New edition of HR best-seller by influential industry thinker Linda Holbeche. Essential insights and examples demonstrate how you can strengthen and prove the relationship between people strategy and business success through your approach to performance and development. Case studies and vignettes on managing change, influencing organizational development, identifying and retaining talent, and leadership development provide inspiration and guidance on how to apply the theory to challenges in your organization.

The key to retaining competitive advantage in a volatile business world is agility. The third edition of The Agile Organization shows how to develop capabilities across the organization to adapt. With helpful checklists, tips and advice, this is a practical blueprint to building both agility and resilience at individual, team and organizational levels. It covers how to design agile organizations as well as how to implement agile models into existing organizations and people practices. There is guidance on how agility can be applied to talent management, flexible working patterns and the importance of mobilizing and energizing employees for change. This edition contains new material on agile mindsets and enterprise agile planning, alongside how hybrid forms of working can enhance resilience. There is also extended material on how inclusion and wellbeing initiatives can support individual resilience and innovation to improve performance across the organization. Case studies include ING, the University of California, Berkeley, the UK National Health Service (NHS) and SNC-Lavalin's Atkins business. This book is an essential read for HR and OD specialists, senior leaders and managers who want transform their organization and build an agile business.

Will the early years of the new century continue to witness the huge growth in merger and acquisition activity which marked the end of the last? The chances are that they will - witness the value of deals carried out by the top five investment banks in the first quarter of 2001 alone ($456.2 billion). The quest for the golden fleece is alive and well. Will the majority of M&As continue to fail to achieve their potential value? This book is about breaking out of the cycle of grand strategy, great prospects, poor implementation, lost opportunities. The authors believe that it is possible for M&As to realise their value - and more.
Bringing home the golden fleece involves more than just setting sail in quest for riches. It's about understanding the destination/end game, and working out the most appropriate route. This book has been written with the practitioner in mind, with the thirteen chapters split into three sections. The first section provides an overview of the merger process and outlining the key elements of success. Section Two focuses on the nuts & bolts of managing the integration process - from transition to full integration. Illustrated by a detailed case study of Articon Integralis AG, the leading supplier of IT Security Solutions and Services in Europe. The final section looks at the themes that can make or break mergers - creating the culture of the new organisation, communications, retention and the roles of line managers and HR. Each section is supported by checklists that should be helpful whether you are a novice at the merger game or an expert.
Contains tools, recommendations/checklists designed to help practitioners survive and thrive in a M&Asituation.
Supported by a wealth of acclaimed research & case studies conducted by Roffey Park. One core case study Articon Intergralis is followed throughout the book plus other examples from global companies including Citicorp, Deutsche Bank, BP Amoco and Siemens.
User-friendly guide to M&A's which will be helpful to not only the core audience of HR professionals but CEO's, transition teams, line managers and anyone who wants to understand how to make mergers work.

Shortlisted for the prestigious Management Consultancies Association (MCA) best management book of the year, 1997. Motivating People in Lean Organizations is the essential guide for managers who need to motivate employees and promote new forms of career development. In organizations that have been delayered, career progression is often stunted. The best talent may jump ship at a time when they're most needed, leaving less capable employees to fill the space. This book focuses on: implementation of motivational strategies, appropriate internal communications, new career development structures, reward and recognition of achievement. Motivating People in Lean Organizations is idea for HR/training managers and directors. Line managers, team leaders and internal communications managers will also find this of great benefit. Linda Holbeche is Director of Research at Roffey Park Management Institute. She has been studying career development in organizations with flatter structures for several years and is the author of Career Development: The impact of flatter structures on careers.

In this book Linda Holbeche offers an historical narrative on the changing landscape of work since the 1980s and considers how definitions of organizational effectiveness have changed over time. She considers the characteristics and effects of the neo-liberal work culture of new capitalism, and how HRM practices have contributed to shaping this work culture. Influencing Organizational Effectiveness challenges mainstream thinking around business strategy, change and organizational effectiveness, and about the roles of HRM and management. While the overall tone of the book is critical, Holbeche argues that HRM can play an active role in giving voice to employees and advancing organizational effectiveness. Grounded in research, this book includes reflective questions, case studies and helpful guidelines to support HRM and organizational development professionals and master's-level students. It illustrates what 'better' might look like and how HRM can contribute to a new definition of effectiveness which is aligned to the needs of modern organizations.

