Understanding Language Testing presents an introduction to language tests and the process of test development that starts at the very beginning. Assuming no knowledge of the field, the book promotes a practical understanding of language testing using examples from a variety of languages. While grounded on solid theoretical principles, the book focuses on fostering a true understanding of the various uses of language tests and the process of test development, scoring test performance, analyzing and interpreting test results, and above all, using tests as ethically and fairly as possible so that test takers are given every opportunity to do their best, to learn as much as possible, and feel positive about their language learning. Each chapter includes a summary, suggestions for further reading, and exercises. As such this is the ideal book for both beginning students of linguistics and language education, or anyone in a related discipline looking for a first introduction to language testing.

Employment Relations is widely taught in business schools around the world. However, an increasing emphasis is being placed on the comparative and international dimensions of the relationships between employers and workers. It is becoming crucial to consider today's work and employment issues alongside the dynamics between global financial and product markets, global production chains, national and international employment actors and institutions, and the ways in which these relationships play out in different national contexts. Comparative Employment Relations in the Global Economy addresses this need by presenting a cross-section of country studies - including the UK, Germany, USA, Brazil, India, Russia, China and South Africa - alongside integrative thematic chapters covering essential topics such as theoretical approaches, collective representation and employment regulation. This second edition benefits from: Careful updates to theory and real-life developments Fuller treatment of topics such as labour migration, gender and discrimination, global value chains and corporate governance A more logical ordering of chapters, with globalization issues appearing earlier This textbook is the perfect resource for students on advanced undergraduate and postgraduate comparative and international programmes across areas such as employment relations, industrial relations, human resource management, political economy, labour politics, industrial and economic sociology, regulation and social policy.

This book provides insights into communication practices that enable efficient work, successful collaboration, and a functional work environment. Maintaining a productive and healthy workplace is predicated on interpersonal communication between people. In organizations, efficient communication is the foundation of all actions. Contributors to this book cover communication issues in relationships, teams, meetings, leadership, competence, diversity, organizational entry, social support, and digital environments in the workplace. The book illustrates all these issues in detail by presenting both relevant research findings and their practical implications in working life. Workplace Communication is ideal for current and future employees, directors, supervisors and managers, instructors, and consultants in knowledge-based expertise work. The book is appropriate for courses in organizational and leadership communication or interpersonal communication in a workplace setting.

Put an end to miscommunication and inefficiency--and tap into the strengths of your diverse team. If you read nothing else on managing across cultures, read these 10 articles. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you manage culturally diverse employees, whether they're dispersed around the world or you're working with a multicultural team in a single location. This book will inspire you to: * Develop your cultural intelligence * Overcome conflict on a team where cultural norms differ * Adopt a common language for more efficient communication * Use the diverse perspectives of your employees to find new business opportunities * Take varying cultural practices into account when resolving ethical issues * Accommodate and plan for your expatriate employees This collection of articles includes "Cultural Intelligence," by P. Christopher Earley and Elaine Mosakowski; "Managing Multicultural Teams," by Jeanne Brett, Kristin Behfar, and Mary C. Kern; "L'Oreal Masters Multiculturalism," by Hae-Jung Hong and Yves Doz; "Making Differences Matter: A New Paradigm for Managing Diversity," by David A. Thomas and Robin J. Ely; "Navigating the Cultural Minefield," by Erin Meyer; "Values in Tension: Ethics Away from Home," by Thomas Donaldson; "Global Business Speaks English," by Tsedal Neeley; "10 Rules for Managing Global Innovation," by Keeley Wilson and Yves L. Doz; "Lost in Translation," by Fons Trompenaars and Peter Woolliams; and "The Right Way to Manage Expats," by J. Stewart Black and Hal B. Gregersen.

