bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Provision of Industrial Relations Training for Shop Stewards
Authors: Keithley G.R. , Sawbridge D.
Published: January 2008

The issue of training for a job of work is important in most areas of industry, and not least in the area of industrial relations. To be effective, practitioners need not only ability in a range of skills—communications, negotiating, grievance, handling, etc.—but also knowledge of such areas as relevant legislation, agreements in force, disputes, procedures, etc. and continuous up‐dating of these knowledge areas as changes occur, especially changes in legislation related to industrial relations. As a result there would appear, then, to be a need for effective training courses. The available evidence, however, would suggest that unfortunately there is insufficient provision of industrial relations training at the present time, especially for shop stewards. Moreover the deficiency would appear to exist both in terms of the quantity of training opportunities available, and in terms of the quality of training currently provided in that much of the present provision is criticised as being patchy and not related to the needs of the shop steward in particular. This paper aims to examine the reasons for the deficiency in shop steward training and to argue that whilst it is usually explained in terms of what are here called “traditional” reasons—such as lack of finance, lack of agreement between management and trade unions over how training should be organised, etc.—the more fundamental cause is related to differences of opinion between managements and trade unions about the objectives of shop steward training. Moreover, these differences in objectives, it is suggested, are based on issues of “power and control” rather than on traditional reasons, since it is argued industrial relations training can be seen as a factor influencing the way the shop steward operates in his job, which makes it important for either management or trade unions to try to control the way training is undertaken. To the extent that the analysis is correct, then there are important implications for the provision of industrial relations training.
Work Control and Managerial Prerogatives in Industrial Relations
Authors: Smith Robin
Published: January 2008

This paper outlines the challenge to traditional conceptions of the managerial prerogative from organisation growth and the rise of influence of the trade unions. It argues that the central objective of the parties in industrial relations is increased control over work. It examines the reactions of line managers and personnel specialists in four companies both to pressures from trade unions and to companies' attempts to re‐design their management control systems. It concludes that there is a process of accommodation which absorbs union pressure, and that by sharing control with trade unions, management reasserts its own control. But there are problems of indentification by some line managers with this new strategy.
Workers' Participation Versus Management Control
Authors: Jain Hem C.
Published: January 2008

Workers' participation in management decision making has always been a controversial subject. One of the problems, central to this controversy is management's prerogatives. Business leaders are feeling increasing pressures for participation from workers and their organisations in areas of enterprise that were once exclusively reserved for management. They are afraid that legal and quasi legal schemes of participation will increase employees' and trade‐unions' influence and power and will erode managerial control. To what extent are these fears justified? How should the enterprise operating in a democratic framework be directed and controlled?
Job Design and Individual Differences
Authors: White G.C.
Published: January 2008

In the process of designing and improving existing jobs to take account of human as well as technical and commercial factors, we are faced with a number of problems posed by the range of individual differences. These differences are to be found in the contributions that can be expected from people to the way the organisation functions and to the tasks that it carries out. They arise also in what people themselves expect from their working lives and therefore in the ways they react to aspects of the content and context of their jobs.
Work Organisation and Job Satisfaction
Authors: Jessup Gilbert
Published: January 2008

Until recently work systems have been determined almost entirely by the production technology and the implementation of technologies according to the principles of scientific management. As we are all now well aware, this has resulted in a great many jobs in industry requiring very limited skills and providing practically no scope for individuals to use their discretion. In many ways of course this trend has been successful and has resulted in the mass production of consumer goods and services at a relatively low price. It has thus been a major determinant of our improved standards of living over the last fifty years or so. However, there are now indications that we are suffering from diminishing economic returns from the traditional approaches to production management, quite apart from the social and human desirability of this approach to organising work.
Union and Management Response to Quality of Working Life Projects
Authors: Jain Hem C.
Published: January 2008

The new forms of work organisation have so far had their impact on a very small number of workers in relation to the total labour force in the countries where such experiments have taken place. However, some preliminary observations can be made regarding the problems and trends resulting from these experiments. They entail certain risks for workers and pose problems for management as well. Changes in work organisation involve re‐shuffling the existing power structure which affects particularly the traditional authority of supervisors and technical specialists. They may also be perceived by some trade union leaders as a challenge to labour's solidarity.
The Impact of On‐Line Information Systems on Corporate Strategic Decision‐Making
Authors: Wilmes P. , Herremans A.
Published: January 2008

