‟Recession‟ and ‟Layoff‟ were the buzz words of late 2008. Economic slowdown and recession have hit the economy hard. At the same time people in society are getting older and the demographic profile of the population is getting increasingly top heavy, with the retirements of the 1940‟s baby boomers expected to peak in 2010. The implications of an increased proportion of old people in society have been debated for some time, but the issue has not become a pressing concern for firms until recently. The purpose of this study is to investigate „How does the economic slowdown and the demographic change affect the recruitment behavior of the firms in the region?, the region being defined as the County of Jönköping and County of Östergötland in southern Sweden. The study is based on an exploratory survey polling respondents about their willingness to employ, the effects that the economic slowdown and demographic change exert on them. The survey was conducted during November 2008. The descriptive and inferential quantitative statistical analysis of the empirical findings and sec-ondary sources draw on contemporary research in the areas of demographic change, economic theory and human resource management. Demographic change is of less importance with regards to firms' willingness to employ than ex-pected and is overshadowed by the lack of skilled and experienced labour, which makes finding a suitable employment not so difficult, even in these recessionary times, if you have the right education, qualification and/or experience. It is hard to give a definitive answer as to how large the effect of the economic slowdown on recruitment is, but it does indeed affect the firms' willingness to employ, and it has generally negative consequences for the overall size of the workforce. Nevertheless, there remains a need for employees fed by the inextinguishable calls for competence and experience. With regards to the general recruitment behaviour, the firms face a dilemma. The weak economic climate commands cost savings. But the widespread call for and concurrent lack of skilled and experienced labour, both in the firms and in the labour market, command resources to be committed to the search for applicants. Furthermore, coping with the challenges of an agediverse workforce will be one of the most important commissions for anyone dealing with human resource management issues in the future. / Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur den ekonomiska avmattningen och den demografiska förändringen påverkar företagens rekrytering i regionen. Region i studien är definierad som Jönköpings och Östergötlands län. Studien bygger på en enkät, utförd november 2008, angående företagens vilja att rekrytera och de effekter som den ekonomiska avmattningen och den demografikas förändringen har på den. Enkätsvaren och sekundär data analyserades med hjälp av beskrivande och jämförande statistisk analys och bygger på en teoretisk referensram hämtad från relevanta forskningskällor inom områdena demografi, nationalekonomi och human resource management. Den demografiska förändringen har mindre effekt på företagens vilja att nyanställa än vad som var väntad och är överskuggad av en kronisk svårighet att hitta utbildad och erfaren arbetskraft. Detta betyder att hitta en anställning i dessa svåra tider inte är så omöjligt som vissa personer föreslår, under den viktiga förutsättningen att man har den rätta utbildningen, de rätta kvalifikationerna eller den rätta erfarenheten. Det är svårt att ge ett definitivt svar på hur stor effekt den ekonomiska avmattningen har på företagens vilja att nyanställa. Klart är dock att den finns en generell negativ ekonomisk effekt som påverkar företagens vilja att nyanställa negativt som även orsakar en generell minskning av den totala sysselsättningen. Dock kvarstår ett behov av att anställa hos företagen på grund ut av den kroniskt höga efterfrågan på kompetens och erfarenhet. Med avseende på den generella rekryteringsbeteende hos företagen står dom inför ett dilemma. Den ekonomiska avmattningen tvingar företagen att spara pengar inom human resources. Den kroniskt höga efterfrågan och bristen på kvalificerad arbetskraft tvingar dock företagen att avvara resurser till att utveckla sin rekrytering för att hitta rätt personal och nyanställa. Företagen måste börja förbereda sig för de utmaningar och förändringar som en allt äldre befolkning innebär på området human rescource management i framtiden.

