bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Japan in the Computer Age
Authors: Kawatani Yukimaro
Published: February 2008

Introduction Although Japan and the European countries involved in computing are at opposite ends of the Eurasian land mass and the cultures are even further apart, Europe is more familiar to the Japanese than some may imagine. Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch traders visited Japan in the 16th and 17th centuries and were the first break in Japan's long isolation from the rest of the world. Jesuit missionaries from the same nations followed the traders, as they did in other parts of the world. Later, occasional traders from other countries, including Britain, appeared in Japanese ports; while they were not permitted to settle, they were received with a courtesy that is surprising in the light of the aggressive empire‐building of so many Western countries, which was frightening to the Japanese leaders.
Distributed Processing
Authors: Johnson B.T.
Published: February 2008

In the days before distributed processing the DP manager enjoyed a halcyon existence. He had control over users, control over data and he had a guaranteed operational revenue. The environment was predictable; all users came to him, he could decide which ones should have priority over others and he had a vision of his empire constantly expanding.
Women in Data Processing
Authors: Shirley Steve
Published: February 2008

The legitimate daugher of the poet Byron, Ada Countess of Lovelace, was the world's first programmer. In 1842 she wrote her now classic comment: “The Analytical Engine has no pretentions whatever to originate anything. It can do whatever we know how to order it to perform”. Lady Lovelace proved that even in the last century women have the right kind of brain to deal with the intricacies of computer work.
Decision‐Making for International Marketing: A Comparative Review
Authors: Tamer Cavusgil S. , Godiwalla Yezdi M.
Published: February 2008

Introduction International marketing activities of firms continue to assume increasing importance in the world economy. Firms of all sizes and backgrounds, especially in the industrialised countries, exhibit a greater degree of willingness to respond to attractive opportunities in international markets and extend their marketing activities to one or more national markets. Consequently, the decision‐making processes which surround these international marketing activities and the prevailing managerial styles have been the subject of limited but significant research in several advanced economies. This article will attempt to review and interpret the pertinent literature, drawn from studies of international decision‐making in different environments, for the purpose of developing a coherent understanding of the subject matter. In particular, we offer four proportions on the basis of our research and evaluation in this area. These propositions relate to: (a) motivations of firms for engaging in international marketing; (b) subjective nature of international marketing decision‐making; (c) decision‐making modes which apply to international marketing; and (d) the nature of decision‐making over the firm's internationalisation process. The article is organised around these propositions.
EEC Social Policy and its Effects on National Industrial Relations
Authors: Robbins Bill
Published: February 2008

The subject I have been asked to speak to is EEC Social Policy so before examining what the EEC is doing in the social field, perhaps I should just outline its principal institutions and powers:
Decision‐Making in Operations Management
Authors: Wild Ray
Published: February 2008

An operating system utilises resources to convert inputs into outputs in the form of goods or services. Conventionally, operations management is defined as the task of designing, establishing, planning, running, controlling, maintaining and improving such systems. As the output of such systems constitutes both goods and services this establishes operations management as a field of activity somewhat broader than production (or manufacturing) management which solely provides goods or artefacts. However the distinction between goods and services is unclear and the latter category is broad and heterogeneous. It may therefore be worthwhile to have a more detailed definition:
Opinion: Industrial Relations—Involvement and Intervention
Authors: Roots Paul , Marchington Mick
Published: February 2008

Introduction For many people, the Ford Motor Company is the epitome of forward planning in industrial relations and, in this interview, Ford's industrial relations director expresses his views on this and a number of other themes which he sees as important.
ACTION LEARNING
Authors: Revans R.W.
Published: February 2008

The Pervasiveness of Change It is change which gives the present time its distinctive character; most of what we now have to deal with changes more in a year than, in the past, it would have changed in a century. And it is not only the spectacular we need to think about, such as the panic when the nuclear reactor overheats and a town's population has to flee from danger overnight, nor when some new wonder drug goes wrong and hundreds of babies are born with hideous deformities. The very bases of our culture are being changed by the speed with which we can handle information, or put people into outer space; even though we personally may not handle information for a living (and certainly do not make a habit of going to the moon), all we do is greatly affected by change—and many of us are finding it hard to become accustomed to the unexpected. It is, all the same, no good complaining; not for some centuries has this country actually passed laws forbidding the introduction of new ideas.
Information Systems in British Industry
Authors: Fletcher Keith P.
Published: February 2008

