While the transfer of "best practices" by MNCs is frequently regarded as contributing towards convergence, recent research has noted important changes in these processes, that is the diversity of the HR transfer process. While there is extensive literature on direct HRM transfers (forward diffusion) from a MNC BQ to a subsidiary, there is little on what happens when BRM transfers are mediated by a regional level. MNC regionalisation has been noted in the international business research (e.g. Perlmutter, Bartlett & Ghoshal 1989, Rugman, 2000, 2005, Schuh 2007). Authors have identified that MNCs are regionalising their business rather than operating at a country level or global level (Rugman 2002, Schuh 2007). However, how regionalisation makes impacts on HRM transfer has yet to be explored in IHRM research. Further, there has been a shortage of studies of HRM transfers in developing countries. This thesis seeks to chart some of the diversity in the transfer process. It is based on a study of a Swiss MNC, with a focus on the subsidiary in Sri Lanka and the regional HQ in India. The study outlines the changes in HR transfer that took place following regionalisation in the mid-1990s, specifically the thesis examines the impact of the introduction of a regional level, whereby HRM practice transfers to the overseas subsidiary are mediated by a regional headquarters (HQs). The thesis devised a combined model of direct and mediated HRM transfers, developed from Liu's model (2004). The Research Hypotheses (RHs) in the thesis viere concerned with the elements of cultural and institutional distances between the countries where Swiss Co, SwissCo SL and SAR HQs were located, MNC company level factors (subsidiary's strategic role, MNC structure and organizational culture compatibility), practice level factors (HRM innovation and knowledge characteristics), HRM transfer mechanisms (direct and indirect), employee implementation and internalisation, and reverse transfer. The thesis derived a set of research hypotheses (RHs) from the combination model and examined their support in the SwissCo case study before the MNC introduced regionalisation (direct transfers) and after the process (direct and mediated transfers). The thesis found support for some RHs, partial support for some, mixed support for some and limited support for others. The support found for some of the RHs varied by period. The thesis found strong support for the RHs that cultural distance and incompatible organizational cultures formed significant barriers to HRM transfer. Strong support was also found RH that HRM transfer Is easier where subsidiaries and employees perceived an HRM transfer to be of benefit to them. The thesis makes a contribution to the development of knowledge and theory on HRM transfers, especially for HRM transfer to a subsidiary taking place when a regional layer is present.

It appears to be commonly claimed by workplace mediators that they are 'neutral', that is, they do not influence parties' decisions but merely help them to find their own solutions to a conflict. This is problematic if, beneath a cloak of an illusory neutrality, mediators unwittingly contain and manage conflicts to meet overarching needs for organizational efficiency. A closer scrutiny of workplace mediation, both theoretical and practical, reveals mediators to be very influential in ways that are often obscure, being hidden within naturalised and dominant discursive patterns of contemporary organizational life. Issues of confidentiality and political sensitivity precluded access to actual mediation sessions. Therefore, a video recording of three experienced workplace mediators conducting role-play mediations was used. By studying mediators' spoken interventions it was possible to assess the 'subject positions' they maintained and enacted. Whilst the mediators facilitated reflection by the parties upon their conflict, strong tendencies to manage resolution or reconciliation were observed. Follow up discussions with the participating mediators revealed a reluctance to acknowledge this finding. For them, workplace mediation was best conceptualised as a path to more efficient working behaviours via the mediated resolution of conflict. In sum, founding values of mediation, concerned to support movement towards dialogue, had been supplanted by an instrumental application inside the workplace. Building on a critique that posits workplace mediators acting as proxy managers, an alternative, counterfactual, style of mediating is proposed that may help to partially free mediation practice from colonizing organizational pressures. Resting upon an understanding of the social construction of the 'self', this alternative style suggests that mediators bring a compassionate humility to their practice to support parties in an exploration of a conflict and an understanding of their part in it. As far as possible, goals of resolution or reconciliation are eschewed by such mediators, though probably and understandably not by the parties. In this way a conflict may be opened up to a sense of the radical contingency of social relations, in which both the politics and our fantasies of the social are sometimes revealed.

No description available.

This thesis is a Case Study of a professional technical training programme designed for an Executive Agency of a major government department. The purpose was to explore the structure, strengths and weaknesses of the programme and to put forward useful suggestions for improvement. The personnel recruited into the programme are experienced technical specialists, often accustomed to the exercise of considerable responsibility and authority, earlier in their careers. The programme is intended to impart the extra skills required in their new role. There is special emphasis on assessment of student learning and curriculum evaluation and the possible confusion between the two terms. The problem of Outcomes and how the competency of the trainees is to be judged is considered. Also considered are learning styles, content and the teaching environment. Research data is included, collected from three primary and one secondary source. The primary sources consist of two questionnaires, one on Assessment of Student Learning and the other on Curriculum Evaluation. The results from these were analysed and from this data, the questions for the Interview Schedules were developed. They were designed to provide clarification or additional data where this was required. This Interview Schedule was structured as a series of open-ended questions, allowing further investigation as necessary. The data has been presented in an easily understood format, making use of tables and pie charts. Links have been established between the existing theories on adult further education and the research findings. Conclusions and suggestions for future improvement have been made.