Use the power of analytics, knowledge management, and discovery for improved employee retention and insight to the unique collaborative and learning needs of your organization using Viva, Microsoft's new employee experience platform. This book introduces you to the four central tenets of Microsoft Viva, a platform designed to improve communication, knowledge, learning, and insight within an organization. The authors, all Microsoft MVPs and early users of Viva, share their first-hand experiences and knowledge to teach you how to configure, utilize, and adopt Viva Topics, Viva Connections, Viva Learning, and Viva Insights to drive knowledge management and discovery within an organization. In Part I, you will learn how to classify data and topics within your organization, and learn how the use of AI can bring to life the discovery of knowledge and information related to people and other topics, allowing for better understanding and clarity of the content you see every day. In Part II, you will learn how to bring the power of SharePoint Syntex and Viva Topics into Microsoft Teams. In Part III, you will learn how to build a shared learning portal in Microsoft Teams using your own training materials, or bringing in third-party resources such as LinkedIn Learning and Skillsoft to connect directly to your employees. Managers will appreciate the ability to assign learning topics to users and gain the skills needed to create a fundamental process around learning consolidation. In Part IV, you will be introduced to Viva Insights, and understand how to discover vital analytics for individuals, managers, and leaders. You will also learn how it supports your company's greatest asset, your employees. What You Will Learn Understand the basics of Viva to get up and running in no time Configure each vertical of Microsoft Viva Know the roles and pre-requisites for installation and configuration Organize and think about your content for discovery and relationships Deliver learning through an optimized experience for managers and users Leverage the power of SharePoint within Teams using Viva Connections Who This Book Is For Management, end users, and system administrators who want to step up their knowledge management, better train and retain employees, and improve access to internal content. The book is designed for businesses that want to transform the way they learn about content and people within their organization, with the end objective of making their business grow and thrive.

People who discuss digital transformation often focus on new technology with a presumption that the working population will embrace it enthusiastically. But human beings are still instinctively dominated by fear, a single complicating reflex which will always be the default response. Workplace fear comes in many forms, including the fear of change, the fear of looking stupid, and the fear of working relationships, and in all cases these fears have deep roots that extend far below having to learn a new technology. It's about the fear of losing a job, a livelihood, and an identity. The results of such fear can have enormous repercussions on an organization, including increased vulnerability to ransomware and cyberattack, increased employee turnover, loss of competitiveness, loss of market share, resistance, sabotage, discrimination, and litigation. Steve Prentice is an expert in the relationship between people, technology, and change. This book will demonstrate to managers and employees alike the various types of fear that can occur in the workplace in the context of digital transformation, how these fears can impact productivity, team dynamics, and corporate health, and most importantly, how to overcome them. Using case studies of digital transformation successes and failures, Steve describes: How fear grows in the body and mind How fear radiates and spreads through groups and teams How fear interacts with technology, change, and digital transformation How ignoring or suppressing fear leads to tangible risks to an organization's future How to address and manage fear individually and as a group How the demands of modern employees have changed How managers can prepare themselves for the new normal Who This Book Is For Managers who wish to look under the hood and understand how people respond to the changes in their immediate world, and why most of those responses are negative. It will also be an uplifting read for individual employees who seek to understand why they, or their colleagues or managers, generally respond negatively to changes, or who struggle with conflict and relationships in the workplace and how to create an action plan to improve the situation.

Studies have shown that 60% of male managers feel uncomfortable working one-on-one with their female colleagues. That's where The Man's Guide to Corporate Culture comes in. Heather Zumarraga, a business journalist who has spent much of her career in testosterone-filled work environments, wants to make sure that any male leader who wants to be part of the solution knows how to do it the right way. Heather provides you with logical solutions to complex gender issues and gives important, practical lessons for men and women alike. The Man's Guide to Corporate Culture teaches you: Which behaviors to adopt (and which to avoid) to create and maintain a comfortable work environment for their female co-workers. How to create an environment that is not only welcoming to both women and men but also encourages healthy and respectful collaboration. And more real-world tested advice and approaches to help ensure every employee (and business) is best situated for success. There are numerous business books that coach women to deal with bias and harassment in a male-dominated workplace. However, The Man's Guide to Corporate Culture is?one of the only books that coaches men on how to succeed?in the new normal.