Introduction The need for information in an organisation is not new. However, in today's ever changing and complex world of business, information has an increasingly important role to play in decision‐making. Not only has the nature of business operations changed during the last 20 years however; so too has the technology available to businessmen. The micro‐chip and computerisation have made information readily accessible, yet evidence suggests that companies are slow to adopt information systems, and when they do so the system is relatively unsophisticated.
Ethics and Product Elimination
Authors: Avlonitis George J.
Published: February 2008

Introduction One aspect of product line management that is receiving increasing attention in industry is product elimination. It is clear that “stagflation” is forcing an increasing number of consumer as well as industrial goods companies to re‐evaluate and prune their product‐mix offerings.
New Business Development
Authors: Littler D.A. , Sweeting R.C.
Published: February 2008

Introduction All industries eventually attain maturity This means that, at best, demand for output is rising at a slower rate, and may actually be declining; marginal returns on the effort to improve technology is falling; and there is increasing competition, often from third world countries.
Transfer of Management: Japanese Practices for the Orientals?
Authors: Fukuda K. John
Published: February 2008

Introduction Japan's success, as measured by towering balance‐of‐payment surpluses, has created serious economic issues between Japan and other industrial democracies. It has even created fears about the economic superpower status of Japan. On the other hand, because of this very success in coping with worldwide economic problems and in sustaining its export drive, Japan's unique style of management has attracted a great deal of attention.
Imports and the British Car Market
Authors: Stewart Dave , Cochrane Stuart
Published: February 2008

Introduction From the mid to late Seventies imports virtually doubled their share of the British car market. The reasons for this have been subject to a number of enquiries (e.g.) and this article, therefore, restricts itself to an analysis of marketing strategy and, in particular, to the importance of the marketing mix in the UK.
Quality — The Linchpin to British Manufacturing Success
Authors: Dale B.G. , Duncalf A.G.
Published: February 2008

“Since the UK industrial revolution, it has been taken for granted — in Britain — that the quality of British manufactured goods is high. If this were ever true, the situation has now changed radically.” “There was a time when a British company's word would be a guarantee that the goods were to specification. These days it's not enough.”.
The Board of Directors in Large Australian Companies
Authors: Kiel Geoffrey , Blennerhasett Phyl
Published: February 2008

The role of the board of directors in modern Western corporations is set out in both the legal codes and in the writings of management thinkers, and has been a topic of increasing concern to directors, managers, legislators and the public at large.
Corporate Life Cycles and the Evolution of Management — Part I
Authors: Cowen Scott S. , Kendall Middaugh J. , McCarthy Kevin
Published: February 2008

Corporations, like products, go through various stages of development from birth to maturity to decline. Although there is conceptual agreement among management theoreticians and practitioners that corporations go through life cycles, there is little agreement as to the nature and characteristics of the cycles. Researchers such as Chandler, Scott, Thain, Lippett and Schmidt, and Greiner have proposed models of corporate development describing the changes an organisation faces as it evolves, what the changes mean, and the implications of these changes for management philosophy, planning and control systems. These models are different in their conceptualisations of the corporate life cycle but they all communicate the same theme: to be successful, organisations must be able to adapt rapidly to significant environmental changes. The critical relationships among corporate life cycles, management style, and planning and control systems are a logical extension of this theme. A corporation's business strategy, structure, goals and methods of operating usually differ markedly in each stage of the cycle; the organisation must be managed by executives with the skills to cope with the demands of each stage of corporate development.
Senior Managers and Computers
Authors: Martin C.J. , Winch G.W.
Published: February 2008

Introduction The history of business computer systems development indicates a trend towards the increasing awareness of the potential for man‐machine synergy in some form. Until the early 1970s, the principal impact of computing had been upon the lower organisational levels and on the more structured tasks of the organisation, but from that time on there has been an increasing movement towards amalgamating computer power and management science in an attempt to aid the decision maker facing complex and unstructured decision tasks. More recently, such a blend has come to be termed a decision support system.
The Integration of Product Decisions
Authors: Greenley Gordon E.
Published: February 2008

