The preferences of individuals over working conditions may have profound effects on organizations and labour markets, and yet their impact has, for the most part, been marganalized. We argue that, in light of evolutionary developments in the workplace, a re-thinking of the impact of supply-side influences on specific labour market segments and organizations is called for. To this end, this study evaluates contemporary human resource issues, specifically - preferences of individuals to control working-time and the impact this may have on labour market segmentation theory and organizations. An analysis of data on such things as demographics, technology, payment systems and ethical views suggests an environment conducive for a more time-sensitive employee. We hypothesize that this time-sensitive employee may search for an organization, like the temporary agency, which provides the control over working-time that they prefer. Thus forming a unique supply-side driven labour market segment. We also assert that job forms like this, rather than being a peripheral secondary level job form, may be forming a new labour market segment that is neither primary nor secondary just atypical. Our hypotheses are derived from an approach that focuses on supply-side rather than demand-side influences, and a new adaptation and application of a more general time-sensitive model. We tested our hypotheses using a three tiered approach: (i) a secondary analysis of past data sets, (ii) analysis based upon our interviews with 17 managers from London temporary accountancy agencies and (iii) our own data set drawn from 175 employees of a Large London accountancy firm and 50 employees of a London temporary accountancy agency. We found that temporary agency employment when compared to large firm employment was associated with greater control over working-time and was associated with employees who exhibited a greater preference for control over working-time. Therefore, we found evidence for supply-side driven job-form choice. We also found that those employees related to the internal labour market's "core" exhibited a preference for control over working-time and received control over working-time in their compensation packages.

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On the surface, airlines appear to embrace a 'soft', people-centred approach to HRM, demonstrated by the deployment of a range of HR strategies aimed at the 'soft' ideals of cooperation, commitment and trust. However, within the context of tight profit margins and competitive markets, a range of 'hard', cost-centred HR strategies, may dominate. In other words, the deregulated, competitive environment of the airline industry may find airline companies shifting from a 'soft', people-centred approach to a 'hard', cost-centred approach, where cost considerations take priority over all other concerns, including those relating to employee health and safety. In an industry that claims 'people are our most important asset', one might expect 'good practice' in terms of occupational health and safety (OHS). However, the present research finds that cabin crew OHS is being overshadowed by airline companies' profit imperatives. Based on a cabin crew perspective, the research examines developments in OHS, in terms of the range and extent of OHS risks that are experienced by cabin crews. These developments in turn, provide an insight into the case study airlines' approach to people management. The research identifies a high prevalence of a range of illnesses and OHS risks, which can be linked to airline companies' people management policies. Overall, the thesis challenges the rhetoric of airlines' 'people-centred' approach, as well as current notions of the range and extent of OHS risks relating to the cabin crew labour process. In addition, the thesis offers an innovative review and analysis of HRM taken from an OHS perspective.

Effective communication is important, particularly for the over 26 million immigrant workers with non-English speaking backgrounds who have entered the U.S. workforce. The research problem addressed the disillusion of non-English speakers in the workplace because of the communication gap. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of non-English speaking immigrant workers in overcoming language and cultural communication challenges at work. The research question focused on how non-English speakers or English as a Second Language (ESL) speakers describe their communication experiences in the workplace. The theoretical framework was based on the cultural approach to organizations and the transactional model of communication. A qualitative narrative inquiry design was used that employed sources of information including an interview questionnaire and existing literature. The target population was immigrant employees who are managers, assistant managers, and supervisors in New York City and Long Island who work in accounting, banking, finance, information technology, and marketing with at least 5 years' experience. A purposive sampling procedure was used to select 20 participants for semistructured interviews. The qualitative data were subjectively analyzed by using member checking and triangulation. Key findings indicated 6 themes: miscommunication, lack of appropriate terms, delays in work completion, loss of respect, inability to express oneself clearly, and the need to use alternative means of communication. Opportunity for contributions to social change can include increased understanding and utilization of effective management and communication strategies for dealing with non-English-speaking and ESL workers. This can also help to bridge cultural and language gaps.

Human resource management (HRM) has paid insufficient attention to the impact of context. In this article, we outline the need for HRM to take full account of context, particularly national context, and to use both cultural theories and, particularly, institutional theories to do that. We use research publications that utilize the Cranet data to show how that can be done. From that evidence, we develop a series of proposals for further context-based research in HRM.

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This thesis critically examines the concept of strategic human resource management (HRM). Existing 'critical' approaches identify prescriptive HRNI literature as 'rhetoric' that does not match 'reality'. Such an approach understands management initiatives as separate, individual, discrete, and ad hoc. However, this thesis develops an alternative perspcctivc, informed by a Foucauldian approach to 'discourse', that understands 'HRM' and 'strategy' as cultural constructs that are used by actors as they 'make sense' of discursively constructed organizational 'realities'. This perspective is then utilized to demonstrate that the existing 'critical' approaches are engaged in particular practices that define strategic HRM in a way that constructs the 'gap' between 'rhetoric' and 'reality' as HRM is simultaneously created as an academic subject. This alternative perspective provides a means of understanding and analysing prescriptive management literature and texts generated from interviews with managers in terms of two different discursively constructed 'rationalities'. Both 'rationalities' establish causal relationships between concepts of environment, organization and individual as organizational 'reality' is constructed. This perspective is utilized in the identification of the connections that are established between the managerial initiatives that are thought of as separate, individual, discrete, and ad hoc by the 'critical' literature. There are two parts to this thesis. The first part describes the development of HM4, outlines a Foucauldian conceptualization of 'discourse, and re-examines prescriptive and 'critical' HRM literature. The second part analyses texts generated from interviews with HRIpersonnel managers in a range of public and private sector organizations. This analysis demonstrates that, while there is great variety in the descriptions of organizational 'reality', connections between concepts of environment, organization and individual arc established as two key 'rationalities' are discursively constructed. It is argued that these 'rationalities' position people and practices within organizational 'reality'.