The current socio‐economic environment in which corporations work changes so fast and so deeply that on‐line strategic decision‐making has become critically important during recent years.
Japanese Distribution Channels: Traditions, Customs and Evolution
Authors: Shimaguchi M.
Published: January 2008

If one assumes that Gross National Product proportionally represents market size, then Japan is now the third richest single market in the world. Because of the internal homogeneity of this market, once a foreign company successfully enters, the potential for future growth is tremendous. However, foreign businesses encounter both visible and invisible barriers. The Japanese government's sophisticated and sometimes unsophisticated regulatory policies toward foreign business entry are well known. In addition, there are the invisible barriers deeply imbedded in the socio‐cultural market and business system of the country. These two types of barriers often hinder the successful entry of foreign capital and commodities into the Japanese market.
The Role and Importance of Small Enterprises
Authors: Neck Phlip A.
Published: January 2008

Small enterprises have a history as long as that of enterprise itself. However, it is only recently that attention has focussed on the wider social goals to which they can contribute.
Maintaining Computer‐based Information Systems
Authors: Edwards C.
Published: January 2008

The basic objective of this research was to isolate controllable factors within an organisation that can contribute to the maintenance of value yielded by a computer based organisational information system. In essence this research concerned itself with aspects of systems maintenance as a whole rather than the more limited process of program maintenance that usually strives to sustain programs in a usable state. In common with most other systems, information systems deteriorate with the passage of time and hence it is necessary to input energy to a system during its life to maintain effective operation and therefore the value yielded.
Utilising Management Research
Authors: Bennett Roger
Published: January 2008

The study tour on which this report is based resulted from a concern with problems and issues in the application of research, more particularly from the process of developing an “applied research” approach. A number of factors gave rise to this concern:
Objectives and Attitudes in Management Research
Authors: Bennett Roger
Published: January 2008

A common feature of much research carried out in academic institutions is that it reflects more the interests of the researchers than it does the needs, concerns and problems of managers and management. At Thames Valley Regional Management Centre, we have tried to establish a balance between “self‐interest” based research, and research which addresses wider problems and issues. In order to check out our understanding of this balance, we carried out a survey among managers and management teachers in our Region.
Formal Method in Policy Formulation
Authors: Andrews David
Published: January 2008

Three characteristics of policy formulation identify it is an exercise in design:
A Picture of Male Unemployment in Britain
Authors: Nickell S.J.
Published: January 2008

Some Policies to Overcome the Inequitable Distribution of Unemployment Having gained some insight into the structure of unemployment it is worth comenting briefly on some of the policies which have been put forward to deal specifically with the inequities inherent in this structure. If one individual is unemployed more frequently and for longer periods than another, this does not, of course, necessarily imply that he is any the worse off. His wages while employed and his leisure and unemployment compensation while unemployed may be more than adequate to compensate. However, given the differential access to secure occupations, wages will not be enough to offset the costs of high unemployment incidence particularly if this is associated with long spells of unemployment. Thus it is probably safe to say that those who suffer relatively frequent and lengthy bouts of unemployment are inadequately compensated which is some justification for the introduction of special measures to assist such individuals.
Organisational Environments and Organisational Design
Authors: Mansfield Roger
Published: January 2008

Most comparative research on organisational structure has tended to examine the relationships between very broad conceptualisations of general dimensions of both structures and of the environments in which organisations operate. Such an approach has both advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage is that it has allowed the relatively rapid creation of a broad theory of organisations. This research has led to the formulation of the structural contingency model of organisations which suggests that to be effective an organisation must be structured in a way which is appropriate for its size, the operating technology it employs and the environment in which it operates. The disadvantage of the approach is that it has given little guidance to managers on such aspects of organisational design as the details of how to operate particular departments in order to deal effectively with relevant aspects of the organisation's environment.
The Managerial Rating of Supervisory Performance
Authors: Child John
Published: January 2008

There is general agreement that it is extremely difficult to assess the performance of first‐line supervisors. One problem is that supervisors do not normally produce or process any tangible output which can be measured. Another is that supervisors typically work as part of a wider social system, so that their performance is dependent upon co‐operation from others and upon the general quality of the organisation's policy and procedures.
Class Perceptions and Social Identification of Industrial Supervisors
Authors: Child John , Pearce Sandra , King Lisa
Published: January 2008

