Companies and organisations are increasingly more aware of the importance of people and their knowledge for dealing with economic scenarios as well as their relationships developed both inside and outside of the company. Strategic Approaches for Human Capital Management and Development in a Turbulent Economy examines the useful information developed by individuals presented within organisational structures, routines, and company policies. This book is an international platform for academics, researchers, lecturers, decision makers, and policy makers in order to enhance their understanding and collaboration in issues of knowledge management and human resource management.

The performance of an organization ultimately rests on the quality of its people. How well they work together to develop and implement business strategies determines the organization's success in a global and competitive world. This absolute requirement for the right people, teams and organization is widely recognized by business leaders, but the equation behind it remains unknown for many. Performance Equation distills the leading-edge human resources (HR) and organizational performance concepts and models down to their fundamentals, and shows how each variable fits into a simple and integrated performance equation. It offers team leaders and HR practitioners thought-provoking ideas and the necessary challenges to conventional wisdom and political correctness needed to induce reflection and action on what the right HR program is to solve their organizational performance equation.

Economic and political reforms and globalization in the developing world have led to the emergence of companies that are expanding beyond their national borders into the international arena. The transformation into multinational corporations is generally not accompanied by a change in the way they manage their talent. There is a disconnect between globalization and talent management. Yet the most effective and sustainable source of competitive advantage is talent. Talent Management in the Developing World explores how the policies, systems and procedures that have been successful within national boundaries are inadequate to meet the value propositions of completely different and diverse people working in different countries, cultures, legal and socio-economic environments. In fact they may be dysfunctional to talent management. Using the perspective of the developing world, Dr Elegbe outlines the shift in paradigm and practice that is required if organizations are to develop a sustainable talent management strategy in these countries. A global approach to talent management assures competitiveness and sustainability of success in the international environment but change will not happen until line and HR managers see its urgency and criticality. That is the endeavour of this book.

The demand for organizational accountability has never been greater. The future of work, talent, and employment are changing at an unprecedented pace, and organizational decisions about how to invest in people are under increasing scrutiny. Leaders realize their decisions about human resources are crucial in an uncertain and interconnected world, yet decisions about people remain among the least systematic and evidence-based, compared to resources such as money and technology. Investing in People draws upon state-of-the art practice and research across disciplines including psychology, economics, accounting, and finance to provide HR professionals and leaders with proven guidelines for evaluating key HR initiatives. It is based on a comprehensive framework that clarifies and supports strategic linkages between investments in human capital and important outcomes that senior leaders most care about, such as talent acquisition, engagement, learning, customer service and higher financial returns. Readers will master crucial foundational principles such as risk, return, and economies of scale and use them to evaluate investments objectively in everything from work/life programs to training. Also included are powerful ways to integrate HR with enterprise strategy and budgeting and gain decision buy-in from business leaders outside HR.

Effective Human Resource Management (HRM) methods are essential in tackling today s employment challenges and changes. As Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) continue to flourish, identifying HRM strategies and practices are necessary for these organizations to obtain a competitive management model. Effective Human Resources Management in Small and Medium Enterprises: Global Perspectives addresses the issues of HRM in SMEs by providing a channel of communication to disseminate knowledge; including management philosophies, culture, and management practices. With innovate theories and the latest research, this book is useful for academics, researchers, managers, engineers, and other professionals interested in matters of HRM, specific to SMEs in both private and public sectors."

A comprehensive collection by Professor Cary Cooper and his colleagues in the field of workplace stress and wellbeing, which draws on research in a number of areas including stress-strain relationships, sources of workplace stress and stressful occupations.
Split into two volumes, the chapters present a range of research and theories linked to the field of occupational stress and wellbeing. It charts the flow from concerns about specific occupations to the widening of the concept of stress into the more positive arena of wellbeing. By showing where we came from to where we are now, we hope it will help to develop the field of identifying and helping people who have to cope with the excessive pressures of work in a more insecure and less stable economic climate.
Volume 1:
Theory and Reviews of Stress and Wellbeing
Stress-Strain Relationships
Sources of Workplace Stress
Stressful Occupations
Research Methods in Stress and Wellbeing
Volume 2
Stress Management
Stress and Wellbeing Issues
Work-life Balance
Wellbeing

A volume in Contemporary Trends in Organization Development and Change Series Editors Therese F. Yaeger, Benedictine University and Peter F. Sorensen, Jr. Benedictine University Optimizing Talent is the must have book for every leader and manager looking to sustain the ultimate workforce. Linda and Paul show what works and what doesn't in talent initiatives to drive business outcomes. This book is a call to action to transform how you think about talent, how you develop and retain talent and how you measure the impact of talent initiatives on the bottom line.

Featuries tried-and-true, ready-to-use tools, examples, and resources, this guide teaches the nuts and bolts of HR for small businesses and startups and is the perfect desk reference for any organization who may not have the financial resources to invest in a fully-staffed HR department. Guides readers through the HR essentials, including developingpolicies and organizational best practices, managing and measuring performance, driving engagement and cultivating a culture, understanding legal obligations, assessing, risk, and guidance for developing leaders.