The product decisions a company needs to make are presented by the current literature within a framework of corporate planning. In this area there is a mass of explanation and methodology. Although the approaches of different writers do vary, there is a general split of corporate planning into strategic planning and operational planning, with product decisions being advocated throughout the company's planning process.
Decision Analysis as an Aid to Strategy
Authors: Thomas Howard , Schwenk Charles R.
Published: February 2008

“Statistical decision theory is a theory of decision‐making, i.e., of selecting among alternatives. It is not a theory of problem solving, i.e., of finding the cause of a particular set of symptoms. Thus, if the problem or opportunity is defined poorly even the best analysis thereafter will be of limited value. In fact, it could be detrimental”.
Strategy and US Cultural Bias
Authors: O'Shaughnessy Nicholas J.
Published: February 2008

Recent years have seen a profusion of new models for strategic analysis. Their common purpose is to guide decision as to which business/product areas to focus on, which to downplay, and define the strategies consequent upon such decision.
Corporate Life Cycles and the Evolution of Management — Part II
Authors: Cowen Scott S. , Kendall Middaugh J. , McCarthy Kevin
Published: February 2008

The first part of the article posited a segmentation of corporate life cycles into four stages: birth, youth, maturity and resurrection. A review of the characteristics of each of the corporate life stages indicated that the role of management and the planning and control systems are quite different in each stage. Part one concluded with the observation that the personality of the key top manager must fit the particular corporate stage of development, since the manager has the greatest internal influence on the organisation.
Marketing Management in Egypt
Authors: Rice Gillian
Published: February 2008

Introduction Marketing in the Middle East and North African region can be problematic for the unprepared and naive manager. The international marketing literature is replete with mistakes committed by unwary Western businessmen. This article intends to clarify the somewhat complex marketing environment in the Middle East, using an evaluation of the Egyptian environment as a case example. Egypt had the third largest gross consumption level in the Middle East, after Saudi Arabia and Algeria, during the period 1975–. Egypt, with a population of 42 million, is an important market in the Middle East for many American, European and Japanese firms. The estimated value in 1980 of exports to Egypt from the US, the EEC and Japan was $2,060 million, $4,846 million and $713 million respectively. Furthermore, Egypt's location on the mediterranean means that it provides a natural link for trade between the three continents of Europe, Africa and Asia.
Practical Financial Policy and Business Planning in an Organisational Context — Part I
Authors: Morden A.R.
Published: February 2008

Introduction This article attempts to take an integrated look at the nature of financial policy, and suggests some of its organisational and marketing implications. It starts with the obvious assumption that those who influence or formulate business policy need to take into consideration the balance between various functional policies, and to make some attempt to co‐ordinate and integrate them. This need becomes critical in a recession, for instance, because the dynamics of cash flow themselves become critical.
Practical Financial Policy and Business Planning in an Organisational Context — Part II
Authors: Morden A.R.
Published: February 2008

The second part of this article continues the analysis of business planning by dealing with the pressures on a business to make use of planning down that may result from the implementation of financial policy (described in Part I). Planning down implies centralised policy direction and control, requiring operational activities to achieve levels of performance set for them. This is then contrasted with planning up, in which divisional and operational activities are able to exercise greater influence in the formulation of their own policies and objectives. Under this approach the corporate centre has to balance the forecasted financial consequences in the annual capital budget, aggregating and reconciling the various proposals it receives, using guidelines or criteria for resource allocation, rate of return and cash flow. The article concludes by comparing the two approaches and their relative advantages and disadvantages.
Biology‐Based Management
Authors: Barrett F.D.
Published: February 2008

Microelectronics is the science and technology that currently has the highest public visibility, but the science and technology that will dominate the future will be biology. Biology will dominate because it will have enormous genetic, medical, health, agricultural and other consequences. Indeed, some computers and other “machines” may be constructed in part from complex proteins and other organic matter. But biology will prevail in an even more important and deeper human sense. It will take root in our minds and give us a whole new manner of looking at, and understanding, man and the universe and, therefore, management. Biology will do this because it is about living things, about creatures and life, birth and death, creativity and destiny, synthesis, complexity and novelty, sickness and health, the vitalism, variety, change and evolution in the universe. In fact, biologically oriented thought is already affecting to a degree our perceptions and understandings of business, organisation and management. This new paradigm might be called “biomanagement”.
Hong Kong—A Bridge to China for Foreign Investors?
Authors: Ho Suk‐ching
Published: February 2008

