The aim of the research was to investigate whether a construct-oriented approach to biodata modelling provides incremental validity over and above other instruments currently employed in the selection of managers. This aim was explored through the development of construct oriented biodata analogues of the constructs of critical thinking ability, extroversion and neuroticism. These models were developed on a pilot sample of 'potential managerial candidates'. The pilot analogue models demonstrated impressive levels of construct validity and the biodata instrument was then validated in a concurrent study based upon managerial job incumbents. Supervisor ratings of performance and a career progress variable provided subjective and objective indicators of managerial performance. Although the psychological constructs of critical thinking ability, extroversion, and neuroticism did not significantly predict either outcome, further analysis of supervisor ratings revealed that perceived conscientiousness and energy contribute much of the variance associated with overall performance ratings, suggesting the likelihood of halo error in the ratings and offering grounds for a social psychological explanation of the results relating to this criterion. Regression analyses revealed that biodata analogue models of critical thinking ability, extroversion and neuroticism demonstrate incremental validity of construct-oriented biodata analogue models over traditional psychometric measures of these constructs. Construct- oriented biographical life history analogues may add considerable utility when used in the pre-selection stage of managerial recruitment and selection.

There has been little comprehensive investigation of secondary office vacancy in the UK, nor its potential management or amelioration. In response, this thesis is a study of the nature, scale and location of this situation and an appraisal of the various strategies for its management and amelioration. There are three strands of research. An investigation into the nature, scale and location of secondary commercial office vacancy in the UK. An appraisal of potential management strategies and the development of policy recommendations in relation to the potential amelioration of this situation. An appraisal of the literature was conducted to develop an initial theoretical interpretation of secondary office vacancy. A multi attribute database of commercial office vacancy was then developed to evidence the stock of secondary office vacancy in the UK. Finally, a Delphi exercise was conducted to understand the underlying conditions of this phenomenon, its management and potential amelioration. Findings indicate that secondary office vacancy is ambiguous and colloquial. Vacant secondary office property exists in abundance while prime office property is in short supply. The institutions of the commercial office market over simplify and potentially disguise its manifestation. The incidence of secondary office vacancy is primarily caused by a structural change in the nature of demand. It can be held in reserve to support prime office supply, however, it can also overhang less buoyant locations. Consequently, the management strategies for secondary office vacancy are stratified, ranging from exploitation, to demand repositioning, to renewal and finally removal and redevelopment. Findings suggest that these management strategies should be predicated upon the demonstration of economic viability and mediated by the relative era of construction and underlying institutional characteristics. Finally, policy recommendations suggest that the amelioration of secondary office vacancy would be assisted by the promotion of more agile ways of working based on functional tolerance, and optionality.

This thesis examines the transfer of HR practices in the Nigerian subsidiaries of MNCs from emerging countries. It aimed to address a number of gaps identified from the literature, especially as there is a dearth of study in this area in developing countries in contrast to developed countries. Specifically, the study attempts to shed light on the nature of the HR practices, the process of the transfer of HR practices, the factors that influence the transfer process and the role of HR in the transfer process. The study utilised 48 semi-structured interviews conducted between November 2012 and March 2015 in the Nigerian subsidiary of the four case companies. The data was predominantly gathered using an in-depth semi-structured interview of HR managers and specialists, line managers of other functional departments, senior managers and others who are involved with people-related issues on the nature of HRM policies applied in subsidiaries of MNCs from emerging economies and their approach to the management of their human resources in overseas subsidiaries. Generally, the findings from this study reveal that these MNC case companies display more similarities than differences. In particular, similarities were found to be the increasing emphasis on training and development, which was used to develop employees extensively, implementing standard appraisal systems which are more target-oriented and standardised communication. However, differences existed in the areas of compensation and benefits, and recruitment and selection. Additionally, expatriates are appointed in key positions and are used to facilitate the transfer of these practices. Furthermore, similarities and differences are influenced by a number of factors. Overall, the study’s findings contribute to knowledge in several ways. First, they extend knowledge on the convergence debate and show that there is convergence among EMNCs themselves and with western MNCs, and this convergence is with regards to the adoption of Anglo-Saxon practices that are known to be globally accepted standard practices. The study also contributes to the Upper Echelon Theory in that it confirms that the education and experience of top and senior managers affects the nature of HR practices adopted. This study can be extended into other contexts. Secondly, it contributes to knowledge on the approaches adopted by the MNCs and the findings reveal that various IHRM approaches could be used depending on the policy or practice that is considered of “strategic importance”. It reveals that an exportive approach was adopted by the parent companies.

