This thesis contains four independent chapters with all of them emphasizing the role of purposeful human capital accumulation in affecting short-run economic dynamics. Four chapters jointly are aimed to deliver two key messages: first, human capital investment is an important channel to propagate business cycle shocks second, accounting for human capital investment decision appropriately solves two consumption puzzles ("excess sensitivity" and "excess smoothness") simultaneously. The tool used to achieve these goals is an extended version of the Uzawa-Lucas two-sector endogenous growth model. Specifically, the first chapter shows that modelling human capital formation explicitly in a business cycle framework gives rise to a strong internal propagation mechanism such that output growth is positively autocorrelated in short horizons and output has a hump-shaped impulse response. The second chapter shows that if human capital investment is counted as part of measured output (not the case in the chapter 1), the endogenous growth model in this thesis is also able to replicate the observed output dynamics via a different mechanism. The third chapter shows that taking into account people's human capital investment decision is able to reconcile the "excess sensitivity" of consumption with permanent income hypothesis. The last chapter shows that a reasonable degree of elasticity of intertemporal substitution is able to explain consumption smoothness when income process is nonstationary.

This thesis investigates the impact of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code on the management of occupational health and safety in the global maritime industry. The Code - which introduced regulated self-regulation to the industry in 1998 - is seen as a major instrument to safeguard seafarers from workplace hazards and a mechanism to counter the consequence of economic globalisation on the regulation in the maritime industry. However, its effectiveness has been widely debated. A case study approach is used in this study to examine the operation of the Code in two shipping organisations involving ethnographic fieldwork onboard ships and at company offices using semi-structured interview, observation and documentary analysis as the research techniques. The study specifically looked into the factors that influenced the perceptions of the managers and seafarers on the operation of three central elements of the ISM Code: risk assessment, incident reporting and audit and review. My findings showed significant differences in the experiences of operation of the Code of the managers and seafarers in the organisations studied and revealed that although the two organisations implemented the ISM Code in theory there was a considerable gap between its purpose and what it achieved in practice. Significantly it indicated that seafarers' fear of job security, low-trust work environment and lack of organisational support were some of the main impeding factors for seafarers' participation in the management of occupational health and safety. Further analysis revealed that the organisational context and the employment relations affecting seafarers, as well as their social relations onboard ships and between the managers and seafarers in the companies studied were not conducive to a participatory style of management of occupational health and safety. The thesis argues that to be effective self-regulation of occupational health and safety management - such as envisaged by the ISM Code - requires a participatory approach. However, the thesis demonstrates that the preconditions that have been shown to be necessary to achieve this in land-based workplaces are much reduced or absent from the maritime situation which undermines the potential for the effective operation of the ISM Code.

The thesis looks at the issue of Strategic International Human Resource Management (SIHRM) orientations and functional HRM practice integration of regional headquarters (RHQ) of Western multinational enterprises (MNE) regarding their affiliates in the People's Republic of China (PRC). These are two key constructs discussed in the literature on SIHRM. Following recent conceptual and empirical work in the field, these two variables are treated as independent from one another in this research. The purpose of this PhD is theory generation and not theory testing. No previous study has so far investigated the HRM function within RHQs in the Asia Pacific region and the role of the HRM function within these organisational units is still unclear. The research therefore contributes to the emerging knowledge both on HRM within RHQs in general and HRM practices within MNEs in the PRe in particular. A questionnaire survey was administered to 67 large Western MNEs with extensive operations in the PRe. In line with the theory-generating purpose of the study, cluster analysis was used as a principal statistical method. This method was complemented with logistic regression analysis and a two-way repeated measure ANDV A. The study produced the following key findings: First, MNEs consider their PRe affiliates' HRM policies and practices significantly less similar to those of PRe manufacturing companies than to PRC-based MNE companies as well as parent company and regional operations. Performance appraisal systems and policies are significantly more similar to parent company and regional operations and less similar to local PRCbased companies. Selection and recruitment practices are significantly less similar to parent company and regional operations but more similar to local PRe-based companies. Secondly, MNEs vary much more with regards to their level of functional HRM practice integration rather than their SIHRM orientations. The large majority of MNEs show an element of transnational SIHRM orientation for at least one HRM functional area. This indicates that in the large majority of MNEs, the presence of RHQs does not lead to the development of regional HRM strategies, rather RHQs seem to be utilised to implement global or transnational IHRM strategies. Thirdly, the variations among MNEs in their functional HRM practice integration was explained primarily by two independent 14 variables: The degree to which top management at corporate headquarters prefer to transfer HRM policies and practices regionally (e.g. on an East Asian, Asia Pacific level); as well as the RHQ age and founding date. Overall, the research documents the importance of the HRM function for many MNEs concerning the integration of affiliates in a strategically important market such as the PRe.

