Expatriate assignments are a key part of international managers' careers and a vital part of maintaining business competitiveness. This book draws on contributions in the expatriation field to open up new lines of enquiry, draw attention to the need for theory building and points to the methodological issues that can beset intercultural research.

This volume is the second book based on comparative and comprehensive data from the 2003 representative European Union Company survey of Operating hours, Working times and Employment (EUCOWE) in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. The EUCOWE project is the first representative and standardised European company survey which covers all categories of firm sizes and all sectors of the economy. This volume complements and builds on the first book published in 2007, in which the methodology and the descriptive national findings as well as some first comparative analytical results were presented. In this second book the EUCOWE research team presents in-depth cross-country analyses of the relationship between operating hours, working times and employment in the European Union. Six empirical chapters of this volume provide detailed comparative analyses of the determinants and consequences of the duration and flexibility of opening hours and operating times.

This management guide to labor productivity represents the author's experience of more than 40 years in the engineering field. Based on his work in over 100 plants and a dozen major corporations, John Martin presents his own personal approach to the specifics of labor productivity control, examining a variety of issues and operations that other books neglect. He fully details longstanding approaches to worker performance and the changes they have undergone, as well as management's responsibilities and industrial engineering functions, all of which are made applicable to manufacturing, processing, and service organizations.

Martin's approach is to examine control strategies that have proven ineffective or incomplete, and to describe alternate methods that he has observed to be workable. To do this, he first explores the basic principles of labor productivity, culled from a combination of historical and modern viewpoints, then follows with discussions of techniques used in general control processes and of various overall control functions. Among the specific topics addressed are work measurement considerations, performance rating and testing, developing and applying time study data, learning curve concepts and applications, wage incentive concepts and plans, and preparing and implementing a productivity control system. New concepts discussed include direct time study versus predetermined motion times, computer-aided application of MTM-1, and advanced applications of measured daywork. Designed as a hands-on reference work, "Labor Productivity Control" will be a valuable resource for manufacturing management personnel, practicing industrial engineers, management and line supervisors, and students in these fields.

As most managers know, you need a vision to motivate employees to achieve goals. But people, and companies, lose focus, and the future appears hazy. People say, We're getting stale, or, I just don't know where we're headed. Leaders know they need a vision to bring people together. And they know a good vision will renew enthusiasm and commitment. But waiting for inspiration rarely works--sometimes you need a vision now. But how? "Recharge Your Team" not only shows managers how to create an effective vision--it shows how to do it in as little as four hours, using a time-tested, proven approach.

Traditionally, companies call in consultants to help create a vision. Experts can help--for $4,000 per day plus expenses. And then there's the time involved: Visioning efforts can take months. This book offers a less-expensive, faster method. Called Grounded Visioning, and based on a concept called appreciative inquiry, the process allows groups to come up with a revitalizing vision that everyone buys into in half a day or less. How? As this book shows, the key is to be sure everyone takes part, to base the vision on how the team acts when at its best, and to imagine a vision bold enough to inspire but practical enough to feel achievable. This book covers the six quick but essential steps that ensure such results--with small teams or large groups. And any manager, not just trainers or HR people, can lead a successful Grounded Visioning session. Grounded visioning is a breakthrough concept of breathtaking simplicity and power that any leader can put to use today. It works, because it frees employees to share their dreams, hopes, and aspirations. As they soar, a vision naturally arises that recharges the team.

"Teamology: The Construction and Organization of Effective Teams" demonstrates how psychiatrist C. G. Jung's cognition theory, a cornerstone of modern personality typology, may be used to form and organize effective problem-solving teams through a novel quantitative transformation of numbers from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) psychological instrument directly on to Jung's eight cognitive modes. The resulting quantitative mode scores make obvious what is needed to make a good team.

