australia’, jointly funded by the ARC and the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM). It documents the results of a Delphi study into the future of management research in Australia over the coming decade. An important finding was that there might be a ‘shortfall’ between the likely and desirable level and character of Australian management research. A dominant view of the panel was that management research will become more relevant to the needs of its important client groups, including students, government and business. Significant divergence within the respondent panel is also identified.

The paper provides a typology of networks, identifies key attributes of business networking and explains how they impact on marketing. The paper demonstrates the potential advantages that accrue to organisations that combine networking with marketing skills. It also provides a framework for developing such a combination.

There are considerable differences in perception of one's behaviour as externally controlled or as the result of personal choice (ie external or internal locus of control). This study assesses the influence of the external/internal locus of control on subordinates' perceptions of their managers' technical and people skills. Internal subordinates were found to criticise external managers for their technical skills, while external subordinates criticised their internal managers' people skills. The implications of these outcomes for the assessment of work performance are also discussed.