This thesis examines the practice of Human Resource Management and the implementation of Service Quality Programmes in the UK Retail Financial Services Sector. The study set out originally to explore the effects on the HRM role, policies and practices of environmental and strategic change. HRM was defined as follows: l.close integration of HR policies with business strategies and the use of HR policies to reinforce (or change an inappropriate) culture; 2.the recognition that employees are a source of competitive advantage and therefore a valuable resource (rather than a cost); and 3.consistent and coherent policies which promote flexibility and commitment. Initially, a survey of seventeen HR directors of major UK banks and building societies was conducted. This provided a sectoral overview of environmental and business strategy changes and their implications for HRM. The use of Service Quality programmes was found to be widespread and to have significant implications for the management of human resources. The research than turned to case study analysis of HRM and Service Quality Implementation. A comparative case study analysis of two banks with contrasting approaches to HRM and Service Quality was conducted. Analysis was contextual, processual and multi-level (the two banks were studied at both the strategic and operational (ie. branch) levels. The extent to which a HRM approach was adopted was evaluated and it was found that both fell short of achieving full HRM, as defined above. The factors which facilitate and inhibit the development of HRM were explored. Such factors as business strategy, environmental pressures, cost cutting, short-term ism , the use of financial performance indicators, cultural factors, poor change management skills etc. were found to be influential. The role of strategy emerged as critical. It is hypothesised that quality strategies may facilitate the development of HRM, while cost cutting strategies may hinder its achievement in certain circumstances. It was also shown that both banks encountered problems in implementing their Service Quality programmes. The obstacles to implementation were explored and found to be similar to those which inhibit the development of HRM. Further research is urged to determine the contingencies under which service quality strategies and HRM can be successfully implemented in service organisations.

The project’s research aim was the assessment of the effectiveness of the current performance appraisal system (PAS) of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) in relation to the enhancement of individual and organisational performance and the project’s outcome was the production of suitable recommendations for the attention of the Board of Directors, the Management and the Trade Unions. The recommendations will assist CTO in changing the current PAS for purposes of enhancing individual and organisational performance i.e. the introduction of an effective PAS at CTO. The change of the current PAS was explored and it is feasible because the inhibitors of change can be mitigated. Through the implementation of the project’s recommendations, the stakeholders will benefit since the recommended effective PAS will transform the culture and enhance the employees’ and CTO’s performance and that will reflect on tourism and the economy of Cyprus. The enhancement of performance and the added value at all levels are particularly important and relevant in today’s economic climate. Through the availability of the project to the academic and practitioner community, other researchers and similar organisations (e.g. the government and public sector organisations in Cyprus) will benefit since they will have the opportunity to refer to the project and borrow ideas and conduct further research and extend existing knowledge. The project can be considered as an original contribution to the knowledge and practice of performance appraisals because it is unique (a type of research that nobody else conducted before). The research approach that was used was that of the case study. The project was a qualitative study (in depth analysis and understanding) and the research techniques that were used were the following: literature, studies of the government and other public sector organisations in Cyprus, organisational documentation-regulations of the current PAS, insider/practitioner-researcher perspective, interviews, questionnaire (the opinion of the CTO employees was obtained through the interviews and questionnaire). The information that was collected from the above sources (triangulation) was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. It was concluded that the performance appraisals were not employed as they should under the current PAS (both inherent and implementation weaknesses). Most of the participants believed that the current PAS was ineffective as it did not enhance their performance, motivation, job satisfaction, ownership, responsibility or commitment and it needed to change. Most of the participants believed in the factors of an effective PAS. Most of the participants believed that the main factors of an effective PAS (feedback, participation, goals) were not present under the current PAS. In consequence, the absence of the above factors (ineffective PAS) has not led to the enhancement of most of the participants’ performance. The features of the recommended PAS are the following: -Introduction of the goals method for purposes of assessing performance (the goals will be jointly set and agreed, “smart”, consistent with the organisational goals and revised when necessary). -Measurement of performance against the goals through fact-based evidence. -Assessment of performance by suitable appraisers (their selection will be determined by the tasks and position of each appraisee). -Examination of appeals by other independent persons only (senior employees who will be educated and trained) who will ratify or amend the performance assessments conducted by the appraisers. -Introduction of the rating scales and 360 degree feedback methods (in combination) for purposes of development. The selection of the most suitable 360 degree feedback respondents (superiors, subordinates, peers, business associates) will be determined by the tasks and position of each appraisee. The usefulness of the rating scales method can be maximised through the following: sufficient scale, explanation of the scale, development of the assessment criteria according to the job requirements of each position and assignment of weights according to the significance of the criteria, specific, clearly defined and explained criteria, justification of the ratings with examples. -Participation of the appraisees in their performance and development assessments through self-assessment. -Consideration and discussion of the assessment results of the performance and development methods during the appraisal interview for purposes of drafting an agreed action plan in relation to the appraisees’ performance improvement and further development. -Introduction of a formal and informal feedback mechanism. The informal feedback mechanism (on a continuous basis) will consist of the following: communication, coaching, monitoring of performance. The formal feedback mechanism (once or twice a year) will consist of the following: assessments for purposes of performance and development, appraisal interview, agreed action plan for the future. -Education and training of the appraisers and the appraisees for purposes of implementing the formal and informal feedback mechanisms. -Computerisation of the recommended PAS for purposes of administering the system more effectively and efficiently. -The recommended PAS will be linked to a new reward system but the two systems will be separate. The features of the new reward system will be the following: the rewards will be based on the appraisees’ performance (performance assessments under the recommended PAS), the rewards will not be awarded at the same time as the assessments of performance, provision of non-monetary rewards to all the appraisees who will meet their performance targets, provision of monetary rewards to the appraisees with the highest performance (ranking). -Monitoring and evaluation of the recommended PAS (as well as the new reward system) by the Management, the employees (appraisers and appraisees) and the Trade Unions on an ongoing basis and making amendments if necessary.

