Introduction

London Churchill College has experienced a challenging year in 2019-2020. In particular, the Pandemic Crisis and the three-month national lockdown that followed in the Spring and early summer of 2020 have adversely impacted teaching and research activities in the U.K. Higher Education Sector. In response to these crises, the Principal Editor, in consultation with College officials, is publishing Volume 8 of the Journal of Contemporary Development & Management Studies (JCD&MS) as a single issue Although JCD&MS’s traditional remit to explore issues relating to business, education and health care continues to be honoured, the remit has been widened to include a more diverse array of interesting contributions produced by authors who have different subject and cultural interests, The eight articles published in volume 8 reflect the talents, diverse interests and multi-cultural perspectives of those individuals.

I am also pleased to announce that the range of contributions offered has been extended in respect of publication types and countries of origin. Two articles have been written by academics associated with Malaysian Universities, marking a positive move towards strengthening research ties with academics and researchers situated in that country. In addition, volume 8 features the first dissertation produced by a student registered on RenaSup programmes delivered in France, validated by Coventry University. Plans are to make this a reoccurring feature, aimed at encouraging foreign students registered on HE programmes taught in English outside the UK to submit good quality work for review and publication.

Peter Bathmaker’s, Editorial, ‘The Practical Challenges of Effective Governance’, provides an interesting and provocative account of the responsibilities and issues confronting governors and non-executive directors (NEDs) in public, charitable and private HE institutions. Although Governors and NEDs occupy the top layer of organisations and have designated responsibilities for ensuring institutions are run effectively, their time to accomplish this aim is limited to a few meetings a year. Although they may learn more about the organisation, they will never be a part of it. In his view, guidance provided to governors and NEDs has focused more on what constitutes good governance than explaining how good practice can be achieved. The author maintains that the gap can be addressed by implementing pro-active measures such as setting out requirements for Executives, overseeing external and internal audit processes and ensuring that trustworthiness is embedded throughout the institution.

Dr Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak’s and Dr Nik Ahmad Hisham’s article, ‘A Critical Appraisal of Freud’s Ideas on Man and Personality’, initially printed in the Journal of Islam in Asia, V10, number 1 in abridged form, is re-printed here in its original form as an extended paper, with the permission of the authors. Initially, the authors provide a detailed description of Freud’s main ideas on personality development, giving particular attention to his views about the Id, Ego and Supergo and the part each plays in the formation process. Detailed discussions follow in respect of the five stages identified in psychosexual development. Particularly interesting in this article, are the authors’ wide-ranging analyses of the personalities, ideas and events shaping Freud’s negative views on human nature and personality development, which build upon knowledge presented in the two earlier sections. Although the authors disagree with his pessimistic view of mankind, they conclude that Freud’s views on personality development, whether right or wrong, still have some relevance and continue to influence psychologists today.

Dr Nick Papé’s article, ‘Facing Challenges Presented in Resolution of the Oedipus-Complex (OC) in Modern Society’ explores issues arising about Freud’s views on the Oedipus-Complex as an essential stage in personality development. Written 100 years ago in the context of Western society, where children commonly had a single set of male and female parents, to what extent can Freud’s views explain OC processes in personality development today, where children are raised in “different constellations of familyhood”. In the author’s view, although interest still remains in Freud’s work, his ideas about the Oedipus-Complex process should be readjusted to accommodate changing social norms.

George Shankster, in point of view, ‘BACK TO THE OFFICE!... but why?’ provides a thoughtful, provocative argument for restructuring current economic and employment structures in the aftermath of Covid-19. In his view, over the past three decades the economic power of cities increased substantially, eclipsing the importance of town centres. The bulk of employees commuted to cities (urban areas) to earn their livelihood in “bubbles of economic activity”. The emergence of a global pandemic in 2020 disrupted working patterns and economic growth. In the aftermath of Lockdown, should the country return to the way things were? The author argues that it would be better to rebuild regional economies and move the focus away from city centres. In this way, towns could become mini-economic hubs again and a more equitable life balance could be sustained for everyone.

Isabel Morrel’s and Dr Nick Papé’s article ‘The Rise of Syrianism through Islamism, Globalisation and Collonisation in the Middle East Diapora’ is the third and final article in the three-part series, published in JCD&MS. Their research indicates that the current identity crisis in Syria is the product of “unstable competing components of Arabism, Syrianism and Islamism” co-existing within the Country. They attribute current political and social instability in Syria to a complex combination of external and internal forces. Under colonialism, the French Mandate promoted societal divisions which provoked political instability after France departed. Thereafter, for a time, Hafez’s façade of a Syrian national identity suppressed pre-existing social, cultural and religious difference, but his successor’s weaker control over the country enabled cracks in the social order to resurface, and, ultimately, to break apart.

Dr Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak and Dr Muhammad Adil Khan Afridi, in their article, ‘Man and Creativity: a contrastive Analysis between Western and Islamic Psychologies’, begin by comparing four important, but different, views on the nature of man, as a preface for undertaking a detailed analysis of the views on creativity associated with each approach. In this article, psychoanalysis (represented by Freud), behaviourist, humanist and Islamic perspectives on creativity are compared and discussed in detail. The authors point out that regardless of the different views expressed, all human achievements in the past have been realized as a consequence of human creativity, inventiveness and innovation. They conclude that man should use his/her creative gifts to create a better world, not to generate war or destruction.

David Pearce’s article ‘State intervention in Mobility-as-a-Service: steering emerging mobility services towards inclusive outcomes in London’ provides an in-depth review of current literature in Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) and the extent to which social inclusion is being taken into account. In his view, the split between national, regional and local authorities and an increase in the number of non-state actors participating in transport management are constraining efforts to develop a transport system that provides access for all. The author argues that a well-planned MaaS system can increase social inclusion, but one that is poorly designed will exclude disadvantaged groups. He recommends that a regulatory framework for MaaS be developed that features key principals for social inclusion.

Marina Krämer’s article, ‘International Framework Agreements Shaped by the Countries of Negotiation: France and Germany Compared’ is taken directly from her undergraduate dissertation of the same name, supervised by Dr Andrew Eisenhauer, Lecturer in Business Research at the Universities of Le Havre Normandy, Strasbourg and Coventry’s RenaSup Centre in Meaux and Paris. In this article, the author uses content analysis to render in-depth and interesting analyses of IFAs in France and Germany. Interesting charts are used to illustrate the main points. She concludes that country specific cultures and internal factors must be considered when developing and evaluating the effectiveness of IFAs.

These descriptions illustrate the wide-range of topics that can be accommodated comfortably within the JCD&MS remit. Interested parties are encouraged to submit contributions to the Journal. Instructions are set out in the ‘Guidelines for Journal Contributors’, which appears as the final entry in this volume.

On behalf of the editorial team,

Dr Tommie Anderson-Jaquest

Dr Tommie Anderson-Jaquest, PhD, FHEA, FISM
Principal Editor, JCD&MS, Volume 8, 2020