From the 1960s through the 1990s, the most common job for women in the United States was clerical work. Even as college-educated women obtained greater opportunities for career advancement, occupational segregation by gender remained entrenched. How did feminism in corporate America come to represent the individual success of the executive woman and not the collective success of the secretary? Allison Elias argues that feminist goals of advancing equal opportunity and promoting meritocracy unintentionally undercut the status and prospects of so-called "pink-collar" workers. In the 1960s, ideas about sex equality spurred some clerical workers to organize, demanding "raises and respect," while others pushed for professionalization through credentialing. This cross-class alliance pushed a feminist agenda that included unionizing some clerical workers and advancing others who had college degrees into management. But these efforts diverged in the 1980s, when corporations adopted measures to move qualified women into their upper ranks. By the 1990s, corporate support for professional women resulted in an individualistic feminism that focused on the needs of those at the top. Meanwhile, as many white, college-educated women advanced up the corporate ladder, clerical work became a job for lower-socioeconomic-status women of all races. The Rise of Corporate Feminism considers changes in the workplace surrounding affirmative action, human resource management, automation, and unionization by groups such as 9to5. At the intersection of history, gender, and management studies, this book spotlights the secretaries, clerks, receptionists, typists, and bookkeepers whose career trajectories remained remarkably similar despite sweeping social and legal change.

Contemporary HRM Issues in the 21st Century is an illuminating textbook for postgraduate students and active managers wanting to develop their understanding of issues and challenges emerging in the 21st century workplace from a HRM perspective. This edited collection, with contributions from experts in the field of HR policy development, is split into four sections. Section One explores the contemporary workforce and critical elements of managing HRM in a knowledge-based economy. Section Two focuses on psychological concerns for the individual at work, career management and emotional labour to better understand how to manage an increasingly diverse workforce. Section Three looks at managing HR issues in the workplace, such as crisis management, mental health and violence in the workplace. The final section of this book looks at current and emerging debates surrounding HRM, including: sustainable HRM; cyber-vetting; biological monitoring and surveillance; codes and conduct; job-design in the age of technology; and, Artificial Intelligence (AI). All of these are vital and often contentious areas within HRM policy-making and practice. This book sets out these debates and issues to engage both students and managers working in the fields of Global HRM and Human Resource policy-making.

Become a Talent Talker!

Great people developers take an interest in others, they recognize that they didn’t get to where they are on their own, and they want to “pay forward” the time that others have invested in them. Helping others unlock their talent and potential is an enormously rewarding activity, and it doesn’t take very much time, just the right attitude. If you look back on your own career and recognize a talent talker in your past, you owe it to them to become one yourself. If you don’t see a talent talker in your past, you need to look harder, because no one can make it on their own.

Getting managers to have development conversations is one of the most important drivers of unlocking talent and potential in your organisation. This book, and the TalentTalker.com application, makes it easy for any manager to sit down and have a development conversation.

Those conversations can be about improving performance, managing a career, developing leadership skills or formulating and executing new business strategies. Talking connects people, people who feel connected are more engaged, engaged people deliver exceptional results.

Yolanda Lacoma, holds a Master’s degrees in Psychology and European Studies and a postgraduate course in Education. Prior to starting her consulting practice Yolanda was a professor at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland where she developed and delivered a variety of executive development programs. After moving to the United States in 1997, she founded PeopleTree Group and is currently the CEO.

Martin Sutherland is the Global Director of PeopleTree Talent Analytics International. He is a founder member of the company, launched in 1998. He has 23 years of professional consulting experience in the ICT, Energy and Power, Financial Services & Banking, Transport, Retail and Manufacturing sectors.