The product of sixteen years of studying student teams in engineering design project courses at Stanford University, "Teamology: The Construction and Organization of Effective Teams" is of value to educators in charge of engineering project courses, as well as to students and working professionals on project teams at all levels of engineering, architecture and business. The book is also useful for users of MBTI, and counselors interested in personal self-awareness and the development of interpersonal ability.

This unique volume delivers practical and successful techniques used by some of the world's most competitive and innovative companies to the hands of the Human Resource Manager. Techniques described in the book can help any company enhance its ability to recruit, retain and improve its employee relations.

A synthesis of effective recruiting techniques is explained including a review of Merck's Interview Skills workshop, Hewlett-Packard's Behavioral Interviewing and Marriott's recruitment programs. Effective retention techniques are also explained, including Federal Express' Guaranteed Fair Treatment Procedure, General Electric's Work Out Program, Motorola's Six Sigma program, Merck's Flextime program and Cypress' Goal Setting process. Several successful techniques for improving communication and recognition are also examined including PepsiCo's SharePower. Additionally, a wide range of techniques are examined which should help companies better manage diversity within the workplace, reduce turnover, simplify work and build employee self esteem.

Equal employment opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action have been important--and often controversial--political issues for more than two decades. One of the most hotly debated aspects of the federal government's EEO efforts has been the use of numerical goals and timetables in the internal federal EEO program, an approach adopted by the Civil Service Commission in 1971. In this incisive new study, Kellough examines the utility of affirmative action in the form of numerical goals and timetables by focusing on EEO efforts in federal employment. Writing for students and scholars of ethnic and minority politics as well as for policymakers, Kellough identifies factors responsible for inter-agency variation in the achievement of EEO goals and illustrates the overall impact goals and timetables have had on minority and female employment trends throughout the government bureaucracy.

Kellough begins with a discussion of the nature and purposes of goals and timetables. After reviewing the history of EEO efforts prior to goals and timetables and to the events that precipitated the move toward this approach, Kellough turns to an assessment of the impact of goals and timetables at both the aggregate level and in individual agencies. At the aggregate level, Kellough examines whether significant changes in employment trends followed the authorization of goals and timetables. Turning to an examination of individual agencies, the author assesses the extent of inter-agency variation, develops an index that ranks agencies on the extent to which they reduced the time needed to achieve parity for blacks and women, and explores the independent variables that may explain inter-agency variation in EEO progress. The study finds support for arguments that goals and timetables, agency size, resources allocated to EEO, and the disposition of agency EEO implementers affect rank on the index while indicating that other variables, such as agency growth and the structure of agency EEO efforts, appear to be less important.

In this ground-breaking book, Duane argues that companies of the 1990s will derive their real competitive advantage from labor-management cooperation. To this end, he notes that labor-management relations, as defined by grievance activity at the shop level, determines to a large degree whether joint ventures between labor and management will be successful. Accordingly, Duane offers a comprehensive discussion of how the grievance process affects labor-management cooperation and firm performance. He also identifies those factors that contribute to effective grievance resolution.

Competitive threats have forced unionized firms to consider alternative industrial relations systems, including labor-management cooperation. In the first part of the book, Duane reviews the cooperative options that are available to labor and management. He begins by evaluating the effectiveness of various labor-management programs and presents practical examples of how to properly implement and maintain them. Cooperative contract negotiation is then offered as a possible labor-management strategy to enhance the competitiveness of the firm. Several suggestions are offered, aimed at ensuring that cooperation at the bargaining table will be successful. Throughout the book, a compelling case is made that the grievance process plays a critical role in promoting labor-management cooperation. Over 40 practical propositions concerning the determinants of forward-looking grievance resolution are identified and thoroughly discussed.

There are many complicated theories and ideas about the structure and style of organisations. Human Resource Management and Development looks at how they apply in practice and what they mean for the people who work with them. Divided into four sections and amply illustrated with case studies, topics such as Organisation Theory, Recruitment and Selection, Leadership and Counselling are explained, concluding with chapters on 'Organisation Change' and 'Empowerment'. Written in an accessible and lively manner, this book will be of interest to both students and professionals involved in Human Resource Management.