Change is now so commonplace that people no longer talk in terms of the "whitewater epoch". Every sector of the economies of the developed world has experienced huge swathes of change in the last decade of the twentieth century alone. Increased global competition, aided and abetted by technological advances, has led many organizations to seek to re-invent themselves in the hope of being able to survive and thrive. In mature sectors in particular, where the pace of consolidation is accelerating, organizations have had little option but to grow through acquisition or be absorbed. Whether the change is labelled "continuous process improvement", "restructuring", "downsizing" or re-engineering", to employees, change usually brings with it added pressures, job insecurity and a consequent loss of commitment to the organization. Understanding Change: theory, implementation and success argues that strategic change in the new millennium will be geared increasingly to achieving sustainable high performance, rather than just short-term gains. Most theorists now agree that the real challenge of change lies in gaining employees" willingness to commit to the change effort. Change leaders at every level need to be able to understand the elements at work in any change process, and to use judgement about the style of leadership required to give the change effort the best chance of success. Understanding Change: theory, implementation and success provides an overview of change and organizational theory, leading in particular to the author"s definition of the "input" elements of the high performance organisation, based on extensive research into UK and international organisations. It also contains a section looking at the management of change, with case studies illustrating approaches to managing change which are conducive to achieving sustainable high performance. In her companion book, The High Performance Organization- creating dynamic stability, the author explores some of the "how to"s" of building an organizational culture which is supportive of high performance in today"s challenging environment.

Increased global competition, aided and abetted by technology, has meant that organizations in every sector are having to compete on the basis of speed, cost, quality, innovation, flexibility and customer-responsiveness. If organizations wish to be able to compete successfully in the global marketplace, they need to develop innovative products and services quickly and cost-effectively. The High Performance Organization provides invaluable information and practical tools for people engaged in leading organizational change efforts as an executive, line manager, HR practitioner or change agent. This practical text is grounded in organizational reality as well as having a sound theoretical setting. Illustrative case studies have been drawn from consultancy practice and a wide range of current research.

Organization Development (OD) is key to ensuring that organizations and their people can adapt to and engage in ongoing change in today's fast-paced and competitive world. How can those responsible for managing change determine the most appropriate course of action for their organization's needs and maximize capability? Written by two of the leading experts in the field, Organization Development is an essential guide to the theories, practices, tools and techniques for achieving success. It explores the role of HR in relation to OD, and connected areas such as organization design, building organizational agility and resilience, and culture change. Alongside international case studies from organizations including Ernst & Young, Nationwide, Lockheed Martin and the University of Sheffield, UK, this revised third edition of Organization Development contains new chapters on building an adaptive culture of learning and innovation and organization health and 'use of self'. With fresh material on digitization, OD in SMEs, and competence profiles, this is an indispensable handbook to understanding, communicating and implementing organization development approaches for both experienced practitioners and students.

What is HR leadership and what difference can it make to business success? Who is demonstrating HR leadership now and what might HR leadership look like in the future? How can aspiring HR leaders gain the skills, behaviours and credibility to navigate new and complex career structures and move up the career ladder? These are just some of the questions addressed by Linda Holbeche in her latest book. HR leadership is a rapidly evolving concept. It is as much a mindset, philosophy and set of capabilities as a role. HR Leadership draws on the personal experiences of some of today's most talented HR professionals who, through their leadership, are making a real difference to their organisations, no matter what industry they work in. Holbeche looks at the experiences which shaped them and the values and priorities which drive them. The book contains: * Revealing interviews with Senior HR leaders from Google, McDonald's, the UK's National Policing Improvement Agency and other major organisations, offering insights into their own career development * An overview of the capabilities needed for success as an HR leader and suggestions about how to develop these * Practical illustrations from leading companies, demonstrate how effective HR leaders play a driving role in building healthy and effective organisations to offer competitive edge HR Leadership illustrates to business managers what effective HR looks like at its best. Its well-informed and practical advice make this book a must-read for anyone wanting to develop their career as an HR leader.