Introduction Hong Kong has reached a turning point in its history during the past two years. The issue which dominated the city and caught the limelight of the world was Hong Kong's political future after 1997. The question of what will happen in less than 15 years is now the subject of the Sino‐British negotiations in Beijing.
Public Policy and Private Enterprise
Authors: Kenny Ivor
Published: February 2008

Give the state the excuse to encroach upon your proper sphere, and you will find that the ultimate outcome will be the practical expropriation of your interest in your own business. Wise businessmen will refrain from encouraging the state to do for them in their own businesses what they ought to do for themselves.
Exchange Risk Exposure Management and the Significant Exporter
Authors: Javaid M.I.
Published: February 2008

Introduction Companies faced with saturated domestic markets have increasingly turned to potential overseas markets. However, international trading involves an additional risk as the firm is faced with foreign exchange exposures. Transactions exposure usually arises between setting the contract price and payment by the buyer or receipt of funds by the seller. A gain or loss, arising from an exchange rate change, is realised on currency conversion. Operating foreign exchange exposure relates to the potential impact on future costs, sales and earnings streams resulting from a change in real exchange rates, that is, deviations from the equilibrium path implied by the Purchasing Power Parity Theorem.
Can We Legislate for Participation?
Authors: Hespe George
Published: February 2008

Introduction One of the major problems facing work organisations in contemporary society is that of employee involvement in decisions taken within the organisation. The extensive debate on industrial democracy in the United Kingdom has received impetus through the Directives and Statutes of the European Economic Community urging the various parties to reach some form of agreement. Some behavioural scientists seem to have little difficulty in documenting the benefits derived by both the employee and the organisation emanating from the experience of a more participatory organisational style in many British and foreign organisations. More recently the cudgels for increased participation have been wielded by members of all three major political parties in the UK, clearly none to be outwitted by the others when it comes to offering a “better” package to the electorate. The late 80s are likely to be a time when election time pronouncements and commitments are put to the test. Trade unionists and industrialists, through their respective representative bodies, are naturally enough taking a lively, though somewhat more guarded, interest in the subject. Whether the issue is regarded as political, moral or ideological there is a strong climate of opinion, from all of these bodies, in favour of an increase of employee influence over organisations' decision‐making structures. This concern is reflected in legislation both at national and EEC level.
The Managerial Climate in Less‐Developed Countries
Authors: Yavas Ugur , Kaynak Erdener , Dilber Mustafa
Published: February 2008

IntroductionAs Gabriel said, “There can be little doubt that the inexorably widening gulf between the standards of living of the rich nations and the abject misery of the poor nations represents … the most portentous challenge of our time”. To date several explanations have been proposed to account for the differences in rates of growth among nations, but one factor which emerges as the single most important determinant of economic growth is management. Furthermore there is a common belief among political leaders and experts that under‐development of managerial capability at all levels is a major cause of retarded economic progress in developing nations. It follows that if a country is to experience rapid economic growth, then development of managerial capabilities conducive to economic progress is inevitable. However, an increase in both the quality and the quantity of managerial capabilities above all necessitates a reconditioning of the managerial climate in a country. This is based on the premise that development of managerial capabilities is influenced by the economic, political, legal, educational, social and cultural conditions prevailing in the environment.
Licensing and the Pricing of Technology
Authors: Etele Anthony
Published: February 2008

It was only two decades ago that foreign licensing gained wide recognition and acceptance as a positive, third approach to foreign markets, an alternative approach that could be used instead of exporting or direct foreign investment. Official statistical data on dollar receipts from licensing transactions are published in the Survey of Current Business as part of the balance of payments accounts. These data, compiled in Table I, indicate that receipts of royalties, fees and services from abroad more than doubled over the course of the 13 years between 1970 and 1983.
New Aids for Personnel Decision Making
Authors: Algie Jimmy , Foster William
Published: February 2008

The issues may seem intractable, resources may be scarce and time may be running out, but decision insight systems produce reliable decisions fast, from raw views and whatever facts are available. This article illustrates how personnel managers in business and public services use these unique microcomputer systems to make their decisions and allocate their scare resources more effectively.
Future‐oriented Management
Authors: Korey George
Published: February 2008