Just like the previous edition, this new edition aims to provide practical advice on how to create, develop, or improve office environments so that those individuals who work within them can do so comfortably and contently. Those environments include traditional purpose-built offices, home offices, vehicle interiors, or transient environments like train stations, hotels, and airports. Technology has changed radically since the first edition published in 2007. The new edition has been completely updated and offers simple, practical and effective advice that can be employed easily in any office environment, whether typical or atypical. Features Provides up-to-date advice on working with handheld devices and computers Outlines what can be done in non-office environments to make the worker more comfortable Offers updated case studies, which are more relevant to today's work, made possible by ever-advancing technology Includes an expanded section on accommodating workers with disabilities and covers new options available to assist the disabled so they can work effectively and comfortably Deals with the hidden area of work-related manual handling inside and outside the office

How can I develop a team if they're not in the same place? How can I build a company culture that works for employees in an office, working at home and in co-work spaces? How can I maintain organizational oversight if I can't see my employees? Remote Work answers all these questions and more and provides guidance on how to build a successful remote working strategy that engages employees, allows them to perform to their full potential and improves business performance. The COVID-19 pandemic has put remote work into the business norm, but demand from employees to work remotely was already increasing, with a 2019 report stating that 34% of people surveyed would even take a pay cut if they could work remotely part of the time. HR professionals and business leaders need to address this demand to attract and retain the talent the business needs. Remote Work is written by two industry experts who have successfully transitioned their workforces to remote models. It provides essential guidance on how to implement policies, processes and strategies for remote working, including meeting types, measuring performance and creating virtual 'water cooler' environments. Featuring advice on technological solutions to adapting processes and driving engagement, this book also outlines the business benefits of a remote workforce including improved productivity and output and how it allows for faster expansion and execution. With insights from leading experts such as Marshall Goldsmith and case studies from Cornerstone OnDemand, Buffer and United States Marine Corps, Remote Work is essential reading now that increased home and flexible working is here to stay.

Work-life balance isn't about where or how you spend your time. At least not solely. It's about where and how you use and replenish your energy. Work matters. Life matters. Work-life matters. As we start to navigate life during and after the pandemic, employers and employees are increasingly re-evaluating how work can be made more sustainable and more fulfilling. Many employees - particularly Gen X and Gen Z - are seeking a new psychological contract with their employers. Putting these trends into context and offering practical solutions, this book takes a deep dive into why work matters as part of a healthy and fulfilling life. The authors present a new and different way of thinking about the matter of balance, arguing that there is no hard divide between 'work' and life' because 'work' takes place entirely within 'life' and you can't balance two things when one is a subset of the other. To achieve the balance required for a healthy existence, we need to recognise that there are activities in all parts of work-life that drain our energy and others that give us a buzz. Rather than trying to solve the drain of hard work by living it large at the weekend - or compensating for an unfulfilling home life by working like a demon, we need to create balance at work and balance at home. Now is a golden opportunity to re-examine the world of work and job-craft to make them more satisfying, less draining and more energising. The ideas in this book provide a practical guide to help that process.

A game-changing book about the revolutionary potential of working from home, by two experts who work - and live - together. Out of Office is a book for every office worker - from employees to managers - navigating the return to the office since the outbreak of COVID-19. The lockdowns of 2020-21 have shown us a new path forward, one that doesn't involve hellish daily commutes and set schedules that no longer make sense. But how can we realise that future in a way that benefits workers and companies alike? Using groundbreaking reporting and interviews with workers and managers around the world, Charlie Warzel and Anne Helen Petersen illuminate the key values that should be driving this conversation: trust, fairness, flexibility, inclusive workplaces, equity, and work-life balance. Above all, they argue that companies need to listen to their employees - and that this will promote, rather than impede, productivity and profitability. Out of Office is about so much more than Zoom meetings and hybrid schedules: it aims to reshape our entire relationship to the office.

