From the Editor.(Editorial)

Many thanks to Dr. Chiang-Nan Chao for doing such a thorough job as Guest Editor for this Special Management Issue of the Review of Business. He presided over a very interesting assortment of topics.

The paper by Larry W. Boone and Monica S. Peborde begins this issue. It offers practical advice for those new to leadership or for those who may wish to improve their current leadership capabilities. In specific, they discuss five fundamental leadership skills: establishing credibility, managing time, being proactive, empowering others to act and networking. Not only do they explain the importance of these skills, but they also describe specific ways to develop each.

The article by Jay Nathan discusses the many supply chain management concerns in Kazakhstan. While the country may have substantial oil deposits, it has only a few refineries and no direct access to the open sea. As a result, it must rely on costly pipelines to transport its supplies to refineries and then to world markets. Dr. Nathan's paper discusses the many technical, financial and political risks Kazakhstan faces in managing its oil supply chain. In order to make the most from its oil deposits, Kazakhstan must manage its supply chain carefully.

The next paper in the issue, by John P. Angelidis, Brenda L. Massetti and Pauline Magee-Egan, investigates whether managers and non-managers look at social responsibility in the same way. Using the Corporate Social Responsibility Orientation scale, the paper examines whether an organizational member's position in the organizational hierarchy impacts his or her sense of social responsibility. They find that non-managers do not perceive the economic dimension of social responsibility to be as important as middle managers do.

Then, Patrick Lyons' paper introduces the concept of a Student Portfolio Web site. Not only does he explain the value of this form of web site, such as connecting more closely with potential employers, but he also describes how to make one. Using a word processor, an internet browser and a special template, students have a number of options for showcasing themselves and their work. In addition, he provides a number of examples to help students design the best site for their needs.

Reza Eftekharzadeh's article explores the concept of Knowledge Management (KM) and how managers can assess the value of their organizations' knowledge. In specific, the paper describes five processes critical to KM: knowledge sharing and distribution; knowledge generation and development; knowledge codification and storage; organization leader roles and reward systems. Data collected from ZAND A. CO in Iran is then used to ascertain the relationship between these processes and KM performance. Dr. Eftekharzadeh finds a positive relationship between knowledge sharing, generation and storage and KM performance.

The final article, by Edward Flowers, discusses the sub-par mortgage crisis and the impact it has had and may continue to have, on our economy. The paper provides a very thorough account of how a few improper managerial actions can lead to very severe consequences.

Brenda Massetti, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, St. John's University

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