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This paper investigates and addresses issues, problems and challenges that a regional company of a multinational corporation is facing in the implementation of IT‐platforms (SAP R/3) and the business process re‐engineering (BPR). While many organizations have reported significant improvement in business results from implementing SAP R/3 and BPR, others have failed or experienced various difficulties in achieving intended business and management results. This empirical study describes and discusses Siemens' experience in the process of implementation. The author argues that a holistic approach to IT management is needed, which recognises and emphasises active integration and interaction of strategy, business processes, management system and structure, and organizational culture.

This study shows that Siemens has assiduously endeavored to achieve business excellence and enhance the company’s economic value, and has made considerable efforts to address the issue of sustainable development in various ways. However, the study has also found that much is said than done and there are implementation issues and problems that deserve managers’ full attention. A series of recommendations are proposed to broadly address these issues and problems. Managers who have already embarked on, or intend to take, sustainability initiatives will find the study informative and insightful.

Retailers, irrespective of their scale of operation, face the tough challenge of standing out from their competition; a major driver to ensure success and progress in the retail industry is differentiation. This paper is a case study based description of how a retail house in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, used retail physicality and identity change as sources of innovation and differentiation and revived its retail operation.

A literature review on retailing, retail physicality and identity change is presented to illustrate the challenges faced by retailers and the current trends in retailing. Primary research was conducted by way of in‐depth interviews with Better Life, a retail house of the Al‐Gurg group of companies, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to understand the retail strategies employed by Better Life.

Retailers are constantly looking for sources of innovation and differentiation to differentiate themselves from others. This paper shows the role played by retail physicality and identity change as sources of innovation and differentiation and how a retailer has applied them to repositioning its retail identity in the market and revived its operations.

Traditional retail strategies may not provide the necessary competitive advantage needed for survival and progress in competitive markets. Understanding customers, calculated targeting, and focussed positioning using various dimensions are important aspects to be planned by retailers. Among the relevant positioning strategies available, retail physicality and identity change are two prime strategies and drivers, and are hence a source of retail innovation in competitive markets.

The paper provides retailers with a unique perspective to analyse sources of retail innovation taking retail physicality and identity change as innovation strategies. If the strategies are implemented properly they can serve as competitive advantages for retail sustenance and success.

THE Deutsche Luftfahrtschau, or to give it its more colloquial name, the Hanover Air Show, is held every two years under the auspices of the Bundesverband der Deutschen Luft und Raumfahrtindustriee.V. (Federal Association of the German Air and Spacecraft Industries). This year's Show will be held from April 23 to May 3 at the Hanover Langenhagen Airport and will coincide approximately with the Hanover Trade Fair.

THE Deutsche Luftfahrtschau, or as it is more generally known, the Hanover Air Show, is held every two years by the Bundesverband der Deutschen Luft‐ und Raumfahrtindustrie e.V. (Federal Association of the German Air and Spacecraft Industries). This year's Show will be held from April 29 to May 8 at the Hanover Langenhagen Airport and will be held at the same time as the Hanover Fair.

Much research has been dedicated to the screening of new product ideas. Far less is known, however, about how to select the most promising new service ideas. Moreover, the specific characteristics of business services are rarely taken into account. This paper aims to investigate this issue.

Based on an extensive literature review and on a case study in the business‐to‐business information technology industry, this paper therefore develops a screening method with which to assess and select new business service ideas.

The study surprisingly reveals that the customers' view is rarely included into the valuation of new service ideas in management practice, although customer involvement is largely claimed in the literature. The supposition is that customer involvement is seen as difficult and costly in practice.

The paper proposes an effective and manageable tool to assess new business service ideas that also allows for easy involvement of customers into the screening process.

This paper aims to help auditors manage the risk of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) violations of the companies that they audit, particularly those with operations in Latin America.

First, the paper describes the relevant provisions of the FCPA. Second, it identifies the common schemes and transactions associated with heightened risk of FCPA liability in Latin America and provides recommendations to minimize this risk. Third, it discusses the responsibilities of auditors under U.S. securities laws and regulations with respect to the FCPA violations of their clients. Finally, it describes the sanctions that auditors could face if they fail to fulfill their responsibilities regarding these FCPA violations. The paper is based on data collected from various documents including laws, cases, accounting and auditing standards, litigation releases, press releases, deferred prosecution agreements, and enforcement actions.

Auditors have a responsibility under Section 10A(a) of the Exchange Act to design procedures that provide reasonable assurances of detecting the FCPA violations of their clients, which are illegal acts with direct and material effects on the financial statements. In addition, auditors have a responsibility under Section 10A(b) of the Exchange Act to report the violations of the FCPA that they detect during the audit to the appropriate level of management. If management does not take the necessary remedial steps, auditors must report FCPA violations to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In order to reduce their FCPA-related liability and fulfill their responsibilities under U.S. securities laws and accounting standards, auditors should closely scrutinize transactions with a high risk of FCPA liability. An analysis of FCPA cases occurring in Latin America reveals six categories of transactions with heightened FCPA risk.

While there is much literature regarding a company’s compliance with the FCPA, there has not been much literature about the auditor’s responsibilities with respect to the FCPA violations of their clients. This paper attempts to start bridging this gap by providing guidance to auditors regarding their responsibilities to detect and report FCPA violations.