This book provides a holistic and pragmatic approach to performance management throughout the business value chain, and demonstrates the optimal design and use of performance management in order to achieve competitive advantage. A wealth of best practices, case studies and real-world examples are used to reveal the diversity of performance measurement methods, methodologies and principles in practice. Readers will gain comprehensive insights into the status quo of performance management, including primary functions such as supply, operations and sales, and secondary functions like finance, human resources, and information systems. Focusing on 'best-in-class' performance excellence, the book offers the ideal guide for any organization pursuing competitive advantages across all corporate functions and focusing on value-adding activities.

"The Power of Two" presents the best way for your company to increase competitive advantage. By forming close collaborative relationships with a small set of customers and suppliers you can achieve a significant cost advantage over your competitors, increase your market share and achieve significant top line growth.

A high level of employee commitment holds particular value for organizations owing to its impact on organizational effectiveness and employee well-being. This Handbook provides an up-to-date review of theory and research pertaining to employee commitment in the workplace, outlining its value for both employers and employees and identifying key factors in its development, maintenance or decline. Including chapters from leading theorists and researchers from around the world, this Handbook presents cumulated and cutting-edge research exploring what commitment is, the different forms it can take, and how it is distinct from related concepts such as employee engagement, work motivation, embeddedness, the psychological contract, and organizational identification. Examining topics such as high-commitment work systems, work attitudes and motivation, the Handbook provides integration with related literatures. Internationally applicable, sections also discuss the implications of culture differences for commitment and present the latest developments in research methods and analytic techniques that can be used to advance our understanding of commitment. Comprehensive and engaging, the Handbook of Employee Commitment is essential reading for commitment scholars and researchers interested in the latest developments in the field as well as for international scholars who will benefit from its guidance on how to approach research in unique cultures. It will also prove of prime interest to managers and management consultants with its wealth of suggestions to guide evidence-based practice. Contributors: S.L. Albrecht, N.J. Allen, B.K. Anderson, L.M. Arciniega, J. Barling, T.E. Becker, K. Bentein, M.E. Bergman, D.R. Bobocel, N.L. Bremner, C.T. Brinsfield, G. Caesens, A.C. Chris, L. Clark, A. Cohen, S. Datta, V.L. Dhir, O.J. Dineen, R. Eisenberger, J.A. Espinoza, J. Felfe, M. Gagne, D.G. Gallagher, I.R. Gellatly, Y. Griep, S.D. Hansen, L.M. Hedberg, M.R.W. Hamstra, B.C. Holtom, P. Horsman, J. Howard, V.A. Jean, K. Jiang, Z. Junhong, E.K. Kelloway, H.J. Klein, J. Koen, E.R. Maltin, B. Marcus, J.P. Meyer, N.A. Morelli, A.J.S. Morin, F. Mu, A. Newman, H. Park, E. Read, R.A. Roe, O.N. Solinger, H. Spence Laschinger, D.J. Stanley, F. Stinglhamber, M. Trivisonno, R. Van Dick, W. Van Olffen, A.E.M. Van Vianen, R.J. Vandenberg, C. Vandenberghe, D. Wang, S.A. Wasti, J. Wombacher

What changes can be observed in the labour market? What is special about Japanese-style human resource management in the low-growth era, and what are the responses by Japanese and German firms? The structure of Japanese labour market is gradually changing in terms of both supply and demand. The book considers the distinctive features of Japanese human resource management, and examines the continuity and changes in employment patterns, such as the expansion of flexible types of employment and specific innovations in Japanese HRM.

With the explosion of workplace litigation and the skyrocketing costs associated with it, employers in both the private and public sectors are seeking new ways to swiftly and inexpensively resolve disputes with their employees. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedures offer ways to do this and, according to recent reports, more than 100 major corporations have made use of them. Not only are the costs of trying a workplace dispute before a jury avoided, but also due process requirements have been observed. McDermott and Berkeley introduce executives to ADR, how it's done, and its benefits. This book will be interesting and important reading for executives and for legal counsel that may be unfamiliar with ADR.