This verse, dating back some fifty years, illustrates how it used to be possible for someone being promoted to a supervisory position to perceive that he was crossing a major class boundary. Up until the inter‐war years, the position of supervisor in British industry, typically the “foreman”, was clearly differentiated from that of the manual worker, even though both parties usually shared a manual background. Supervisors were still the main agents of capitalist ownership over the labour force. As such they were granted considerable control over conditions of employment and methods of work. They enjoyed favourable job security at a time when unemployment often brought personal economic disaster to manual workers. A distinctive mode of dress, particularly the bowler hat, symbolised this superiority over labour. Within their local communities, many supervisors had superior standing as minor property owners and rentiers.
Ramblings in the Epistemology of Management
Authors: Wärneryd Karl‐Erik
Published: January 2008

A dictionary definition of management says that it is the “judicious use of means to accomplish an end” (Webster). An alternative definition which may be found in textbooks is that management means the handling of scarce resources so as to maximise utility. Can there be a science dealing with how to handle scarce resources? Economics is also sometimes defined as the science having to do with the handling of scarce resources. Is there then any difference between economics and management? I think there is. Economics derives its normative statements from value systems incorporating economic equilibria (market equilibria). Management, on the other hand, is somehow tied to purposeful decision‐making and actions and the concept is often though not exclusively used about business decision‐making. Management is then seen as the art or science of maximising profits and ensuring efficiency. Even if this is the main pre‐occupation of management researchers and practitioners as evidenced by textbooks and case studies, it does not by any means cover the whole complex area of management. For one thing there are always constraints on behaviour, some of which are so strict that they actually serve as goals in themselves and maximisation of profit is often replaced by criteria for satisficing. It should be noted that management is also used in the sense of “the collective body of those who manage or direct an enterprise” (Webster). This latter definition may explain why management in the first sense is often conceived as relating to the handling of scarce resources in the business firm.
The Realities of Management Research and its Funding
Authors: Tolley George , Brodie Morris
Published: January 2008

We are familiar with the wringing of hands and beating of breasts about the state of British industry. There is much to be concerned and fearful about. A prime and vital national activity, that of creating wealth and providing jobs, has come to be identified with conflict, discontent and uncertainty. Whole chunks of industry have become a political football, almost a political plaything.
Lordstown Revisited: Whatever Happened to those Blue‐collar Blues?
Authors: Child John
Published: January 2008

“I'll never go back to that zoo!” exclaimed the General Motors Assembly Division's Vice‐President of Manufacturing. He had just toured the Lordstown plant, where he had come under fire from a shower of nuts and bolts accompanied by colourful cat‐calls. This was during the winter of 1971/72, when Lordstown, making the Vega sub‐compact car, was becoming a byword for industrial warfare and worker alienation. Yet at the end of 1976, he did go back. This time he was received with such goodwill that men came off the line to shake his hand. The President of the General Motors Corporation itself then visited the plant, planned to stay for only two hours, but was so impressed with what he saw that he remained for five. A remarkable change had taken place in labour relations at Lordstown, yet it has attracted remarkably little comment. The popular image of Lordstown is still drawn from the acute problem of some six and seven years ago.
The Non‐Optimality of Equal Commission Rates in Multi‐Product Salesforce Compensation Schemes
Authors: Srinivasan V.
Published: January 2008

The use of commissions in salesforce compensation plans continues to be popular according to a recent survey (Steinbrink 1978) which indicated that 70% of the companies surveyed in the US used commissions as a part of their compensation plans. The use of commissions has the advantage of motivating the salesforce as well as decentralizing the selling effort allocation decisions to the salespersons who have more intimate knowledge of the markets and the competition.
An Investigation of the Equal Commission Rate Policy for a Multi‐Product Sales Force
Authors: Srinivasan V.
Published: January 2008

A number of researchers have examined the problem of designing a commission rate structure for a multi‐product salesforce in such a way that it is jointly optimal for both the salesperson and the firm, i.e. the rate structure simultaneously maximizes both the salesperson's earnings and the company profits. The problem is a very important one since in the U.S., for instance, approximately 70% of the companies say their salesforce at least partially on a commission basis. The use of commissions has the advantage of motivating the salesforce as well as decentralizing the selling effort allocation decisions to the salesperson who has more intimate knowledge of the market and the competition. The past research has divided the problem of designing the commission structure into two parts: (i) designing the average level of commission rates which influences the overall motivation of the salesperson and the total time he or she devotes to the selling task and (ii) the relative commission rates across products which affects the allocation of time to the many products. Most of the past research in this area has concentrated on the second problem.
Objective Dependability Evaluation Criteria
Authors: Andrews David
Published: January 2008