Problem: Companies are facing problems concerning the attraction and retention of talented employees, due to the shortage of individuals with competence. Employer Branding is a relatively new concept that can function as an instrument for firms to position themselves as an employer, in order to attract and retain wanted employees. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to examine the field of Employer Branding in the context of recruitment and retaining. The study examines the questions of how and why Employer Branding is implemented in firms and what role such implementation plays in Human Resource Management, in the context of recruitment and retaining processes. Methodology: This study has been made with a qualitative approach, with a descriptive and exploratory purpose a case study approach. Data has primarily been collected through interviews at five different companies with knowledge within the area of Employer Branding. Findings: Employer Branding can be utilized both externally to attract potential employees, and internally to increase commitment and loyalty among current employees. In the context of recruitment, Employer Branding can make the process more effective. For the Employer Brand to be trustworthy and successful the consistency between the internal values and the external image is vital.

Research Question: How can a firm such as Länsförsäkringar Bergslagen utilize selection and retention methods to find and keep employees that add value to the organisation? Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to describe and analyse the process of selection and retention and how it can affect organisations’ ability to select and retain staff that perform well and are an asset to the organisation. Method: Primary information was gathered from a face-to-face interview with the chief of personnel at LFB, as well as from a follow-up e-mail interview. Secondary information was gathered from books, journals and the web. The research is designed as a case study and the approach to analyzing data is qualitative. Conclusion: From the findings the authors conclude that by using selection methods with high predictive validity such as structured interviews, cognitive and personality tests, work samples and assessment centres, while at the same time considering how these methods affect the candidates attitudes and how well they allow for the candidate and employer to exchange views, values and goals, is the way firms can utilize selection methods in order to find staff that will add value to the organisation. LFB is using all these methods, except for work samples. Of the others remaining, structured interviews is the most common in LFB. On the perspective of retention, Länsförsäkringar Bergslagen has developed a performance-based system which takes an essential role on employee motivation, where recognition by offering growth opportunities is most significant in retaining key employees but is also most difficult to be conducted in LFB as growth opportunities are limited.

The relationship between employer and employee is, from a judicial point of view, governed primarily by economic and employment contracts. However, a significant part of the dynamic is also dictated by tacit expectations and promises (so called psychological contracts). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived organizational support (POS) and psychological contract violation. Primary hypothesis assumed that there was a correlation between higher perceived organizational support and a reduction of feelings of violation from psychological contract breach. It was also assumed that employment time, sex and past breach experiences correlated with feelings of violation. Surveys were used to gather empirical data. Respondents consisted of 62 municipal employees, mainly in the education sector. Results showed a moderate relationship between POS and feelings of violation. No other significant correlations were found. This paper therefore argues for the importance of promoting good organizational support to its employees, which ultimately also improves organizational well-being and efficiency. Keywords: Work, organizational, psychology, human resource management, HR, psychological contract, organizational support, emotions, affects.

I alla turismföretag har de anställda en av de viktigaste rollerna i verksamheten. Den produkt som turismföretag säljer skapas i möten mellan gäster och en eller flera anställda. I de mötena skapas inte bara produkten utan det är också då som gästerna värderar produkten och företaget. Betalande gäster är de enda som skapar intäkter för ett turismföretag, vilket gör att det är ytterst viktigt att de här mötena blir positivt värderade av dem. Det är upp till företagen att se till att deras anställda presterar på toppen av sin förmåga i varje möte med gästerna. När en hög servicekvalitet erbjuds gästerna blir de mer nöjda vilket gynnar företaget och i sin tur även kan leda till att de anställda blir mer motiverade i sitt arbete. Vi har intervjuat fyrapersoner som arbetar med rekrytering av säsongsanställda i fyra olika turismföretag inom Kalmar-Ölandregionen. För att kunna besvara uppsatsens syfte diskuterade vi rekrytering, utbildning och motivation av säsongsanställda med dem. Det är lika viktigt att under lågsäsong skapa förutsättningar för hög servicekvalitet som det är att erbjuda gästerna det under högsäsong. I arbetet med förberedelserna kan en bra grund skapas utifrån Human Resource Management. Det är något som hela verksamheten ska genomsyras av, från rekrytering via utbildning till arbetets utformning. Grunden för rekrytering är att rätt människor med rätt kvaliteter väljs ut till rätt arbetsuppgift. Vårarespondenter anser att det är svårt att enbart genom ansökningar och intervjuer veta om det kan bli en passande anställd. Alla anser dock att det är något de har blivit bättre på med tiden. Är alla förberedelser utförda inför högsäsongen förenklas arbetet med att motivera de anställda så att de erbjuder gästerna en hög servicekvalitet. Ett sätt att påverka de anställdasarbetssituation är genom empowerment. Då får de anställda ett visst ansvar för att lättare kunna bemöta gästerna och höja företagets servicekvalitet. Våra respondenter använder olika sätt att motivera sina säsongsanställda och anser att de i många fall inte motiverar medvetet även om deras handlingar fungerar motiverande.