Technology, people, e-workplaces: these are the elements that fast moving organizations use to meet changing business requirements by using technology to invent new business processes, to re-align organizational structures, and to implement new management practices. Moreover, it has become apparent in today's global information economy, the most critical-indeed the primary-resource that distinguishes market leaders from everyone else is human talent! Countries, communities, and organizations are suddenly very interested in developing the human capacities that will allow them to compete in a networked world. Successful growing organizations have placed the combined development of information technology and human resources as their top priority. With the help of human resource professionals, organizations must grasp the pertinent aspects of both people and technology issues to create an effective e-workplace. These issues occur at the intersection of the disciplines of computer science, operation research, and human resource development. Because these issues are complex, they can best be understood through cross-disciplinary collaboration among experts who approach them from a range of perspectives. Human Resource Development and Information Technology: Making Global Connections presents just such a collaborative effort from leaders in the field. This book describes the changes that are occurring as technology plays a more central role in human resource development. It compares methods and tools that organizations can use to create their own practices for developing their most critical resource-people! In addition, the authors pose a set of interesting research questions that will help us further explore how countries, local communities, and organizations build dynamic systems for developing a sustained competitive advantage with human talent.

Based on extensive research and consulting experience, the authors of this book affirm that an organization's managerial performance as well as an individual's own personal effectiveness can be greatly enhanced through the Use of mental imagery or visualization techniques. Mental imagery allows its practitioners to learn about management through mental as well as actual practice. It effectively generates a performance orientation in which the individual is required to rehearse specific behaviors for optimum results. The practice of mental imagery techniques are not altogether new. Their application in the field of management, however, represents a valuable innovation that will be of special interest to a wide variety of managerial professionals and the people who train them.

This work presents an innovative look at research on the intersection of spirituality and business. Part one of the book covers spiritual practice and organizations, part two covers spirituality and leadership, and part three covers critical theory and ethics.

Often lost in the study of people management is the crucial skill of relationships management. It is not simply the study of how to help people get along, nor is it the same as managing compensation, for example, but it is infinitely more volatile, complex, and difficult to do. Snider sees it as the key to success in new and growing organizations of almost any kind (he refers to these relationships as partnerships) and in his challenging new book proves that in any high-growth company, people really are partners. He explores the dynamics of such groups, their social and psychological aspects, and shows how to use the concepts that emerge from these understandings to manage a real world enterprise. What happens if it fails? Snider, a clinical psychologist with experience in couples therapy, shows that the dissolution of a business can be likened to the breakup of a marriage and managed the same way. This book is engrossing, essential reading for entrepreneur executives in all types of companies--new, growing, even mature ones--but also for venture capitalists and others on the way up, with financial or personal career stakes in them.

Snider defines the types of partnerships found in almost all kinds of businesses, and identifies the variables that are crucial to managing them successfully. He examines concepts familiar to social psychologists, then relates them to the specifics of business culture and probes their influences upon it. He discusses hands-on topics like team management, the use of power, the place of values and beliefs, the very real cost/benefit implications of any human relationship in a work setting, and the critical role played by interpersonal communications. Of special interest to entrepreneur-executives is his discussion of the dynamics of managing transitions, as organizations move from one stage of development to the next, and also the use of delegation. Dr. Snider then tackles the all-important problem of how to keep a business healthy, and how to notice and identify early signs of trouble. But if everything fails and a break-up becomes inevitable, it may actually prove the best thing. Far from being a confidence-shattering crisis, Dr. Snider shows how it can be a learning experience, and how it can benefit everyone the next time around.

What drives workers to periodically contest their surrounding reality and how do they structure their protests? Maurizio Atzeni provides an in-depth analysis of the dynamics of workers' collective action using the cases of two car manufacturing plants located in Argentina. Criticizing the use of injustice as the basis of mobilization, it argues that workers' collective resistance should be seen as a function of the development of solidarity, which is alternatively created and destroyed by the contradictions between exploitation and cooperation continuously reproduced by the capitalist labor process.

Employee absenteeism is a chronic organizational problem that costs U.S. corporations an estimated $30 billion annually. In this pioneering volume, Colette Frayne reports the results of the first study to examine empirically the use of a simple straightforward self-management training program to increase employee attendance. The author presents a complete description of the self-management training process used in the study, shows how self-management can be of significant value in reducing employee absenteeism, and offers precise information for the human resources professional who wishes to organize and implement self-management training within his or her own organization. Frayne also addresses other applications of self-management in the workplace, demonstrating that the approach works because it accommodates both the employees' needs for freedom and the organization's need for control.