The use of PADIS for policy formulation was discussed in MRN Vol. 3, No. 2, May 1980, (q.v.).
Leadership — a Re‐Examination of the Concept and an Investigation of the Nature of Managers' Interpersonal Skills
Authors: Alban Metcalfe Beverly
Published: January 2008

In spite of more than half a decade of leadership research, surprisingly little real progress has been made in our understanding of the concept. The explanation of this would appear to be in some ways all too obvious, but at the same time far from simple.
Computer‐Aided Management: A Smaller Firm Perspective
Authors: Thornton Peter , Waddington Mike
Published: January 2008

Instability and increasingly rapid change are both features of the contemporary business environment. They are a reality with which all members of the business community, irrespective of size or area of activity, must come to terms if they are to survive and prosper. The requirement, therefore, is for flexible systems which will enable managers to formulate better plans and which will reduce company response times so that problems can be anticipated and opportunities seized. Consequently managements' paramount requirement is for systems which can produce timely and comprehensive management information — a resource which tends to be in short supply in many smaller organisations.
Strategic Decision Making in British Organisations
Authors: Mallory G.R. , Wilson David C.
Published: January 2008

Central to the concerns of management and to writers of organisation theory are the considerations of strategic decision making. The Organisational Analysis Research Unit, in the Management Centre, University of Bradford, has been researching the process of strategic decision making in thirty British organisations, a sample ranging from orchestras to a police force with industrial and service organisations in between. The research was initiated in response to the apparent lack of any systematic comparative studies of decision making appearing elsewhere.
Tourism Modelling
Authors: Witt Stephen F.
Published: January 2008

The ‘causal model’ approach to business forecasting attempts to discover, mainly on the basis of economic knowledge, those variables which appear to have influenced the forecast variable in the past, and then estimates by econometric methods the quantitative relationship between the causal and forecast variables. Future values of the forecast variable are then obtained by using forecasts of the causal variables in conjunction with the estimated relationship.
Capital Budgeting and Corporate Performance
Authors: Pike Richard
Published: January 2008

Capital budgeting is, perhaps, best defined as the art of finding assets that are worth more than they cost. Nothing is easier in concept or harder in practical application. An apparently endless supply of textbooks, journal articles and research papers discuss and develop the concepts with the tacit assumption that their adoption will improve performance. When we consider the practical application of capital budgeting, however, we see firms making investment decisions faced with unprecedentedly high levels of inflation, financing costs, and other major economic difficulties. Capital budgeting has never been more difficult. It would not then appear unreasonable that those firms which applied advanced techniques and had sophisticated capital budgeting systems should have survived the buffeting of the seventies better than firms using little or no formalised investment system. The research being conducted is intended to determine whether in fact this is the case.
Predicting Staff Turnover
Authors: Knapp Martin , Harissis Kostas , Missiakoulis Spyros
Published: January 2008

The rate at which staff change jobs has long posed a serious problem for employers in the private and public sectors. Generally speaking, staff turnover breaks the stability, consistency and continuity of work, makes long‐term planning more difficult, leads to shortages of staff which in turn can raise the workloads of other employees, and raises the costs of recruiting and training staff. Fluctuating turnover rates make long‐term manpower planning extremely difficult, and can spark off a spiralling series of staffing problems and difficulties.
The Cross‐National Study of Management and Organisation
Authors: Mansfield Roger
Published: January 2008

There can be no doubt that the particular political, economic and social conditions which pertain in a given society will substantially affect the nature of the managerial task, the way organisations are structured and the extent to which participation and consultation are used in work organisations. Within a single society such as Britain it is often difficult to fully understand the peculiarities of that society and the way they provide opportunities or constraints on managerial and organisational behaviour. Adopting a wider perspective and studying these phenomena in a variety of different national contexts can often make obvious such implications. On this basis a number of researchers in the Department of Business Administration and Accountancy at the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology have carried out research on these phenomena in a variety of different countries. Although many of the individual projects have been located solely in individual countries, in combination they allow a broad comparative perspective to be utilised to aid in our understanding of such factors as the implications of decentralised decision‐making, implications of joint consultation and the efficacy of management development programmes. Research has now been carried out in a substantial number of developed and developing countries and is currently being extended to a range of others differing in terms of culture, economic and political conditions, ideological beliefs etc.
Female Patterns of Work, Remuneration, Facilities and Opportunities
Authors: Bosworth Derek L. , Dawkins Peter J.
Published: January 2008