This thesis seeks to address not only <i>what </i>and <i>how </i>but also the <i>why</i> issues that accounts for the HR practices with Chinese characteristics through both inside-out and outside-in approaches.  This thesis also aim to find out whether there are any lessons western firms can learn from the Chinese approach to people management which is deeply embedded in Chinese traditional thinking and its core values. Semi-structured personal interviews were conducted with 21 senior and middle/top-level Chinese male and female managers.  Findings are presented in narrative form through in-depth direct statements of interviewees to provide authentic examples of how Chinese managers conceptualize and practice Chinese traditional thinking and core values in HR management.  Results demonstrate that Chinese traditional thinking comprise unique features that might be described as <i>holistic </i>and <i>naïve, fuzzy </i>and <i>processual, indirect </i>and <i>long-term, </i>and that this approach translates into an adherence to five core values, which are <i>He </i>(harmony «!»), <i>Zhong Yong </i>(the Doctrine of Mean «!»), Hierarchy, Superiority and Loyalty («!»), <i>Guanxi </i>and <i>Renqing </i>(personal connections, relationship and human sympathy/favour «!») and <i>Face </i>(<i>Mianzi </i>and <i>Lian </i>«!») which have significantly affected contemporary Chinese HR practices. The research shows that the penchant for harmony is responsible for the steady and smooth development strategies of Chinese organisations; a relatively mild approach to personnel reforms; harmonious interpersonal relationships; nominal performance appraisal systems; and the importance of leaders as the role model.  The principle of <i>Zhongyong </i>accounts for the preference for modest and reserved people in recruitment and selection; the harmonious and balanced relationships between superiors and subordinates; a relatively mild, lenient and gentle leadership style; and the soft, flexible and conflict-free way of communication and negotiation in Chinese HRM practices.

No description available.

Despite the increasing popularity of research on intercultural preparation and its effectiveness, research on training for inpatriates has not been developed with the same level of rigour as research on training for expatriates. Furthermore, research on intercultural training hardly ever includes the aspect of preparing for the corporate culture of a company. For expatriates coming from headquarters’ national culture and equipped with a good knowledge of headquarters’ corporate culture, it might be sufficient to address only the national culture of the location abroad. But can the same be said for inpatriates coming from a foreign subsidiary? Therefore the qualitative research of my thesis was aimed at finding out if intercultural training programmes that address only the national culture of the host country are sufficient to prepare inpatriates for working at headquarters. A case study using a German multinational company has been conducted in order to find out what kind of problems and irritations inpatriates at the company’s headquarters perceive at work. In order to determine whether the findings are related to the national or the corporate culture, Hall’s and Hofstede’s approaches to culture were used. The interview analysis produced the following conclusion: Although the researched company promotes standardised worldwide corporate guidelines, there are many differences between headquarters and subsidiaries regarding the interpretation and realisation of these guidelines. These differences cause irritation, confusion and problems for the inpatriates. Therefore an effective intercultural preparation for inpatriates should be tailor-made and take into account the aspect of corporate culture, as well as the specific roles and functions of inpatriates.

This research examines a behavioural based safety (BBS) intervention within a paper mill in the South East of England. Further to this intervention two other mills are examined for the purposes of comparison — one an established BBS programme and the other an improving safety management system through management ownership. BBS programmes have become popular within the UK, but most of the research about their efficacy is carried out by the BBS providers themselves. This thesis aims to evaluate a BBS intervention from a standpoint which is not commercially biased in favour of BBS schemes. The aim of a BBS scheme is to either change personnel behaviours or attitudes, which in turn will positively affect the organisation's safety culture. The research framework involved a qualitative methodology in order to examine the effects of the intervention on the paper mill's safety culture. The techniques used were questionnaires and semi structured interviews, in addition to observation and discussions which were possible because of the author's position as participant observer. The results demonstrated a failure to improve any aspect of the mill's safety culture, which worsened following the BBS intervention. Issues such as trust, morale, communication and support of management showed significant signs of negative workforce response. The paper mill where the safety management system approach was utilised demonstrated a significantly improved safety culture and achieved site ownership from middle managers and supervisors. Research has demonstrated that a solid foundation is required prior to successfully implementing a BBS programme. For a programme to work there must be middle management support in addition to senior management commitment. If a trade union actively distances itself from BBS, it is also unlikely to be effective. This thesis proposes that BBS observation programmes are not suitable for the papermaking industry, particularly when staffing levels are low due to challenging economic conditions. Observers are not available when there are high hazard situations and this suggests that BBS implementation is not the correct intervention for the paper industry.