This study directly responds to a call for theoretical and methodological expansion of our understanding of expatriate workers as a relational dynamic, embedded in a multi-layered and multifaceted country specific context (Al Ariss, Koall, Ozbilgin and Suutari, 2012) by exploring the experiences of western women self-initiated expatriates working in the United Arab Emirates. Extant research in the international management literature in female expatriation identified that western expatriate women working in Japan were primarily perceived as foreign women (a gaijin) by their Japanese colleagues (Adler, 1987). This construction was shown to allow these women to occupy a different, more advantageous social location within Japanese organisations with more degrees of freedom and less gender-based discrimination in comparison to Japanese women; conceptually referred to as constituting a ‘Third Gender’ (Adler, 1987). This positive social construction contributed to the efficacy of female expatriation strategies. Drawing upon the intersectionality literature, specifically from feminist and ethnic theorising, the thesis develops a gender with ethnicity (Broadbridge and Simpson, 2011:473) informed intersectional theoretical lens to explore the research question “How do western women self-initiated expatriates understand their experiences in the United Arab Emirates?” The theoretical potential of an intersectional studies lens to female expatriation is developed through the conceptual construction of ‘self-initiated expatriate women’ on the interconnecting boundaries between expatriation and migration studies. Purposeful sampling was used to collect accounts from ten expatriate women through semi structured interviews conducted in 2007-09. Drawing upon discourse and thematic coding enabled interpretations of the interplay between how expatriate women’s subjectivities are constructed through relational interaction and discourses at the micro, meso and macro level to explore their experiences in the UAE. This thesis offers an intersectional lens to expatriation studies as a dynamic theoretical lens through which rich multilevel relational contextual studies of women self-initiated expatriates are theorised and connect to new understandings of international mobility in international management and female expatriation studies. Through a fusion of the intersectional lens and expatriation literatures, in-depth interpretations are offered which identify new insights into, and surface some of the discourses contributing to the paradoxical relationship between privilege and marginalisation and problematising the specificities of ‘whiteness’. It offers three discourses risk, respect and complex ethnicity to include a country in the Middle East. Finally, this research process offers insights into the temporal, contextual and relationally contingent nature of intersectionality when exploring experiences of women in management studies.

Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) is a widely researched construct of corporate entrepreneurship. Despite long-standing research on EO, past studies on this construct have been unable to resolve issues related to its measurement. Innovation Intensity (II) is also a dynamic construct of corporate entrepreneurship but has received relatively less empirical attention. Previous research has reported an absence of an empirically validated quantitative scale of innovation, particularly innovation intensity. This research has addressed these gaps by proposing a refinement and validation of the Entrepreneurial Orientation scale and the development of an Innovation Intensity scale. The research proposes an Entrepreneurial Transformational Model (ETM) positing that EO impacts II. A predominantly quantitative research strategy supported by qualitative inputs, is employed to obtain empirical data from 404 corporate firms in Oman, drawing from a list of corporate firms registered with the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A mix of questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews was conducted with senior managers from firms representing various industries of the Omani corporate sector. Utilising exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modelling (SEM), a two-stage data analysis approach was adopted. Measurement and structural models were developed for EO and II measures, while a complete SEM model was developed to test the causal relationship between EO and II. The results indicate that EO is a second-order construct consisting of five first-order factors, namely ready to innovate, competitive aggressiveness, autonomy, risk taking and proactiveness, which are its reflective components. Similarly, II is a second-order construct consisting of two first-order factors, namely degree and frequency of incremental and radical innovation, which are its reflective components. The II scale developed through this study allows corporate firms to assess their innovation intensity on a two-dimensional four-celled grid with varying levels of degree and frequency of innovation. Finally, EO is found to influence II and the entire relationship is posited as Entrepreneurial Transformation Model. This study, by addressing the empirical irregularities, has brought clarity to the measurement of EO and II constructs and is an original contribution to the advancement of theoretical knowledge and improvement in professional practice.

The unprecedented turbulence and uncertainty experienced in global economic and financial markets because of the 'credit crunch' has had a damaging impact on consumer confidence. Trust and credibility have been eroded as many customers feel let down by the banks suggesting the need for banks to rebuild constructive dialogue and long-term, meaningful relationships with their customers again. Though financial service, in this case, is considered a utilitarian service, based on the fact that money is needed to support people‘s daily activities, the present state of financial service has suggested the need for banks to appeal to consumers‘ emotions with the aim of improving their reputation. Also, the competition within the industry also could suggest the need to adopt an emotionally appealing advertisement strategy as emotions are known to play an influential role in building robust brand preference. This study builds on the communication theory, meaning transfer theory and consumer involvement theory, to understand the messages the banks are sending out and to elicit consumers‘ emotional reaction. One thousand, two hundred and seventy-four UK bank advertisements in nine national newspapers were content-analysed to identify the emotional appeals presented by the banks. The perception of these appeals and their associated meanings were sought through semi-structured interviews with 33 participants in London and Luton. The results of the analysis indicated that UK Banks are utilising emotional appeal in their advertisements to reach out to the consumers to convince them to upgrade their account, to open an additional account or switch their account. The most predominantly used appeals were relief and relaxation followed by excitement and happiness or satisfaction with the bank, and finally, security and adventure. However, variations were found in different financial products that employed emotional appeals. It was found that high-involvement products such as mortgages and loans used fewer emotional appeals. Both bank groups - high street banks, including the big four (Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and RBS) and non-high street banks, such as the new entrants, supermarket brands, and online banks were using emotional appeals. However, it is acknowledged that the communication strategies between these banks could be different as the non-high street banks are more likely to repeat and publish the same messages across many newspapers, instead of publishing different emotionally appealing advertisements. Though consumers acknowledged these emotional appeals in the advertisements, they were more concerned about their relationship with the banks as they don‘t rely on advertisements to make a financial decision. Rather, recommendations from families, friends and associates and also branch location are more important when deciding on which bank to choose. The lack of congruency between financial services and emotional appeals in advertisements is also observed as customers are more likely to be persuaded by rational appeals however this study has not completely ruled out emotional appeals in bank advertisements as the use of both types of appeals is recommended. The study provides important theoretical and managerial contributions to understanding how the consumers understand meaning-embedded advertisements produced by the banks. Managers will be able to consider the implications of advertisements in enhancing their brand equity and building relationships with customers in anticipation that, by word of the mouth and established relationship, their bank‘s reputation will be enhanced. Limitations of the study and opportunities for future research are identified.