In just a few years, we will be facing a world that is quite different from the one in which we live today. As a result of changes that will come we must strive to make life better from the environmental, social and economic points of view. This also requires that we look at management from a point of view that is future‐oriented. The changes of the technological age which are already affecting our lives personally, have also begun to affect the world of business and industry in a variety of ways. Revolutionary new trends and developments have had an unprecedented impact on methods of business management and are profoundly altering the role of executives in North American business.
Cambietics: The New Science of Managing Change
Authors: Barrett F.D.
Published: February 2008

This morning I picked up a favourite old book, one that has the title, The Dynamics of Change. Despite its very contemporary title, the book is scarcely new. It was published nearly 20 years ago, in 1967. Next to it sit more current books on change, including such best sellers as Managing Strategic Change, published in 1983, and The Change Masters, published in 1984. Both are first class books. In‐between sit other books on change: Managing Change, published in 1972 and The Change Resisters, published in 1981. Evidently, there is a definite continuity to the flow of literature on change and its management. Change is here to stay.
Communication in the Future: Managing in the Information Society
Authors: Bogorya Yvonne
Published: February 2008

The 1980s is a decade of transition into the information age in which technological developments will speed up the process of communication. Alvin Toffler in The Third Wave discusses the impact of “an electronic revolution that will change our entire economy, our city structure, our values and even our politics”. Rapid transmission of messages via telecommunication reduces distances and increases “information power”. For example, videotext is used to create direct access to data. Electronic mail speeds up the process of sending and receiving information.
Tactics for Turnaround
Authors: O'Shaughnessy Nicholas J.
Published: February 2008

Companies facing disaster and needing turnaround have included the biggest and best names. This article looks at the four major criteria an organisation must satisfy to achieve successful turnarounds.
Trade with China and Japan
Authors: Saunders John , Hong Chong Ton
Published: February 2008

Intercultural trade always requires special efforts. The authors of this article lay down some guidelines for Western dealings with companies in China and Japan, and bring out points to note for both sides.
Learning to Cope with Change
Authors: Binsted Don
Published: February 2008

Even after a decade and more of turbulent change, organisations still consistently fail to recognise environmental warning signals. Managers can learn how to avoid or survive catastrophe.
Production Management: The Art of the Possible
Authors: Lockyer K.G.
Published: February 2008

A satisfactory manufacturing policy can be drawn up systematically—amendments can them be audited. There are five axioms to take into account, three unities to preserve and the five Ps characterising the production management function. These, with SWOT analyses, provide a matrix by which policy can be examined.
Action Learning in a Developing Country
Authors: Revans Reginald W.
Published: February 2008

The latest in our series of Management Classics features an article by the founding father of action learning. Professor Reg Revans. It originally appeared in the Malaysian Management Review.
The Professional Approach to Collective Bargaining
Authors: Cousins J.Y. , McCall J.B.
Published: February 2008

Collective bargaining depends upon particular skills at different stages for its successful outcome. Identification of these skills and an ability to use them accurately is essential for today's manager. Equally important is the ability to recognise the different stages of the bargaining process and correctly to interpret the behaviour of the other side during those stages.
Doing Business in Japan
Authors: Tulenko Paul
Published: February 2008

It is possible to do business in Japan. What is difficult is doing things in a way that will be acceptable to the Japanese.
Can You Afford to Ignore Merchandising?
Authors: Buttle Francis
Published: February 2008

Impulse buying — can it be predicted or even encouraged? Merchandisers are known as the “silent salesmen” and their skills cannot be ignored.
Organising for High Technology Product Development
Authors: Johne F.A.
Published: February 2008

Leaders in product innovation manage things differently from less successful follower firms. Research points to several facets of management where these differences are made clear.
Market Segmentation and Corporate Control
Authors: Morden Anthony R.
Published: February 2008

Small is beautiful! Market segmentation can make tangible the abstractions which surround “corporate objectives”.
Management By Objectives: A Team Approach
Authors: French Wendell L. , Drexler John A.
Published: February 2008

Groups, goals and organisation development — the literature has tended to recommend a one‐to‐one MBO. Now consider the team approach.
A Company Owned by Employees
Authors: Kenny Graham K.
Published: February 2008

Does participation equal power? The management prerogatives of employee‐owners are unequally distributed.
Understanding Human Behaviour
Authors: Pate Larry E.
Published: February 2008