BACKGROUND: Adverse psychosocial work environments, i.e. a lack of ‘good’ work, are implicated in the aetiology of mental and physical health problems that represent a significant, and in some cases growing, public health burden and cost to the UK economy. The contribution that an increased provision of ‘good’ work can make to improving population health, and addressing inequalities, is recognised by local and national government. There is some theoretical support, and limited empirical evidence to suggest, that social enterprises – organisations with social aims that use profits for that purpose – may provide ‘good’ work that positively impacts upon employee health and wellbeing. AIMS: This study aimed to explore the impact of working in a social enterprise on employee health and wellbeing through the lens of ‘good’ work. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach was used. Stage One involved a ‘mapping’ exercise of the Greater Manchester (GM) social enterprise sector. This provided a sampling frame for subsequent stages. In Stage Two, social enterprise employees (n = 21) in the region were interviewed. The findings informed the development of a questionnaire, designed to assess employees’ health, wellbeing and work quality. The questionnaire was distributed in Stage Three, to all organisations identified by the mapping exercise. Results were compared to data provided by a national survey of UK employees and the general population. RESULTS: The mapping exercise found 177 active GM social enterprises. The interviews suggested social enterprises provide ‘good’ work and highlighted potential pathways through which working in a social enterprise might positively impact upon health and wellbeing. The questionnaire results provided support for the interview findings and indicated, in comparison to national data, that GM social enterprise employees (n = 212) have significantly more control over work, support at work, job satisfaction and job-related wellbeing. The findings contributed to the development of a conceptual model and partly evidence how working in a social enterprise may lead to improved health and wellbeing outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study suggests that social enterprises provide ‘good’ work environments that, in a number of ways, could be conducive to employee health and wellbeing. This is a notable finding given the contribution ‘good’ work can make to population health and adds to the understanding of how working in a social enterprise might impact on employee health and wellbeing.