This study is based upon15 months of ethnographic research conducted during 2006-2007 in the Indian industrial city of Jamshedpur. I analyse how the global shift towards casual labour is locally enabled through practices of state and trade union corruption. The past decade has seen the majority of Jamshedpur�s industrial workforce move from formal, permanent employment into various grades of lower paid, insecure casual labour. The move towards casual labour is a development replicated across international industry. However, the localised forms of this development require an understanding of the economy of violence and favour which characterises the region�s labour politics. My analysis is therefore based upon ethnographic data collected from industrial workers on the shop floor of an automobile plant, trade union leaders and criminals. I argue that the economies of crime, corruption and business do not operate in their own discrete spheres of influence, but rather rely upon one another for the symbiotic exchange of favour and capital. My research focuses upon the interaction between industrial and criminal economies in the casualisation of a company town labour force.

The acquisition and successful integration strategies of companies is of particular interest given the significant numbers of acquisition failures: over 65% of acquired companies are either sold or divested within the first two years of new ownership (Dooley & Zimmerman, 2003). The cost of a failed acquisition can run into tens of millions of euros. If acquisition is important as a means of growth than are there means available to increase the chances of success? Acquisition as primary source of inorganic growth is important within the high-tech sector as this allows the acquiring company to obtain critical new technologies and products as well as access new or adjacent markets (Marks & Mirvis, 2001). In acquiring a high-technology company the acquirer is, in essence, buying the extrinsic and intrinsic knowledge resident with the acquired staff (Chaudhuri & Tabrizi, 1999). Whilst the extrinsic knowledge may be captured in documentation and drawings it is the intrinsic knowledge that may well be critical for realisation of the full value of the acquisition. This key knowledge is normally held by a small number of the acquired staff (Wooldridge, 2006). If these key staff members then, as a result of either the acquisition itself, or the ensuing integration, become unsettled or unwilling to remain in employment with the acquiring company then this knowledge is at risk. The exodus of thesekey staff members could well significantly devalue the purchase and, in extreme cases, could render the acquisition a failure (Hacker, 2003). At the point of acquisition the only initial legal safeguard to retaining the critical staff members is their contracts of employment. The uncertainty caused by the acquisition and subsequent integration could cause the staff member to reassess his or her role in the new organisation and decide to leave the company (Krug, 2003). If sufficient key staff leave the company the damage may be significant. The challenge of retaining these key staff members at acquisition and, subsequently, through and beyond the integration process is thus critical, particularly for hightech' companies (Chaudhuri & Tabrizi, 1999). Given the terms of employment are initially deemed to be satisfactory by the acquirer, what other measures can be put in place to ensure the retention of these key people in the new organisation? This research explores aspects of trust, its definition, development and role in the postacquisition integration context of the high-tech electronics area and whether trust could be one of the factors that influenced key staff to remain with the acquired company in two different geographic locations. The practical outcome was the development and production of a number of trust measurement tools that were first utilised and then supplied to the case study companies for ongoing use for both post-acquisition integration and also general monitoring The research was undertaken, consequently, driven by the need to explore conditions and contingencies of trust that may provide important new knowledge that can be utilised to assist with attempting to understand the role of trust in the context of high-tech company acquisitions. Two case studies at two separate geographical locations (in two countries) within a leading edge technology company have been completed. These studies were both designed to be longitudinaland multilevel in nature, encompassing both the relationship from staff to management and from management to staff. A further aspect that has been explored is the relationship between `head office' senior management and the geographically remote acquired company management. Full access has been granted to all staff and management constituting an excellent data gathering opportunity. A numbero f trust measurementto ols haveb eenr evieweda nd severals electedf or use (Gillespie, 2003, Spreitzer & Mishra, 1999). However, examination of the literature concerning trust measurement has indicated there is some absence of suitable tools that can measure trust spanning from a belief trust base (where the trustor believes he/she can trust the trustee) through to trust informed actions (Dietz & Den Hartog, 2006). This lack of appropriate means of measurement has led to development of two further trust measurement tools that will span this range of trust. To add to the value of the studies, as mentioned above, several points of trust measurement were carried out. Longitudinal trust measurement was selected on the basis of seeking to establish trust trends and possibly related management actions. Data has been collected over three years. Data has been gathered through surveys and semi-structured interviews to afford a mixed method quantitative/qualitative approach. The thesis contains an extensive review of the trust literature, describes the reasons for choice of the above mentioned methodology and reports results of analysis on the data collected to-date. The study concludes with discussion of the potential contingencies that can be undertaken by management in order to both monitor and maintain trust levels, the limitations of the research and areas for further study