While a great deal of information has been accumulated in recent years about the role of women in employment, by the end of the 1970s considerable gaps in our understanding still remained. The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) were instrumental in isolating and highlighting a large number of quite diverse areas where existing knowledge was deficient. In an attempt to rectify this situation, the EOC/SSRC Joint Panel funded a major new survey of ‘Women and Work’, which was undertaken by IFF Research Ltd. during 1979. Given our research interests, the authors were commissioned to analyse the results of this survey insofar as they relate to work patterns, remuneration, facilities and opportunities, with particular regard to the different experiences of men and women.
Some Insights into the Banking Behaviour of Older Consumers: An Empirical Study
Authors: Alessandra Anthony J. , Knierim Louis H. , Yavas Ugur
Published: January 2008

A trend which will have a significant impact on tomorrow's marketing is the growth of the market of the older consumers. In America in 1970 there were 18.6 million people in the 55–64 year age group and 20.0 million people in the 65‐year‐or‐over age group. Projections indicate that people in these age brackets will account for approximately 20 per cent of the American population, reaching 46.9 million by 1985. Besides growing in numbers, older consumers have also achieved a better standard of living within the past 20 years. Business Week claims that the expenditures of older consumers are far larger than the expenditures of the younger market. Projections, furthermore, suggest that older consumers will not only maintain their buying power but may also enjoy a substantially improved economic well being in the next two decades.
Occupational Longevity: A Strategy for Industrial Productivity Improvement
Authors: Edwards Mark R.
Published: January 2008

An occupational longevity programme focuses on the ways to maximise the performance and life satisfaction of managers during their tenure with an organisation. Actions are directed toward improving people involvement through participative management, a productivity culture, personal skills development, improved personal, physical and psychological health and career and retirement planning. Return on investment for an occupational longevity programme should be expected to be better than three dollars returned for every dollar invested. Payoffs include improved morale, job satisfaction, increased attendance, less turnover, less hospitalisation, fewer accidents and disabilities, and improved job performance. Recommendations are made for developing an effective productivity improvement process by implementing a comprehensive occupational longevity programme.
The Effects of Management Understanding on Human Resources and Productivity
Authors: Cassell Frank H. , Gardner Burleigh
Published: January 2008

At the moment of their greatest political triumph in a quarter of a century, business management is under fire for losing leadership in world commerce and trade. Ascendancy to the U.S. presidency of a person with a strong business orientation is in no small part due to the electorate's belief that business people can bring efficiency and economy to government. Simultaneously, however, these business people are being charged with failing to anticipate the changing nature of world competition and the massive disruption of consumer purchasing patterns by the oil producing nations, failing to make their products competitive in price and quality, and contributing to declining productivity by letting research and development lag and by managing the nation's workforce poorly.
Towards a Theory of Labour Market Organisation
Authors: Burkitt Brian
Published: January 2008

‘The economist, seeking to answer the most fundamental problems of union development, can get little help from the historical literature, and is largely left to his own devices. To him the most important question is … the determination of the extent to which, at different periods, the trade unions have been able to affect wages. In order to be able to answer this question at all, some theoretical apparatus … is absolutely necessary’.
The British Manager at the Beginning of the 80's
Authors: Mansfield Roger , Poole Michael , Blyton Paul , Frost Paul
Published: January 2008

Managers today are a very large and growing occupational group. Indeed in the most recent census for which results are available (1971) there were nearly 1.7 million managers constituting nearly 7 per cent of the economically active British population. At the same time there can be no doubting the strategic position of managers with regard to the success of individual enterprises and for the resuscitation of the British economy. Considering all this, it is surprising how little systematic research has been devoted to the study of managers.
MRP — Material Requirements Planning or More Ragged Progress?
Authors: Hoffman William H.
Published: January 2008

MRP is the ‘only way to go’ in industries characterised by batch production of broad and complex product lines. A mixture of standards and specials, common parts, and standard parts used in special products or sold for replacement further complicate the picture and increase the value of properly designed MRP systems.
Looking at Trainer Effectiveness
Authors: Leduchowicz Tad
Published: January 2008

“Articles have been written, and will continue to be published, about the variety of methods and techniques available to the trainer and the new technologies which relate to the job he must perform. Insufficient attention has been given to the trainer — the trainer as a person. We must devote more of our energies to the consideration of what we expect of this person we call a trainer if the development of manpower resources is to achieve the purposes which are essential in an industrial society.”
Structural Unemployment and Job Creation: A Case Study from the Western Isles of Scotland
Authors: Prattis J.I.
Published: January 2008