Following an introductory chapter which discusses the research focus for the study, presenting the rationale for examining the topic, and explores the basic principles of social learning theory, Frayne provides a detailed overview of existing theories that were precursors to social learning theory. She then outlines the methodology that was used for sample generation, data collection, and training implementation. Two chapters examine the research results and discuss their implications for reducing employee absenteeism. In the next chapter, Frayne discusses the results and interpretations derived from conducting a follow-up study and replication of the initial research. Training in self-management, she shows, offered many benefits to the individuals involved in the training program and to the organization that supported the program. Specifically, many of the trainees improved their attendance, their relationships with supervisors, their job performance, and their career promotion opportunities--improvements that held up well over time. Care is taken throughout to present both practical guidelines for implementing effective self-management training programs and empirical research to support the various applications of the training. Numerous tables and figures enhance the text.

One of the most important skills of successful managers is dealing with change. 'Managing Change Effectively' combines philosophical insights with practical applications to help managers effectively incorporate change with the least disruption. 'Managing Change Effectively' details specific approaches and methods for making change decisions and getting changes accepted. From communication to participation, Kirkpatrick shows managers and executives how to make change their ally. Packed with examples that illustrate the principles and procedures for implementing new ideas, policies and strategies for almost any type of organization, this text is a valuable resource for managers at all levels, especially those in training and human resources.

This book compares the unique features of workplace mediation to other contexts of mediation, as well as the specific competences each situation requires of the mediator. It covers many important issues related to workplace mediation and discusses interventions by managers, such as conflict coaching and informal mediation. It proposes a new model to assess the effectiveness of mediation, and discusses the impact of legal systems, HRM policies, as well as power structures, and cultural differences. The book takes into account perspectives from multiple disciplines, such as management, business, psychology, law and sociology. It also discusses mediation aspects from a variety of cultural and regional contexts. The book advances knowledge about the application, process and effects of workplace mediation and includes practical tips for scholars, practitioners, mediators and managers to enhance their mediation practice or to foster constructive conflict management in organizations.

Collaborating in virtual teams is a new reality in modern project management and work environments. Its emergence calls for an extensive analysis and re-alignment on the part of organizations, so as to help virtual teams maintain 'strategic momentum' - a concept that this book introduces. Strategic momentum represents perseverance with regard to pursuing a virtual team's strategy; a 'flywheel' concept that drives the team members to concentrate on the project tasks until they have reached their shared goal. The authors present a design science based model, together with an in-depth qualitative study involving eight virtual R&D project teams. In this model, strategic momentum is assessed in terms of empowerment, team task insight, and collective commitment. These three determinants can be promoted and sustained by various contextual factors and interventions on the part of the management. The authors also provide a wealth of practical tips to help practitioners and consultants generate and sustain strategic momentum in their own contexts when working with virtual teams.

CONTENTS: Preface. Kees van den Bos, Stephen W. Gilliland, Dirk D. Steiner, and Daniel P. Skarlicki. Part I: Developing Theories of Fairness Motivation. Wanting is Believing: Understanding Psychological Processes in Organizational Justice by Examining Perceptions of Fairness. Steven L. Blader and D. Ramona Bobocel. The Battle Between Self-Interest and Fairness: Evidence from Ultimatum, Dictator, and Delta Games. Eric van Dijk and Ann Tenbrunsel. Images of Justice: Development of Justice Integration Theory. Stephen W. Gilliland and Layne Paddock. Interpersonal and Informational Justice: Identifying the Differential Antecedents of Interactional Justice Behaviors. Suzanne S. Masterson, Zinta S. Byrne, and Hua Mao. Part II: Applying Theories to Managerial Decisions. An Accessible Identity Approach to Understanding Fairness in Organizational Settings. Linda J. Skitka and Jesus Bravo. Self-Regulatory Identity Theory and Reactions Toward Fairness Enhancing Organizational Policies. Karl Aquino, Americus Reed II, Marcus M. Stewart, and Debra L. Shapiro. Why Managers Don't Always do the Right Thing When Delivering Bad News: The Roles of Empathy, Self-esteem, and Moral Development in Interactional Fairness. David L. Patient and Daniel P. Skarlicki. Corporate Champions: Coming to the Defense of Organizations. Carol T. Kulik. Part III: Commentary. Some Observations and Critical Thoughts About the Present State of Justice Theory and Research. Gerold Mikula. Information on Contributing Authors.

Learning does not stop when you leave school or tertiary studies, but continues throughout life. The workplace is now seen as an important learning environment, and businesses and government units are encouraged to become "learning organizations". This is all very well in theory, but how does learning actually occur in the workplace? Drawing on research of a wide variety of workplaces in different countries, Stephen Billett analyzes the strengths and limitations of "on-the-job" learning.;Billett outlines what knowledge individuals need and how they can best acquire this knowledge in workplace settings. He shows how to develop a workplace curriculum, and how it can be implemented in organizations of different sizes. The book is intended to offer a comprehensive pedagogy for the workplace and should be a useful reference for human resource practitioners and students in courses on professional development and adult and vocational learning.