This study is inspired by three observations – the complex nature of the existing understandings of the meaning of work (MoW) and the absence of a well-articulated theory in relation to this concept; the complex nature of social configurations found in postcolonial societies, and the under-representation of critical realist studies relating to such societies. The present work, therefore, aims to explore what work means for individuals within a postcolonial society from a critical sociological perspective. To achieve this purpose, an integrated framework is developed to study MoW, drawing on several theoretical and methodological positions and on-going debates within the critical realist tradition and MoW literature. Based on the critical realist methodological assumptions, this new approach to MoW acknowledges the relationship between individual and society, and incorporates the ongoing debates concerning agency, structure, reflexivity and ingrained social and cultural practices which reflect an individual’s social practices or habitus. The fieldwork was conducted in Sri Lanka, and gathered life and work histories of 75 participants. The main findings of the research can be summarised as follows; the research context is consisted of a dual social system – a more traditional (morphostatic) social system characterised by caste, agriculture and religion and a colonisation based modern (morphogenetic) social system typified by social class, participants are identified as representing the already established four dominant reflexive modes – communicative, autonomous, meta- and fractured, and the MoW corresponds to the modes of reflexivity practised by each individual and is also shaped by their habitus. The main conclusion of the study is that MoW is predominantly an agential process and ‘work’ becomes the central lifelong endeavour for all individuals but for achieving different ends based on their particular reflexive mode. Four wider implications of the research can be recognised. Firstly, the present work contributes to the development of Archer's model of agential reflexivity and establishes that the realist theory of reflexivity as a viable approach to study of complex social phenomena. Secondly, this study empirically contributes to the on-going critical realist debate ‘can reflexivity and habitus work in tandem’. Thirdly, by addressing the absence of an established approach, this work contributes to broaden the understanding of MoW and offers an integrated framework which is adaptable to suit different situations. Finally, the present study provides useful insights into under-researched postcolonial contexts widening our understanding on such societies.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) faces continuous challenges in meeting the demands of a growing economy and the impacts of globalization. This is especially the case in the public sector where a combination of economic restructuring, demographic change and public scrutiny are producing challenges for organization and service. This highlights the importance of Human Resource Development (HRD) as a means of responding to and designing individual and organisational change – as a predominantly human process. This thesis examines two public organizations in KSA and the way in which they organize their management and HRD and understand the challenge of change. It begins by examining the literature on change and its relationship to theories of management, organization and HRD. It is shown that the relationship between change and HRD is relatively unexplored empirically in the context of developing economies. A framework of key constructs is developed to enable such an exploration. The empirical research adopts a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods to undertake a case study of two public organizations concerned with HRD policies. The research examines existing theories and attempts to produce new insights grounded in the data. It is concluded that there remains a legacy of hierarchical and bureaucratic control that draws upon patriarchal authority to maintain its stability. However, it is also shown that there appears to be considerable support from employees and managers for this style of management, in particular for a strong sense of sociability that, for a sizable minority of members, appears to be more important than organizational performance. This approach appears to be associated with a conservative approach to change and a reliance on senior managers to take responsibility for change decisions. However, it is also apparent that increasing management education and study abroad do seem to be causing sore erosion of these attitudes, although this appears to be a gradual process. The implications of this situation for dealing with possible radical future change are explored as are the lessons for theory within this context, and for future research.

This study examined the influence of the perception of the quality of HR practices on job performance, commitment and a preference for early retirement among older employees, with an average low occupational status in the creative industry in the Netherlands, This study has adopted a mixed-methods approach, using both surveys and semi-structured interviews. Using the principles underlying social exchange theory, it was expected that perceived quality of HR practices would have a positive relationship with job performance and affective organizational commitment and a negative relationship with a preference for early retirement. Perceived quality of certain HR practices seemed to have a positive relationship with job performance and affective organizational commitment. However, in contradiction with the social exchange theory, perceived quality of HR practices was found to be unrelated to a preference for early retirement. An explanation of this lmexpected finding arose from the qualitative study: older employees perceive the provision of HR practices for older employees as a stamp that they now belong to this devalued social group, which can be explained by the social identity theory. It was found that for older employees with an average low occupational status personal factors like finances and health strongly influenced the retirement decision. On the organizational level, flexibility, communication and a mentality change towards older employees seemed important in this decision. The qualitative study could explain the unexpected findings of the quantitative study, showing the contribution of a mixed-methods, approach. Theoretically, this raises the question whether social exchange theory applies to older employees with an average low occupational status and shows that the social identity theory better explains the relationship between perceived quality of HR practices and a preference for early retirement.

This study explores the role of performance measurement systems within processes of (un)learning and change. The objective is to interpret how these systems evolve across time and space and contribute to the ongoing creation and re-definition of organizational culture.