Purpose – This paper aims to relate how “good” human resources (HR) practice is characterized in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and what the drivers are for adopting this good practice. This paper explores methods for measuring the impact of HR practices that are helpful and...

It is hard to picture the scene – a manager in a major manufacturing company with a background in chemical engineering, standing on stage in a tuxedo reading Nelson Mandela’s inaugural speech. But 29‐year‐old John Petre, process and packaging‐development manager for soup, with...

How does a company like Nestlé – the world’s largest food and beverage business with around 250,000 people employed in some 500 factories and offices across the globe – provide the targeted, consistent and continuous training and development needed to ensure that it maintains its market...

Around 80 percent of workers say that their first step towards improving job performance has nothing to do with the job itself, but is based on how they feel about themselves. This is a lesson that has been taken to heart by Sargento Foods Inc. which, for the last 50 years, has remained loyal to...

Purpose – To focus on graduate recruitment at UK food manufacturer Northern Foods. Design/methodology/approach – Contains information from the company's graduate‐training manager, and from people‐development consultancy Brathay, which whom Northern Foods has been working to develop...

Purpose – The paper aims to describe a successful managers' training program at UK food manufacturer Ginsters, and the performance improvements that have resulted. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on information provided by the company's training and communication manager....

Purpose – Examines the leadership‐development programme that Oakridge Training & Consulting delivered to the management team at Unilever Foods UK. Design/methodology/approach – Presents the viewpoints of both the training provider and the client company. Findings – Explains that the...

Purpose – This article describes how a new health‐care plan for process employees at the Heinz Kitt Green site in Wigan, Greater Manchester, is helping to reduce absence among the workforce. Design/methodology/approach – Draws on information from the site's HR manager, and from...

Purpose – Describes how a training programme enabled UK food producer Campbell's Grocery Products Ltd to make the most of its technicians' skills. Design/methodology/approach – Details the situation at the company before the training was delivered, the form the training took, and the...

Purpose – Describes how an award‐winning training and development programme has helped to transform the culture and performance at Fenmarc, a UK vegetable processor and packer. Design/methodology/approach – Describes the problems the company faced before the training initiative, the...