Change is now so commonplace that people no longer talk in terms of the "whitewater epoch." Every sector of the economies of the developed world has experienced huge swathes of change in the last decade of the twentieth century alone. Increased global competition, aided and abetted by technological advances, has led many organizations to seek to re-invent themselves in the hope of being able to survive and thrive. In mature sectors in particular, where the pace of consolidation is accelerating, organizations have had little option but to grow through acquisition or be absorbed. Whether the change is labelled "continuous process improvement," "restructuring," "downsizing" or re-engineering," to employees, change usually brings with it added pressures, job insecurity and a consequent loss of commitment to the organization.
Understanding Change: theory, implementation and success argues that strategic change in the new millennium will be geared increasingly to achieving sustainable high performance, rather than just short-term gains. Most theorists now agree that the real challenge of change lies in gaining employees" willingness to commit to the change effort. Change leaders at every level need to be able to understand the elements at work in any change process, and to use judgement about the style of leadership required to give the change effort the best chance of success.
Understanding Change: theory, implementation and success provides an overview of change and organizational theory, leading in particular to the author"s definition of the "input" elements of the high performance organisation, based on extensive research into UK and international organisations. It also containsa section looking at the management of change, with case studies illustrating approaches to managing change which are conducive to achieving sustainable high performance.
In her companion book, The High Performance Organization- creating dynamic stability, the author explores some of the "how to"s" of building an organizational culture which is supportive of high performance in today"s challenging environment.
* Defines the 'high performance organization' and discusses the impact of change on the business environment
* Offers tools and solutions for managing change and guidelines on how to achieve sustainable high performance
* Outlines change and organizational theory in a structured and thought-provoking way
* Text is based on extensive research on UK and international organizations

Will the early years of the new century continue to witness the huge growth in merger and acquisition activity which marked the end of the last? The chances are that they will - witness the value of deals carried out by the top five investment banks in the first quarter of 2001 alone ($456.2 billion). The quest for the golden fleece is alive and well. Will the majority of M&As continue to fail to achieve their potential value? This book is about breaking out of the cycle of grand strategy, great prospects, poor implementation, lost opportunities. The authors believe that it is possible for M&As to realise their value - and more. Bringing home the golden fleece involves more than just setting sail in quest for riches. It's about understanding the destination/end game, and working out the most appropriate route. This book has been written with the practitioner in mind, with the thirteen chapters split into three sections. The first section provides an overview of the merger process and outlining the key elements of success. Section Two focuses on the nuts & bolts of managing the integration process - from transition to full integration. Illustrated by a detailed case study of Articon Integralis AG, the leading supplier of IT Security Solutions and Services in Europe. The final section looks at the themes that can make or break mergers - creating the culture of the new organisation, communications, retention and the roles of line managers and HR. Each section is supported by checklists that should be helpful whether you are a novice at the merger game or an expert.

Shortlisted for the prestigious Management Consultancies Association (MCA) best management book of the year, 1997. Motivating People in Lean Organizations is the essential guide for managers who need to motivate employees and promote new forms of career development. In organizations that have been delayered, career progression is often stunted. The best talent may jump ship at a time when they're most needed, leaving less capable employees to fill the space.This book focuses on: implementation of motivational strategies, appropriate internal communications, new career development structures, reward and recognition of achievement.Motivating People in Lean Organizations is idea for HR/training managers and directors. Line managers, team leaders and internal communications managers will also find this of great benefit.Linda Holbeche is Director of Research at Roffey Park Management Institute. She has been studying career development in organizations with flatter structures for several years and is the author of Career Development: The impact of flatter structures on careers.

What is HR leadership and what difference can it make to business success? Who is demonstrating HR leadership now and what might HR leadership look like in the future? How can aspiring HR leaders gain the skills, behaviours and credibility to navigate new and complex career structures and move up the career ladder?These are just some of the questions addressed by Linda Holbeche in her latest book. HR leadership is a rapidly evolving concept. It is as much a mindset, philosophy and set of capabilities as a role. HR Leadership draws on the personal experiences of some of today's most talented HR professionals who, through their leadership, are making a real difference to their organisations, no matter what industry they work in. Holbeche looks at the experiences which shaped them and the values and priorities which drive them. The book contains: Revealing interviews with Senior HR leaders from Google, McDonalds, the UK's National Policing Improvement Agency and other major organisations, offering insights into their own career development An overview of the capabilities needed for success as an HR leader and suggestions about how to develop these Practical illustrations from leading companies, demonstrate how effective HR leaders play a driving role in building healthy and effective organisations to offer competitive edge HR Leadership illustrates to business managers what effective HR looks like at its best. Its well-informed and practical advice make this book a must-read for anyone wanting to develop their career as an HR leader.