The general problem of structural unemployment has evoked three types of theoretical responses from the body politic of social science. The most ambiguous and least developed set of ideas refers loosely to the notion that structural changes in the economy necessarily lead to structural unemployment as a consequence. This has tended to be rejected by policy makers and indeed the views expressed within this mode of reasoning have been subsumed under discussions that refer either to inefficient labour markets or policy inconsistencies.
The Determinants of Effective Health and Safety Committees
Authors: Beaumont P.B. , Coyle J.R. , Leopold J.W.
Published: January 2008

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Regulations which followed it gave trade union safety representatives the right to request management to establish a joint health and safety committee. While such committees have existed in Britain for a considerable number of years they have tended to be confined to large plants in the high and medium accident rate industries. One of the effects of the legislation has been to bring about a major increase in the number of committees, particularly among small firms and those in the traditionally low accident rate industries.
Comparative Study of Home Buying Behaviour of Atlantic Canadians
Authors: Kaynak Erdener , Stevenson Lois
Published: January 2008

The purpose of this study is to examine the salient selection criteria and purchase behaviour of Atlantic Canadians when buying a single‐detached house. It considers features of the house and economic and locational factors deemed important by consumers in making the home buying decision.
Working with information technology
Authors: Buchanan David A. , Boddy David
Published: January 2008

There has been a lot of speculation about the impact of new information technologies on organisations and their members. But there have been comparatively few empirical studies in this area. Research carried out in the University of Glasgow Department of Management Studies over the past two years has sought to remedy this position.
Consumer Attitudes
Authors: Kaynak Erdener
Published: January 2008

In developing a corporate imagery for a product, the importance of various marketing mix variables such as product appearance, brand names, advertising strategy and channels used is firmly established. However, an additional factor should be considered, that is national origin of the product or the imagery of the country of origin has often been overlooked by marketers and importers alike. The phrase “made in…” as a fifth element of the marketing mix can have tremendous influence on the acceptance and success of a product over and above the specific advertising techniques used. While the phenomenon of consumer bias against foreign products has been empirically demonstrated in such works by Baumgartner and Jolibert, there is relatively little understanding of the factors underlying such bias. There seems to have been no real advancement in the development of theories which might explain why consumers view foreign products differently than they do domestic products.
Development in East Asia
Authors: Juul Monika A. , Welch Lawrence S.
Published: January 2008

Dramatic industrial developments in East Asia since the beginning of the 1960's have turned the region into one of the most dynamic centres of trade and economic growth today. The widespread adoption of trade‐orientated policies and the stimulating effects of Japanese demands for raw materials and labour‐intensive manufactures in the course of her own development have been major factors contributing to the rapid‐growth industrialisation process still taking place in the region. The rapid‐growth trend is reflected in the dramatic increase of manufactured products exported from these countries. It has long passed the point of mere regional importance, but the appreciation of its significance and implications for the economies of the rest of the world is not keeping pace.
Bank Marketing
Authors: Yavas Ugur , Kaynak Erdener
Published: January 2008

There is some evidence that all over the world both the academicians and the managers of financial institutions are expressing interest in marketing as a legitimate banking activity. There are a number of factors which account for this global interest. One of the most significant is that over the past decade the demand of comsumers and businesses for banking services has literally exploded. As consumer's income increased and businesses grew, so did their demand for the variety of services offered by financial institutions.
Job Satisfaction
Authors: Beaumont P.B.
Published: January 2008

There have been a number of advocates of the need for conducting regular job satisfaction surveys in Britain. In fact this type of information has been collected by the General Household survey since 1971; a question on overall job satisfaction has been asked from that date, with supplementary questions on specific aspects or facets of job satisfaction being asked since 1974. However, this source of job satisfaction information has been a much under‐utilised research resource, with relatively little use being made of even the basic tabulations, much less has there been any detailed multi‐variate analysis of the responses obtained. One recent exception to this was a research paper prepared by the Department of Employment which sought, among other things, to explain why the General Household Survey responses have continually shown women reporting more satisfaction with their pay than men, despite their considerbale lower earnings levels.
Management and the Organisation
Authors: Skipton
Published: January 2008