Since Brand Management and Marketing in theory mainly been focusing on the consumer market, our main purpose of this essay is to analyze how a brand also can be appealing to the labour market, to attract and engage employees. Keywords attached to our essay are, brands, recruitment, Human Resource management, theories of motivation, corporate identity, employer branding and internal marketing. The study is based on a qualitative research. Our main reason for choosing this research was to get a closer insight for the phenomen and to establish a major understanding for the subject. To get a better knowledge and to answer and fulfil our purpose we have chosen to complete eight interviews, of whom six respondents representing Service firms. To get a more general and additional insight of this phenomen we have chosen to interview two consultants with professional knowledge in traditional marketing and employer branding. The last two chapters involve the analysis and the conclusion. From our analysis it appears that the brand is seen as an important tool to investigate and control over in order to attract and retain employees. What also turned up was that the employer to a higher degree may use the values connected to the brand to create a more attractive place of work. In our final chapter we discuss the issues similar to the theory section. To get a deeper insight and for further reading we would like to refer the reader to this chapter.

This study of Taiwanese managers in overseas subsidiaries, the appointment of high thinking, because the layout of Taiwan businessmen in the world of enterprise, both in Europe and the United States or in mainland China and other places, almost all of its subsidiaries responsible for the nationals, rather than local nationals, and this practice with European and American foreign just the opposite. Taiwanese firms such practices, what reaction to what Taiwanese thinking. This study uses the case interview, a total of three Taiwanese high-end interview with a foreign manager, general manager for content analysis. The results showed that Taiwanese business culture heritage importance, that have a common intellectual culture can communicate seamlessly. Second, is the head of Taiwan to overseas subsidiaries as a reward for a job, people who have contributed to the company to get this position, the third, a complete financial system, local Taiwanese that if appointments to subsidiary responsible person, then the completeness of the financial system is essential, however, that this problem of foreign production, but also Taiwan's accounting system is the result of lack of transparency. Finally, Taiwan's Pan-Familism and views on human nature as "human nature is evil," the basic assumption that all is to allow Taiwan businessmen in overseas subsidiaries, the appointment of responsible persons, who take the nationality of the reasons for this appointment.

This study investigates influence of relative dominance in human resource management (HRM) of dispatched enterprises and user enterprises on dispatched worker¡¦s cognition of employer liability. Hopefully, this study could serve as basis for management in dispatched enterprise and user enterprises.Questionnaires were administered to Taiwanese dispatched workers to study relationships among and influence of individual variables (as control variable), HRM in user enterprises and dispatched enterprises (recruitment, training, compensation and benefits and performance appraisal as independent variable) and employees¡¦ cognition of employer liability (as dependent variable). Results show that relative dominance in HRM of user enterprises and dispatched enterprises dictate employees¡¦ cognition of employer liability. Dispatched workers have higher cognition of employer liability for dispatched firms when dispatched enterprises are of high dominance in HRM. On the other hand, dispatched workers have higher cognition of employer liability for user enterprises when user enterprises are of high dominance in HRM. In addition to relative dominance in HRM, positions that dispatched workers occupy also significantly influence cognition of employer liability: dispatched workers who hold professional jobs have higher cognition of employer liability toward dispatched enterprises.