The key to retaining competitive advantage in a volatile business world is agility. The third edition of The Agile Organization shows how to develop capabilities across the organization to adapt. With helpful checklists, tips and advice, this is a practical blueprint to building both agility and resilience at individual, team and organizational levels. It covers how to design agile organizations as well as how to implement agile models into existing organizations and people practices. There is guidance on how agility can be applied to talent management, flexible working patterns and the importance of mobilizing and energizing employees for change. This edition contains new material on agile mindsets and enterprise agile planning, alongside how hybrid forms of working can enhance resilience. There is also extended material on how inclusion and wellbeing initiatives can support individual resilience and innovation to improve performance across the organization. Case studies include ING, the University of California, Berkeley, the UK National Health Service (NHS) and SNC-Lavalin's Atkins business. This book is an essential read for HR and OD specialists, senior leaders and managers who want transform their organization and build an agile business.

Organization Development (OD) is key to ensuring that organizations and their people can adapt to and engage in ongoing change in today's fast-paced and competitive world. How can those responsible for managing change determine the most appropriate course of action for their organization's needs and maximize capability? Written by two of the leading experts in the field, Organization Development is an essential guide to the theories, practices, tools and techniques for achieving success. It explores the role of HR in relation to OD, and connected areas such as organization design, building organizational agility and resilience, and culture change. Alongside international case studies from organizations including Ernst & Young, Nationwide, Lockheed Martin and the University of Sheffield, UK, this revised third edition of Organization Development contains new chapters on building an adaptive culture of learning and innovation and organization health and 'use of self'. With fresh material on digitization, OD in SMEs, and competence profiles, this is an indispensable handbook to understanding, communicating and implementing organization development approaches for both experienced practitioners and students.

New edition of HR best-seller by influential industry thinker Linda Holbeche. Essential insights and examples demonstrate how you can strengthen and prove the relationship between people strategy and business success through your approach to performance and development. Case studies and vignettes on managing change, influencing organizational development, identifying and retaining talent, and leadership development provide inspiration and guidance on how to apply the theory to challenges in your organization.

Increased global competition, aided and abetted by technology, has meant that organizations in every sector are having to compete on the basis of speed, cost, quality, innovation, flexibility and customer-responsiveness. If organizations wish to be able to compete successfully in the global marketplace, they need to develop innovative products and services quickly and cost-effectively. The High Performance Organization provides invaluable information and practical tools for people engaged in leading organizational change efforts as an executive, line manager, HR practitioner or change agent.This practical text is grounded in organizational reality as well as having a sound theoretical setting. Illustrative case studies have been drawn from consultancy practice and a wide range of current research.

The authors bring to People and Organisational Development the benefit of both academic and practitioner experience. The detailed international and European case studies combine to produce an extensive approach to successful and unsuccessful change efforts. The text provides expansive coverage of emergent theories of organisational development and human resource management, and gives practical examples of how these can be applied.

In this book Linda Holbeche offers an historical narrative on the changing landscape of work since the 1980s and considers how definitions of organizational effectiveness have changed over time. She considers the characteristics and effects of the neo-liberal work culture of new capitalism, and how HRM practices have contributed to shaping this work culture. Influencing Organizational Effectiveness challenges mainstream thinking around business strategy, change and organizational effectiveness, and about the roles of HRM and management. While the overall tone of the book is critical, Holbeche argues that HRM can play an active role in giving voice to employees and advancing organizational effectiveness. Grounded in research, this book includes reflective questions, case studies and helpful guidelines to support HRM and organizational development professionals and master's-level students. It illustrates what 'better' might look like and how HRM can contribute to a new definition of effectiveness which is aligned to the needs of modern organizations.

What difference can an aspiring HR strategist really make to business value? Is HR making the most of its new opportunities to become a pivotal part of the business? In a world where HR can suffer from a low, administrative, profile, Linda Holbeche shows how some HR strategists have impressed and delivered at the highest level.

Building on surveys undertaken through Personnel Today magazine, and research via Roffey Park Management Institute, Holbeche provides a set of tools and case studies that show how HR strategists have utilised their skills to deliver a variety of key business objectives, often within their current job role. The relationship between an effective people strategy and business success is hard to quantify in financial terms, but Holbeche provides persuasive examples to add to the growing body of evidence.
Case studies include M&A policies, organisational design, retaining high flyers in an international environment, and core competency approaches,
Linda Holbeche's previous book on Motivating People in Lean Organizations was shortlisted for last year's MCA book prize.

As featured in Personnel Today magazine (controlled circulation of 40 000)
Case studies and vignettes on managing change, influencing organisational design and identifying and retaining talent
Author's last book shortlisted for MCA book prize