Introduction to Business covers the scope and sequence of most introductory business courses. The book provides detailed explanations in the context of core themes such as customer satisfaction, ethics, entrepreneurship, global business, and managing change. Introduction to Business includes hundreds of current business examples from a range of industries and geographic locations, which feature a variety of individuals. The outcome is a balanced approach to the theory and application of business concepts, with attention to the knowledge and skills necessary for student success in this course and beyond. This is an adaptation of Introduction to Business by OpenStax. You can access the textbook as pdf for free at openstax.org. Minor editorial changes were made to ensure a better ebook reading experience. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Human Resource Management, Innovation and Performance investigates the relationship between HRM, innovation and performance. Taking a multi-level perspective the book reflects critically on contentious themes such as high performance work systems, organizational design options, cross-boundary working, leadership styles and learning at work.
The link between HRM and performance has become an important policy issue at both a national and a corporate level. HRM and Performance draws on the knowledge and expertise of a number of leading international scholars in the field of HRM to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of HRM and identify fruitful directions for theory, research and practice. A central question throughout is - what's next for HRM and what are the keys to the future of managing people and performance?
Measuring and managing the performance of a business is one of the most genuine desires of management. Balanced scorecard, the performance prism and activity-based management are the most popular frameworks in this setting. Based on the findings of R.G. Eccles’ acclaimed "Performance Measurement Manifesto (1991)" this book introduces new contexts and themes of application and presents emerging research areas related to business performance measurement and management, e.g. SMEs and sustainability. As a result of the 1st International Summer School Piero Lunghi on "Perspectives of Business Performance Management" this book is written both for students and academics, as well as for practitioners looking for new, yet proven ways to measure and manage business performance.
Since 1995, USC's Center for Effective Organizations (CEO) has conducted the definitive longitudinal study of the human resource management function in organizations. By analyzing new data every three years since then, the Center has been able to consistently chart changes in how HR is organized and managed, while at the same time providing guidance on how professionals in the field can drive firm performance. Global Trends in Human Resource Management, the seventh report from CEO, provides the newest findings about what makes HR successful and how it can add value to organizations today. Edward E. Lawler III and John W. Boudreau conclude that HR is most powerful when it plays a strategic role, makes use of information technology, has tangible metrics and analytics, and integrates talent and business strategies. To adapt to the demands of a changing global marketplace, HR is increasingly required to span the boundaries between its function, the organization as a whole, and the dynamic environment within which it operates. This report tracks changes in a global sample of firms that shows how HR differs across Europe, the U.S., and Asia, providing an international benchmark against which to measure a company's practice and shows how HR can adapt in a rapidly changing landscape.
The purpose of this book is to contribute to the understanding of the debate surrounding strategic human resource management (SHRM) and organisational performance. The relationship between SHRM and organisational performance has been a heavily deliberated issue over the last decade. A survey of literature on SHRM and its impacts in terms of performance reveals that empirical results on this topic are, as yet, inconclusive. Whilst some studies have found the impact to be positive, the results from several other studies cast doubts concerning the overall efficacy of (positive) HR practices on firms’ performance. This book critically discusses the theoretical and empirical aspects of the relationship between strategic HRM and organisational performance. Ostensibly, when compared to earlier forms of people management, the essence of HRM was a closer alignment of the procedures and processes concerned with work and employment relationships to overall organisational objectives. Much of the HRM literature holds that specific HRM practices are likely to serve as a major source of competitive advantage. This belief has led to research into the link between HRM and performance. However, somewhat less clear is what specific HR practices are most likely to enhance performance, and, indeed, how performance may best be measured. This book, accordingly, seeks to explore which HR practices are most closely associated with better organisational performance according to subjective and objective measures. It also seeks to shed new light on the relationship between subjective and objective measures of organisational performance, and the relative reliability of the former in assessing the effectiveness of specific HR practices. The book also explores other important HR issues such as the role of the HR director, strategic HR involvement, and HR devolvement. Moreover, it has been argued that it is an interrelated system of HR practices or HR complementarities that enhance performance, with one practice encountered on its own not having the same result as when encountered in combination with others. This particular issue is also discussed in depth in this book.
Do human resource management practices actually work? This timely and engaging volume examines the links between people management practices and organizational performance. Focusing on the implementation and impact of HR strategies, the book puts forward a model, which draws attention to: The importance of the culture and values of the organization The needs of professional knowledge workers The links between human resources and performance People Management and Performance takes a critical view of how and why HR practices have had a positive impact on a range of organizations and also considers the implications for theory and practice. Incorporating case studies from well known organizations, such as Nationwide and Selfridges, this book will be of interest to graduate students of HRM and business and management, as well as practitioners working in the field.
The book explores how strategic human resource management has implications for performance, through underlying theory, research evidence, examples from practice, and tools for practitioner application. The book presents not only details of how a strategic human resource management system might be effective in an organization, but also why.
Over the past three decades the Professional Service Firm (PSF) sector has emerged as one of the most rapidly growing, profitable, and significant in the global economy. In 2013 the accountancy, management consulting, legal, and architectural sectors alone generated revenues of US$ 1.6 trillion and employed 14 million people. PSFs play an important role in developing human capital, creating innovative business services, reshaping government institutions, establishing and interpreting the rules of financial markets, and setting legal, accounting and other professional standards. The study of PSFs can offer insights into the contemporary challenges facing organizations within the knowledge economy, and deepen understanding of more conventional organizations. Despite their significance, however, PSFs have until recently remained very much in the shadows of organizational and management research. The Oxford Handbook of Professional Service Firms marks the coming of age of PSF scholarship with a comprehensive and integrative exploration of current research and thinking on PSFs, featuring contributions from internationally renowned scholars in the fields of organizational and management studies. It is divided into three distinct sections - the professions, the firms, and the professionals that work within them - and covers subjects from governance and leadership to regulation, entrepreneurship, and diversity. Bringing together a broad range of empirical and theoretical perspectives, the Handbook offers many potentially important insights into the contemporary challenges of organizations in the knowledge economy and suggests new lines of inquiry that may shed further light on the activities and performance of PSFs and the professionals who work within them.
HRM is central to management teaching and research, and has emerged in the last decade as a significant field from its earlier roots in Personnel Management, Industrial Relations, and Industrial Psychology. People Management and High Performance teams have become key functions and goals for manager at all levels in organizations. The Oxford Handbook brings together leading scholars from around the world - and from a range of disciplines - to provide an authoritative account of current trends and developments. The Handbook is divided into four parts: * Foundations and Frameworks, * Core Processes and Functions, * Patterns and Dynamics, * Measurement and Outcomes. Overall it will provide an essential resource for anybody who wants to get to grips with current thinking, research, and development on HRM.
