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The quality of the services provided by educational institutions has largely been undefined and under‐researched. Reports on some of the insights obtained in a preliminary investigation of quality in a university business school using upward appraisal. It demonstrates how the SERVQUAL model, developed for application within the financial services sector, has been redesigned to measure those components of service in higher education which generate student (customer) satisfaction.

Performance appraisal is a longstanding, widespread and well‐developed practice in industry. Suggests that it possesses considerable potential to facilitate effective human resource management. Also argues, however, that it is often not given the attention it deserves and is flawed in practice. Traces the origins and development of performance appraisal, reviews why and how organizations use it, and concludes by examining who conducts staff appraisal.

Upward appraisal involves a formal input by students/staff into the performance appraisal of their lecturers/managers. Briefly reviews the literature on upward appraisal and examines its practice in higher education by exploring the experiences and perceptions of a sample of lecturers drawn from a UK business school. Examines the integration of upward appraisal into the wider decision‐making processes on teaching and learning strategies and suggests areas for future research on upward appraisal. Argues that potential to facilitate improvements in performance may be undermined in practice by problems in implementation and, paradoxically, may lead to a reduction in student and lecturer commitment. Draws out for higher education some lessons from industry′s more advanced use of upward appraisal.

Observes that the use of personal characteristics in job advertisements is discouraged within the prescriptive literature. Examines the extent to which advertisers for personnel specialists apply them in practice, and the range of characteristics put to use. Findings show that 80 per cent of advertisements contain reference to at least one personal characteristic. Concludes that social skills, particularly communication, appear to be the most important characteristic of personnel specialists, but there is, nevertheless, variation between differing job areas. Concludes that, although advertisers seem to follow stereotypes when putting together advertisements, they do not make particularly good use of personal characteristics.

The aim of this paper is to give a critique of the extant literature on union commitment and participation in order to develop remedies to identified weaknesses

The paper uses a critical assessment of extant literature.

A number of critical deficiencies exist in the literature to which remedies are proposed.

The remedies need testing through empirical research.

Future research needs to have different research foci and questions.

With a reorientation of future research on union commitment, participation and leadership, unions may be better able to benefit from academic research in the area.

The paper suggests that a reorientation of future research on union commitment, participation and leadership will allow more incisive and more robust contributions to be made to understanding unions as complex social organisms.