The reader is first introduced to the employment litigation revolution that is sweeping the country. The authors explain the various contextual factors that have caused this rise in litigation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Given this new legal environment, the book explores how ADR can assist an employer in avoiding or reducing the costs of employment law litigation. The subject of ADR is divided into mandatory and nonmandatory procedures. Finally, the authors discuss how an employer can introduce a binding arbitration procedure that diverts employment litigation from a jury to an arbitrator. Drafting tips and model clauses are included should an organization seek to develop a mediation procedure, arbitration procedure, or both.

This book is for and about the millions of people who are between jobs (code for out of work), have been between jobs, or know of someone who has been. It is about how to navigate the transition from employment-for-life, career development support, and a company-sponsored pension to downsized, outsourced, and replaced. Bill Holland explains the macro-trends that have converged to create an environment of job instability and anxiety, and then moves beyond this context to present specific tactics and techniques that readers can use to stay one step ahead in their careers. More than a manual for job searches and career-building strategies, Are There Any Good Jobs Left? helps readers interpret trends, assess such temptations as leaving the corporate rat race for the entrepreneurial life and considers the ethics of constant networking. Featuring an annotated listing of books and Web sites, the book is not so much an indictment of corporate disloyalty as an explanation of the phenomenon, and a guidebook for anyone faced with job transition, change, or growth in today's turbulent environment. This book is for and about the millions of people who are between jobs (code for out of work), have been between jobs, or know of someone who has been. It is about the transition from employment-for-life, career development support, and a company-sponsored pension to downsized, outsourced, and replaced. It is about managing your career proactively and creatively in an environment where no job is presumed to be permanent. Bill Holland explains the macro-trends that have converged since the heyday of the white-collar worker after World War II to create an environment of job instability and anxiety, and then moves beyond this context to present specific tactics and techniques that readers can use to stay one step ahead in their careers, whether they are senior executives or just starting out. Much more than a manual for job searches and career-building strategies, Are There Any Good Jobs Left? shows readers how to interpret trends (e.g., will this wave of outsourcing affect me?), assess such temptations as leaving the corporate rat race for the entrepreneurial life, and consider the ethics of constant networking. In addition, he explores the dynamics of the increasingly diverse workforce, and the prospects for men, women, and minorities as they all vie for the most attractive positions. Featuring an annotated listing of books and Web sites, Are There Any Good Jobs Left? is not so much an indictment of corporate disloyalty as an explanation of the phenomenon and a guidebook for anyone faced with job transition, change, or growth in today's turbulent environment.

Veres, Sims and their contributors focus on the nuts-and-bolts issues in human resource management (HRM) created by passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), then identify future issues and their projected impact. With practical discussion of traditional HRM activities and innovative activities the act has created, they help alleviate fears and, in doing so, fill a wide gap in the literature on ADA compliance. A welcome resource for human resource professionals and their academic colleagues as well.

The history of federal regulation in the United States is such that fears in the human resource management community with regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act are hardly irrational. Especially disconcerting is the act's scope; and, to make matters worse, its provisions are often vague and even obscure. Writing from the viewpoint of human resource professionals, Veres, Sims, and their contributors look closely at some of the major issues raised by the act's passage, then forecast what other issues will be in the future. In doing so they provide practical advice on how to comply with the act in day-to-day situations and on crucial management topics.

Veres, Sims, and their contributors examine the act's provisions and the ways in which it demands that managers scrutinize and reassess their essential functions. Compliance issues and how to avoid running afoul of the act's provisions are examined next, followed by a discussion of how the act applies to recruiting, testing, and employee selection. The performance appraisal process and how non-imparied employees will respond to accommodations required for their non-impaired colleagues is carefully laid out, and the interaction of the Equal Pay Act and the ADA is examined. Training needs in an ADA context and other problems are also treated, with special focus on ways in which employee discontent can be minimized as such problems are met and solved. A valuable guide and resource for human resource professionals and their academic colleagues.