Facing ecological credit shortage, eco-awareness all over the world, entrepreneurs should make ¡§greening¡¨ the crucial mission, and take its development as a competitive advantage. Briefly, entrepreneurs have to behalf as corporate citizens and work on social responsibility. Connecting the environment protection with business profit increases the value of stockholders and creates the value of stakeholders as well. This research focus on how the practice of greening creates business sustainable value, the effects from executives¡¦ attitude and leadership style on business greening and how the human resource department participate greening. Case study method was using in this research. By taking with 7 entrepreneurs remarkable in greening, after analysis, there are 7 issues found in this study. 1.Four business greening strategies: there are energy saving and carbon emission reduction strategy, innovative strategy, stakeholders response strategy and blue ocean strategy to create business sustainable value. 2.The executives¡¦environmental attitudes have the positive effects on business greening strategy and sustainable value. 3.The leadership style of CEO effects business sustainable value. 4.Under the strategy of energy saving and carbon emission reduction, the policies of human resource are encouraging all employees take part and building the mechanism of employees participate, combining with rewarding system. These give the positive effects on business sustainable value. 5.Under the strategy of innovation, human resource policies are emphasizing on recruitment and training, creating an innovative atmosphere in organization and inspiring innovation by team work. These give the positive effects on business sustainable value. 6.Under the stakeholder response strategy, human resource policies are stressing on fairness, building up a tight relationship between employers and employees and setting up bi-directional communication. These give the positive effects on business sustainable value. 7.Under the blue ocean strategy, human resource policies should emphasize on investing critical technological talents and obtaining. These give the positive effects on business sustainable value.

The era of Globalization fastens the pace of corporation internationalization. National boundaries are no longer limitations for the quick transportation of people, commodities or capital all over the world. Under such circumstances, ¡§global mobility¡¨ equals ¡§competitiveness,¡¨ and the concept of ¡§Third-country Expatriation¡¨ takes place coordinately. The utilization of ¡§Third-country Nationals (TCNs)¡¨ within Multinational corporations (MNCs) stands for maturity in global development. It means MNCs already possess several well-developed overseas subsidiaries which are adequate to providing competent expatriates to become TCNs. Third-country Expatriation not only assists MNCs in expanding overseas sites, accelerating regional development, building regional talent pool, but also can be used as strategic management for MNCs to foster global talents or even business successors. Nevertheless, it¡¦s indeed a pity that there are very limited researches related to Third-country Expatriation both among domestic and foreign researchers. Both practitioners and academics have treated lightly the unique role of TCNs in the international workforce. With the growing international development of domestic MNCs and newly emerging overseas markets, the importance of Third-country Expatriation related issues is definitely about to enhance. This research adopts the exploratory quantity method, and conducts the in-depth interview with three domestic and foreign MNCs. Through the examination of their Third-country Expatriation practices, this research is able to come up with a more complete and integrated study on each human resource management activities, including: the planning for Third-country Expatriation system ¡V (1) reasons for third-country expatriation, (2) types and positions for third-country expatriation, (3) the main role of third-country expatriation system¡¦s planning, and the human resource management for Third-country Nationals ¡V (1) TCNs¡¦ selection (including decision-making and selection standards), (2) TCNs¡¦ education and training, (3) TCNs¡¦ compensation management, (4) TCNs¡¦ performance management, (5) TCNs¡¦ repatriation, (6) TCNs¡¦ oversea life support system, (7) other TCNs¡¦ management practices issues. On the other hand, based on the research results, this research also provides some essential suggestions and advices for domestic Taiwanese companies who plan to develop Third-country Expatriation system in the future.