Reinvent best practices that have become bad habits Without meaning to, and often with the best of intentions, most organizations continually waste precious time and money on processes and activities that don't create value and no longer make sense in today's business environment. Until now, the relatively slow speed of marketplace evolution has allowed wasteful habits to continue without consequence. This reality is ending. Detonate explains how organizations built up bad habits, identifies which ones masquerade as "best practices," and suggests alternatives that can contribute to winning in the marketplace. With a focus on optimism and empowerment, it focuses on an approach and mindset which are critical to successfully compete in an era characterized by profound technological advances and uncertainty. - Core themes challenge how you think about and approach problems - Case studies illustrate the challenges you face and how to overcome them - Recommendations are pragmatic and steer clear of suggesting a brand-new, complicated wiring diagram - Actionable advice provides the first steps down an evolutionary path If you want to compete differently in today's marketplace and to challenge the things your company does which you have a nagging feeling are actually just a waste of time - and maybe value-destroying - Detonate gives you what you need to ignite change.

Modern workplaces are following a strong trend of increasing flexible working practices and approaches, offering more flexibility in working times, working places, work organization, and work relations as the result of new information and communication technologies. This book brings together a group of internationally recognized experts in the field of flexible work to examine the psychological and social implications of these practices, describing the current state of research and empirically-based practices in this field. It focuses on organizational, job, and individual factors related to the quality of working life, and identifies potential risk groups where the benefits of flexible work are suppressed or not realized. Ideal for organizations implementing or considering implementing flexible work, for professionals and researchers in work and organizational psychology, and for HR professionals, this volume is an invaluable overview of rapidly changing work norms and their impact on working life.

Expert Humans: Critical Leadership Skills for a Disrupted World examines the critical leadership concepts of Altruism, Compassion and Empathy (ACE) and their application to the great disruptors of today: sustainability, global health, inequality, digital transformation and erosion of trust - from social, historical and psychological perspectives - to support the development of more human workplaces and a better world. The book investigates these ACE behaviours and attributes in depth to show how they can strengthen existing leadership capability. With more ACE leaders in the field the challenges of our disrupted world can be better addressed, and by so doing, create more human workplaces and a more humane society for now and for the future. Drawing on data from the social sciences, close human observation, stories of working people and mini-case studies from around the world - Expert Humans encourages the reader to adopt a more human - and effective - way of living, working and being. This book is intended as a gentle provocation to leaders of small, medium and large organisations, as well as to human resources and organisational development professionals - to help change the nature of what it takes to be a leader, for good.

Successful Time Management is packed with proven tips, tools and techniques to help you review and assess your time management and adopt new work practices to improve it. This book includes great time-saving ideas, practical solutions and checklists, plus advice on: controlling paperwork, organizing your emails, delegating and working with others, prioritizing to focus on key issues, getting and staying organized. This fully updated 6th edition features even more practical exercises, useful templates and top tips to help you minimize time-wasting and interruptions, and focus on the priorities that will lead to success in your job and career. Successful Time Management will give you the tools to become more efficient and effective. The Creating Success series of books... Unlock vital skills, power up your performance and get ahead with the bestselling Creating Success series. Written by experts for new and aspiring managers and leaders, this million-selling collection of accessible and empowering guides will get you up to speed in no time. Packed with clever thinking, smart advice and the kind of winning techniques that really get results, you'll make fast progress, quickly reach your goals and create lasting success in your career.

This volume of Advanced Series in Management offers cutting-edge research from Human Resource Management professionals and academics, which engages with the potential opportunities and challenges of digitization in the workplace. Contributors introduce fresh evidence and innovative ideas on the changing work environment, to help business leaders' shift to the digital mind-set. The book suggests new ways of managing, organizing, and leading a positive social change towards a human-centered organization. For example, a collaboration between HRM and IT, adoption of design thinking, using integrated analytics, and developing new competences. The book explores this new world for HRM, developing critical insights about three main issues: HRM's new role in the 4.0 era New job and organization design for the smart economy New HRM tools and practices for digital organizations. HRM 4.0 For Human-Centered Organizations provides both researchers and professionals working in Human Resources Management, Organization Design and Organizational Behaviour with practical guidelines to turn the challenging scenario of Industry 4.0 into a successful transformation for the HRM domain.

