Search results

This paper aims to theoretically proffer and empirically evidence five inter-related high performance working (HPW) groupings of value to practitioners interested in developing HPW in their organizations.

The empirical research is based on three UK-based qualitative case studies. Data are drawn from nine in-depth interviews with managers (three from each case) and three subsequent focus groups (one in each case). Focus groups comprised six, eight, and four employee (non-manager) interviewees.

The empirical findings validate the theoretical importance of the five identified HPW groupings. More, they imply a number of relationships within and between the five groupings, confirming the need to view the groupings collectively and dynamically.

The five HPW groupings provide a foundation for further research to closely evaluate the dynamism within and across the groupings. They also offer practical types of human resource interventions and actions for practitioners to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of HPW in their organizations.

German universities (GU) require an active control to ensure fulfillment of the strategic goals and to strengthen their competitiveness against other national and international institutions for higher education. Implementing a performance measurement and management (PMM) is one possible way of achieving this. But, the instrument has not yet arrived in GU. Therefore, this chapter describes the specific requirements for implementation of PMM in a GU.

With the intention to deeply understand processes, structures and decisions, and in order to derive the necessary transformations for PMM in GU as well as to contribute profound recommendation for an appropriate implementation of PMM in GU we investigated a GU using a case study design. Hence, the case university, which illustrates phenomena in real-world context.

The findings of the case study are threefold. First, the traditional categories of PMM are inadequate for GU and have to be adapted to the specific requirements of every university. Second, performance measures differ from those in companies concerning addressees, complexity of data supply, and goal conflicts. Third, the basic principle of controllability is not valid for GU. These differences to PMM systems in business companies have to be considered during implementation of PMM in universities and highlight needfulness of transformations.

The aim of this article is to investigate the incidence and impact of FWAs in smaller businesses in Scotland, as an integral part of a recent European Social Fund project. From theoretical perspectives it discusses the influences on, and impacts of, flexible working arrangements. The focus is then placed on the smaller business sector as regards its distinctive features and flexible working arrangements.

The papers presents the findings from empirical work comprising a large‐scale survey of, and series of interviews with, owner‐managers of smaller businesses in Scotland.

Part‐time work, time off in lieu, staggered working hours and shift swapping are the main types of flexible work in smaller businesses. In many incidences flexible working arrangements are requested by employees, operated informally, and centred on the business needs. There is significant scope for greater uptake of flexible working arrangements in smaller businesses, especially in services sector businesses. Positive impacts of flexible work arrangements in recruitment and retention, enhanced employee relations, commitment and loyalty are found, together with disadvantages of operational problems and administrative burdens. It is proposed that the gap between the potential for, and current practice in, flexible working arrangements may be narrowed by targeting information and guidance on such arrangements specifically to the owner‐managers of smaller businesses.

The literature on flexible working mainly concentrates on large organisations. With the growing economic importance and distinguishing features of the smaller business sector in the UK, there is a need to focus as much on this sector as large organisations.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the operational implications and strategic actions involved in talent management (TM) in Scotland.

The paper is based on a literature review and focus groups comprising members of the Board of the Scottish Tourism Forum.

This paper finds that, in an industry with generally high labour turnover and rather negative public image as an employer, TM – in attracting, developing and retaining people – has significant potential to contribute to changing approaches to managing people and to improving opinions on careers in this sector.

Practical implications are that: individual businesses adopt TM approaches that best suit their business, employees and customers; industry bodies and leaders present exemplary practice in TM; business strategies including TM initiatives are actively supported by senior and operational managers in organisations; and educators develop, in liaison with the industry, toolkits for the implementation and evaluation of TM initiatives.

Any practitioner or academic interested in gaining insight into the practice and potential of TM, especially in the Scottish context, will find the paper valuable.

The aim of this paper is to explore one of the biggest issues and challenges now faced by hospitality education and the hospitality industry: that of how to attract and retain a critical group of talented people.

A review of the literature highlights the key studies that have investigated the nature of hospitality employment amongst new recruits in the hospitality industry and reports on thoughts of soon to graduate hospitality students. The paper reviews the current state of employment issues in the hospitality industry. It discusses contemporary attitudes toward the generation undertaking hospitality education and making career decisions. This paper also considers the current generation's specific attitudes toward education and careers and the potential consequences this will have for the hospitality industry in the future.

The paper argues that educators require to be more fully aware of the consequences of reducing the practical and vocational nature of programmes and that adjustments to the management and administration of programmes are essential to allow students to complete programmes.

The paper creates the basis for a discussion on how best to handle these issues so that organizations within the hospitality industry can successfully recruit, select, train, retain and motivate future talent.

This paper analyses the nature of, and relationship between, a quality service initiative and the concept of strategic human resource development. Hilton International is the case study used for this analysis. The principal finding is that the quality initiative is acting as a catalyst for a strategic approach to human resource development to emerge in the case organisation. However although many of the factors identified with the concept of strategic human resource development are evidenced, it is proposed that the standards set by academics in the field of human resource development may be too aspirational for the hotel sector.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the literature relating to retention of good employees and the role that work‐life balance (WLB) issues have in an employee's decision to stay or leave an organisation. The paper begins with a brief overview of the seminal material in the more generic management literature and then tailors the discussion to the hospitality and tourism industry using literature from the hospitality and tourism journals.

The paper provides an overview of the key employee turnover literature within the hospitality and tourism industry for those academics researching in this area, with specific attention given to the role of WLB issues in the turnover decision‐making process. The paper also provides a theoretical and practical framework for industry to develop strategies for reduced employee turnover, with a focus on the role that balancing work and family plays in these strategies.

The key findings emerging from this literature review focus on job attitudes such as job satisfaction and organisational commitment, personal attributes such as positive and negative affectivity, the role of WLB in employee turnover and, finally, the strategies provided to alleviate high turnover rates.

Recommendations to management are presented for both government and organisational consideration. These recommendations include the need for legislation on maximum, as well as minimum working hours, good role models at the workplace, flexible working hours and arrangements, sound recruitment and training opportunities and company family friendly work policies.

Explores the changing relationship between work and leisure with particular reference to women’s equality in economic and other activities through a review of the history of leisure opportunities since the industrial revolution; indicates the ways in which social and economic changes have had a major impact on women’s leisure needs and activities. Focuses in particular on the provision of workplace fitness facilities, undertaking a survey of more than 200 companies across a number of industry sectors (the rationale for selection is outlined here) to discover the reasons behind such provision and the actual facilities provided; identifies the reasons behind provision as primarily commercial (e.g. being seen as an additional benefit to help recruit high quality employees) and notes that assessment of user group needs was not carried out, with the result that women’s particular needs tended not to be taken into account, for example gyms (favoured by men) being more widely provided than space for aerobic exercise (favoured by women). Concludes that the findings strongly suggest that women remain unequal in their leisure as well as working lives.