Reductions in public sector spending mean voters will face a period of austerity, higher taxes and declining availability of public sector services. Prevailing public sector management philosophies are no longer applicable. To optimise future service provision with fewer resources will demand a reformation in organisational thinking and values.

The Arab region has been and continues to be a focus of the world for its economic, political, and social importance. However, reality indicates that the performance of many Arab states in terms of education, literacy, health, employment, and welfare generally fall behind many countries of other regions. Strategic Thinking, Planning, and Management Practice in the Arab World is an essential reference source that investigates the status of current strategic practice in the Arab world as well as the need to promote awareness of effective development strategies. Featuring research on topics such as social justice, practical entrepreneurship, and crisis management, this book is ideally designed for high-caliber strategists, academic scholars, and postgraduate research students.

Strategic management is a field that has diversity in approach and scope, but relative homogeneity in pedagogy. This book, a refreshed edition of its successful predecessor, brings something different to the field, by concisely introducing it with a focus on doing business in the Middle East and North Africa. Supplemented by online case studies and other resources, the reader is exposed to a plethora of concepts, theories, practical implications, and experiential exercises in the strategic management process. The updated text explores key regional issues, including the "Arab Spring", economic recession, corporate social responsibility, the role of women in business and the rise of emerging economies. The reader is encouraged to look at the world in light of the challenges many organizations are facing around the globe. Features like "Stop and Think Critically" and "Focus" points throughout each chapter encourage and inspire a thoughtful reading of the text. This is a book designed to aid undergraduate and graduate students, as well as managers in both for-profit and non-profit sectors. The authors guides the reader through both new and ongoing issues in the field of strategic management, and allow them to foster a greater understanding of this ever-developing field.

This book assesses the influence of the international organization UNESCO on the development of national Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems in the Southern African Community Region (SADC), focusing particularly on Botswana and Namibia. Designed around UNESCO’s Better Education for Africa’s Rise (BEAR) project, the study is an excellent example of applied policy research. Analysis is from the perspective of key stakeholders including UNESCO headquarters and field offices, Ministries of Education and of Labor, employers and employees, education and training institutions, international partners and more. Both qualitative and quantitative evidence are used to provide a comparative overview, and the author also reveals the current state of data on skills. Readers will discover common goals and challenges across the nations but also a common lack of action to measure the impact and influence that UNESCO’s programs have had at a national level, prior to this study. Were the newly implemented educational policies successful or not? If the public policies failed, why was that? These chapters shed light on such questions and how UNESCO's contribution influenced the national development processes, in the context of globalization processes and trends of global mass education. The book has much to offer for both scholars and those working in UN agencies or national governments who seek to develop education systems and better link them to the world of work.