The increasing globalization, the battle for talents, and global trends are changing the work patterns in organisations around the globe. Enterprises are working across country and cultural borders alongside complex supply and demand networks. Global incidents such as the financial crisis in 2008 and the recent COVID-19 pandemic have forced global organizations to find innovative ways to continue to connect globally and maintain a competitive advantage. Therefore, innovative enterprises have established global and virtual organisations including members of the value chain on supply and demand side. This book outlines these new work and leadership styles, and agile organisations, which are necessary to work virtually and globally. It provides case studies and experiences from different global organizations in different industries and sectors with a focus on value-adding processes and services.

Research shows you have a 50% chance of hiring the right employee... and a 50% chance of hiring the wrong one. It's a?toss up, but it doesn't have to be. After years of scientific research and first-hand interview experience with thousands of candidates, author Chaka Booker has created a system that helps employers consistently make great hires. Mastering the Hire provides 12 proven strategies that have been used to accurately identify the right talent 90% of the time. Whether hiring manager, business owner, CEO, search consultant, team manager, team member, novice or expert interviewer, Chaka's method is for anyone who wants to beat the hiring odds. ?In this book, you will learn: How to manage?your intuition: when to trust it and when to put it aside. Question design principles: structuring questions so candidates are influenced to tell the truth The power of pressure: when to apply or release pressure and how to control the hidden internal pressure that leads to poor decisions. To identify key competencies: the four competencies you must always interview for and techniques to accurately assess them. Tools for removing?bias: tomorrow's talent doesn't fit yesterday's mold and is often overlooked. Understanding and removing bias will give you a competitive advantage. To?reimagine the hiring process: resume reviews, phone interviews, and in-person interviews will get a much-needed revamp with innovative twists on each. The interview is the cornerstone of the hiring process, yet science has shown the odds aren't in your favor. Mastering the Hire gives you strategies that will dramatically improve the one decision that determines everything you can accomplish--who you hire.

Common Core Basics Mathematics Core Subject Module (grade level equivalency 6-8) builds the foundational skills needed for Common Core-based high school equivalency exams and beyond. It is the first step toward achieving high school equivalency test success and college and career readiness. Features include diagnostic pre-tests and mastery post-tests, 21st century skill instruction to develop critical thinking, instruction tied to real-world tasks, and inquiry-based learning opportunities.

Emotional Intelligence is a complete guidebook to help you leverage your EQ for greater professional and personal success.

Research now shows that people with higher levels of emotional intelligence generally have:

• Greater job satisfaction
• A better chance of getting promoted
• A bigger salary
• A higher standard of living
• Fewer family conflicts
• A stronger immune system
• A lower chance of developing cardiovascular disorders, and
• A more fulfilled life!

Written especially for the South African workplace, this newly updated edition will show you to improve and develop your emotional intelligence by focusing on these aspects of EQ:

• Self-awareness
• Self- regard
• Assertiveness
• Empathy
• Interpersonal relations
• Problem- solving
• Impulse control
• Stress tolerance
• Flexibility
• Optimism
• And more!

Throughout the book, you will find practical tips, exercises, and case studies to help you develop your emotional intelligence. Now is your chance to open the door to a better life!

Annette Prins a senior counselling psychologist, involves herself with developing human capital. As CEO and co-owner of the company Talent and Wellness Management, she developed and presented an array of workshops in the people skills arena, for the corporate and tertiary sectors. She specialises in stress management, anxiety and mood disorders and trauma counselling.

Eugene van Niekerk has taught psychology at both under-graduate and post-graduate level. His academic background is also complimented by work as psychotherapist and corporate consultant. Eugene’s interests include, amongst others: emotional intelligence; mind-body medicine; mental health in an information society; how affective neuroscience is able to improve individual and organisational performance.

As consultant Annette Weyers has been part of the wellness industry for fifteen years. She was co-founder of the Centre for Talent and Wellness Management an organisation that offered professional services to develop human talent and promote wellness. Services to employees included support and interventions through counseling, coaching, inspirational talks and workshops. "