The practice of management, which is very much a product of the 20th century, has evolved from respectable historical antecedents. In the Old Testament, (Exodus Chapter 18, verses 17–26), Moses was faced with management problems, and the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans also showed evidence of administrative, if not management knowledge. Prior to the industrial revolution the main administrative institutions were government, the military and the church. These organisations were fairly flexible, operated according to strict rules and demanded unquestioning obedience from their members. However, developments in command and control of military institutions, especially as they became larger and more diverse, were characterised by many of the management principles adopted by modern organisations; (e.g. the scalar principle, centralisation of command with decentralisation of operations, line and staff etc.).
Organisation and Structure for Innovation
Authors: Cannon Tom
Published: January 2008

Few aspects of management pose more challenges or bring out more corporate dilemmas than the process involved in building creativity into the workings of the large, complex, modern organisation. To be more accurate, the difficulties probably lie far more in wedding creativity to effectiveness in the firm's internal operations or its relationships with the environment. The challenges lie in seeking new and creative responses to the problems posed by change, competitive action and the variety of pressures facing the firm. The dilemma is posed by the tendency to introduce systems, structures and methods of operating which achieve operating efficiencies at least in the short term, but which tend to introduce inflexibility and rigidity into the organisation.
Pricing in the U.K. Chemical Industry
Authors: Stratford J. , Mason R.S.
Published: January 2008

An examination of the attitudes and perceptions of both buyers and sellers in one market sector with respect to pricing of products; the availability and use of market and cost information when making pricing and purchasing decisions.
The Politics of Organisational Change: The Case of Alcohol Policies
Authors: Beaumont P.B. , Allsop S.
Published: January 2008

One possible management response to problem drinkers is the introduction of referral and treatment policies; other possible responses would be to tolerate them, dismiss them or try and screen them out through an intensive recruitment process.
New Competition and Technical change in the Computer Industry
Authors: Sciberras E.
Published: January 2008

While there are similarities in the patterns of expansion between the television, semiconductor and computer industries, there are likely to be important differences. These will derive from the fact that ten years' experience of overseas marketing and manufacture of the former two industries can now be put to good use in the strategy for international expansion of computers.
Job Satisfaction in the South Western Australian Timber Industry: A Perceptual Mapping Approach
Authors: Weaver J.R. , Soutar G.N. , Everett J.E.
Published: January 2008

A multivariant approach to the complex issues of worker satisfaction, providing analytical and diagnostic results which can be extremely useful to a management concerned about this aspect of the workplace.
A New Risk Management Tool For Banks
Authors: Gardener Edward P.M.
Published: January 2008

Capital adequacy appraisal has received growing emphasis as a central problem in modern bank risk management. Over the past decade significant UK bank management resources have been devoted to this problem; in the USA capital adequacy has been an important issue since the widespread banking collapse of the Great Depression.
Using Conjoint Analysis to Determine a Compensation Package
Authors: Soutar Geoffrey N. , Savery Lawson K.
Published: January 2008

The ability to investigate the relative importance employees attach to various compensation components and to determine how trade‐offs might be made, should enable organisations to develop more flexible reward packages which better meet employees' needs, without necessarily adding to costs. Conjoint analysis is a means of obtaining such information.
Joint Venture Firms and Labour Training in Iran
Authors: Asheghian Parviz
Published: January 2008

This article provides further evidence that in the case of foreign investment, subsidiaries of multinational corporations spend more in labour training than similar domestic firms. Multinationals would maintain this advantage even in the form of the joint venture arrangement implying that lesser‐developed countries could still benefit from advantages of muitinationals without yielding to total foreign ownership and control.
Field Dependence Cognitive Style and Perceived Relevance of Accounting Information
Authors: Gul Ferdinand A.
Published: January 2008

The importance of recognising cognitive styles of individuals has been applied to how individuals react and evaluate accounting information. Results of this study suggest that field‐dependent accountants found Human Resources Accounting information more relevant than did field‐independent accountants.
Management Stress — Exploring the Job Expectation and Job Reality Match
Authors: Savery Lawson , Hall Ken , Collier Elaine
Published: January 2008

When people believe that certain expectations will be achieved and they in fact are not, a stressful situation will ensue. It is important that care be taken by superiors in explaining the possibilities of new jobs and thereby help curb any unrealistic expectations.
RIF and Productivity Increase?
Authors: Edwards Mark R. , Ruth Sproull J.
Published: January 2008

Traditional Reduction In Force (RIF) methods have been unpopular, damaging to morale, dysfunctional, probably too expensive and, in some cases, indefensible. The article describes an innovative and democratic solution to RIF decisions. In a steel company a productivity group was instituted to plan the means of managing RIF — fairness to employees being the most important consideration. Participative management appears to be the key to success.
The Quality of Working Life, Robotics and the Professional Engineer
Authors: Kirkman Frank
Published: January 2008