This edited volume on Identities at Work brings together international theory and empirical research that deals with continuity and change of identity formation processes at work under conditions of modern working processes and labour market flexibility. Modern work processes in manufacturing and service organisations increasingly rely upon responsible and competent employees who are willing and able to engage in the tasks that their job requires and in continuous learning. That employees are able to engage in taking up new forms of responsibility and master complex work situations is, on the one hand, dependent upon employees' skills and how well they are trained. On the other hand, it requires that employees identify with what they do and commit to their work and the performance of tasks.

Designed as a comprehensive text for advanced courses in personnel selection and classification, the three volumes that comprise "The Economic Benefits of Predicting Job Performance" take a different approach than that taken in most previous works on the subject. While most texts focus on selection and psychological measurement to the exclusion of classification, these volumes summarize the major theories and research findings in both areas and provide a thorough treatment of classification processes. This is the first text providing more than a chapter on classification since Cronbach and gelser's historic work in 1965. Joseph Zeidner and Cecil D. Johnson discuss the central topics involved in the practical prediction of job performance, including validity and utility models and research strategies and designs. Based on their analysis, they introduce a new theory, the differential assignment theory, and illustrate the mathematical principles that govern its use in personnel classification. Throughout, the authors are concerned with the realistic applications of specific procedures to maximize both selection and classification efficiency.

This volume begins with an overview describing the major issues and highlighting important findings and conclusions. Volume 3 looks at the specific case of the Army and asks whether the dollar utility of the Army's personnel classification system can be improved substantially and, if so, how? The authors present the results of their extensive research into the Army's current system and conclude by offering suggestions for improvement based on their findings. This volume concludes with a glossary and list of references.

Competencies in Organizational E-Learning: Concepts and Tools provides a comprehensive view of the way competencies can be used to drive organizational e-learning, including the main conceptual elements, competency gap analysis, advanced related computing topics, the application of semantic Web technologies, and the integration of competencies with current e-learning standards. ""Competencies in Organizational E-Learning: Concepts and Tools"" is the first book to address competencies as a key observable workplace behavior, driving learning and knowledge dissemination processes inside organizations. This book works as a guide for implementing or improving competency-based approaches to e-learning.

"Psychopaths are little understood outside of the criminal image. However, as the recent global financial crisis highlighted, the behavior of a small group of managers can potentially bring down the entire western system of business. This book investigates who they are, why they do what they do and what the consequences of their presence are"--Provided by publisher.

Based on an extensive national survey of workers and four separate industry-specific surveys, Generations and Work will examine and provide answers to the most common issues and problems of multi generational work by assessing differences and commonalities between and among generations.

Designed as a comprehensive text for advanced courses in personnel selection and classification, the three volumes that comprise The Economic Benefits of Predicting Job Performance take a different approach than that taken in most previous works on the subject. While most texts focus on selection and psychological measurement to the exclusion of classification, these volumes summarize the major theories and research findings in both areas and provide a thorough treatment of classification processes. This is the first text providing more than a chapter on classification since Cronbach and Gleser's historic work in 1965. Cecil D. Johnson and Joseph Zeidner discuss the central topics involved in the practical prediction of job performance, including validity and utility models and research strategies and designs. Based on their analysis, they introduce a new theory, the differential assignment theory, and illustrate the mathematical principles that govern its use in personnel classification. Throughout, the authors are concerned with the realistic applications of specific procedures to maximize both selection and classification efficiency.

This volume begins with an overview that describes the major issues and highlights important findings and conclusions. Volume 2 begins with a taxonomy of personnel selection, classification, and placement--going on to address the measurement of classification effectiveness and ways to improve it. The use of model sampling and simulation as a tool for measuring utility, potentially available from personnel classification, is described. This volume concludes with a glossary and list of references.