Management and organisation literature often characterises managing in Africa as 'the challenge of' and rarely do scholars look to the continent for novel ideas, inspiration, best practice, or theoretical insights. Yet, in the last five years or so, the African organisational landscape has...

Recent studies have found that initiatives relying on the participation and development of employees, such as TQM, can struggle if different kinds of employees are not involved equally. For instance, part‐time workers, administrative or shift staff often receive less training and communication...

Using data from the Price Waterhouse Cranfield Project, investigates a umber of key aspects of industrial relations at organization level as a means of evaluating the nature of change in industrial relations. Examines levels of trade union membership in organizations across Europe; the extent and...

Explores several important issues associated with continuing professional development (CPD). Notes the importance of ensuring that CPD is driven by the needs of the business, and also considers the issue of whether CPD should be compulsory or voluntary. Presents the results of a survey targeted...

The burgeoning literature on vocational education and training (VET) has failed to provide an adequate theoretical basis by which to understand training outcomes. Critically appraises the notion of a “low skill equilibrium” and highlights a number of conceptual and analytical weaknesses in...

The first of two studies concerned with the design and implementation of staff appraisal schemes. It is based on research material gathered while working on consultancy projects, designing and implementing appraisal, in five different organizations. A classification scheme is developed which can...

Despite over 20 years of academic hype, international human resource management (IHRM) literature has been only partly successful in its original claim to offer a universal panacea for complexities of managing people that can transcend national, cultural and economic divides. This paper provides...

Notes that the present human resource literature on absence pays relatively little attention to the management of genuine injury and illness. Seeks to partially address this lacuna in the literature through the findings of an exploratory study of the arrangements used to facilitate the return to...

Examines the role of the personnel function in the selection of doctors. Reveals a “clerk of works” role, marginal to the decision‐making process. Considers the implications of such a role for effective and fair selection practice. Develops a model of “weak” personnel management which...