The discussion on quality of working life begins with job design. This is clearly a field where engineers must be involved: to design the workplace according to the best ergonomic principles and keep the technical options open to facilitate the humanisation of work. Ergonomics and social science are essential in training professional engineers to enable them to contribute to the quality of working life.
The Management of Microprocessor Technology in the Engineering Industry
Authors: Senker Peter
Published: January 2008

Three important problems face managers in coming to terms with the advent of microprocessors. Microprocessors offer radical new possibilities for designing products and systems but the latter need to be conceptualised as wholes rather than seen as series of discreet but interconnected sub‐systems. The second difficulty lies in evaluating and choosing a CAD system in that confining the evaluation to the implications for the drawing office can result in failure to consider factors vital to the company's future. The third problem lies in the implications of automation for production. The benefits spill out beyond the boundaries of the department in which a particular piece of capital equipment is installed, emphasising the need for a strategic approach.
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis — IFMICE
Authors: Andrews David
Published: January 2008

IFMICE (Identification of Failure Mode, Inhibition of Cause and Effect) is useful for the evaluation of policy proposals as well as of engineering designs. Its application to policy making is considered in this article. The preliminaries and procedure of applying the analysis are outlined.
A Hypothetical Model of the Mind
Authors: Andrews David
Published: January 2008

The mechanical model of the mind, described here, was developed as a consequence of considering how it could be that man is able to resolve multidimensional issues while a computer is not.
Women Managers and Smoking
Authors: Cooper Cary L.
Published: January 2008

A study in the US found that more female managers in the US smoke than do their male counterparts. The author tells of a preventative programme started by one of the larger medical clinics in the US which has a great deal of success in helping women, as well as men, reduce or eliminate their smoking.
Participation: The Shopfloor View
Authors: Rathkey Paul
Published: January 2008

Section 1 of the 1982 Employment Act requires companies to provide a report on the efforts and progress made in increasing employee involvement. The project described in this article sets out to find what, if anything, did ordinary working people actually want or expect in regard to participation at work. The methods and findings are described.
Flexibility and Integration at the Workplace
Authors: Cross Michael
Published: January 2008

The need to change the span and quality of competencies of a company's human resources to match the requirements of the market and new technologies has resulted in a need to rethink how people are employed, organised and developed. The author examines five areas of relevance. First, he looks at the economic and technical factors which create pressures and influence the direction in which jobs and organisations might change. Secondly, implications for organisations are outlined. Thirdly, broad changes are broken down into objectives and principles which can then be made operational. Fourthly, he describes steps to be taken towards flexible manning arrangements with specific reference to contract staff. Lastly, a few thoughts are presented on current trends and their implications.
Interactive Marketing — The Japanese Approach
Authors: Turnbull Peter , Yamada Teruhisa
Published: January 2008

The interactive marketing strategies based on the “team approaches” or collective “organisation approaches” of Japanese companies have greatly contributed to the success of Japan in world markets and to the accumulation of Japan's post‐war economic wealth. This contrasts greatly with the “individual approach” often practised by British companies.
The Decision Style Inventory : O.D. Applications
Authors: Boulgarides James D.
Published: January 2008

The use of the Decision Styles Inventory (DSI) is described in two different organisational development contexts. The first was at the organisational level, while the second was at the individual level. The results demonstrate the flexibility of the DSI as an organisational and personal development tool.
Six Myths About Strategy Making : And What To Do About Them
Authors: Johnson Gerry , Scholes Kevan
Published: January 2008

Whereas analytic tools and techniques have an important part to play in the development of strategies within companies, they are not what strategy is about. If managers are to understand and contribute to the successful long‐term development of their companies they must be prepared to forget or at least substantially refine some of the myths about the nature of strategic development. The six myths examined are that: strategy is the province of top managers; strategic management is all about planning systems; strategic decisions are about finding the “right” answers; strategic management means response to environmental change; strategic changes are big events; strategy formulation follows from clear and precise corporate objectives.
Reality Shock : What Happens When A New Job Doesn't Match Expectations
Authors: Dean Roger A. , Ferris Kenneth R. , Konstans Constantine
Published: January 2008

Reality shock occurs when a newcomer's expectations, established prior to joining the organisation, differ from what is experienced upon entering. This research is concerned with the effect of reality shock on the organisational commitment of professionals. The research shows the importance of the organisation's active involvement in reducing reality shock and thus building organisational commitment.