Tradition, opinions, rumours, advertising, all contribute to biases and perpetuate misunderstandings. Can a more complete understanding of human behaviour help managers anticipate problems before they arise?
Customer Services — Off the Peg or Tailor‐made?
Authors: Marr Norman E.
Published: February 2008

This article examines the differences in the off the peg or tailor‐made approaches to customer services. It also suggests trade‐off analysis as a means of determining what is most important to customers and how they will react to changes in particular services.
Managing Forecasts: User and Expert
Authors: Barron Michael , Targett David
Published: February 2008

Michael Barron and David Targett argue in favour of forecasting playing a relevant part in decision making. They point out that forecasting possesses reliable techniques, it is only when the gap between the producers of forecasts and the users is too great that managerial scepticism intervenes. They suggest ways of overcoming this.
Successful Counter‐trading
Authors: Shipley David D. , Neale C.W.
Published: February 2008

Economic problems have led to the increasing role off counter‐trade in the world trade scene. Countries with large external debts are able to acquire imports and settle bills with goods or services rather than through a financial settlement. This article looks at varying forms of counter‐trade.
Training the Japanese Way
Authors: Subocz Victor
Published: February 2008

“As far as basic management principles are concerned, the so‐called Japanese philosophy of management is very similar to that in western countries. The reason is very simple. We learned and copied from the West!”
Paralinguistics: It's Not What You Say It's the Way That You Say It
Authors: Townsend John
Published: February 2008

There is more to what we say than the actual words we use; managers should make sure they are familiar with basic paralinguistics.
Strategic Company Enhancement
Authors: Dealtry T.R.
Published: February 2008

Strategy models are all too often confined to applications in the multinational corporation. Strategic Company Enhancement looks at increasing the value and competencies of “middle sector” organisations in particular.
The Enterprise Culture: Threat or Opportunity?
Authors: Gibb Allan
Published: February 2008

What is “enterprise culture?” How can organisations benefit from this new ideology and its consequent practices?
Innovation — A State of Mind
Authors: McDonald Wood Ian
Published: February 2008

Innovation is not an action, but is a state of mind — moreover, it needs to be an ongoing one.
Star Wars
Authors: Strage Henry M.
Published: February 2008

Why have entrepreneurs been so much in the news? What attempts have made to cope with the entrepreneurial revolution?
The Accounting Approach to Employee Resourcing
Authors: Dawson Chris
Published: February 2008

The model described is a practical tool designed to improve managerial decision making about employees.
Changing to Contract Distribution
Authors: Buck David
Published: February 2008

With contract hire there are no huge investments in the purchase of vehicles.
MIS Project Management: A Contingency Approach
Authors: Dos Santos Brian L.
Published: February 2008

The MIS manager is offered a framework to help in the selection of methodologies for projects; the choice of analyst may be crucial.
The application of do‐it‐yourself training to the induction of new employees
Authors: WHITLEY JOHN
Published: February 2008

WHAT IS DO‐IT‐YOURSELF TRAINING? BASICALLY, IT IS NO MORE than a variant of on‐the‐job training. Let me hastily add, before your eyebrows rise in arch disapproval, that it often requires as much careful effort in its preparation as an equivalent off‐the‐job training scheme designed to fulfil the same purpose. But very often the results are astoundingly better.
Training the ding man
Authors: BASEY RAY
Published: February 2008

The job of ding man is very highly skilled: it contains a large number of advanced sensori‐motor skills and much decision‐making. For many years different car‐builders have wrestled with the training of this key worker, for a long time without success. Ray Basey, Skills Analyst at Fords, Dagenham, has studied this job in depth and developed highly effective training in it. His article is a study in how to approach the business of training for complex manual skills.
Some interviewing issues
Authors: PENDLEBURY CHRIS
Published: February 2008

Most selection procedures consist simply of an interview. Tests of aptitude and attainment, personality questionnaires, group discussions and other group exercises are all used in personnel selection. But in by far the majority of instances the applicant will be confronted by none of these techniques. It will be on his performance at interview alone that he will be accepted or rejected. Selection research often shows the interview to be a rather ineffective selection device. Yet in view of its extensive use and its general acceptability both to interviewer and applicant we should consider how we may increase its effectiveness. In this and a subsequent article I shall be attempting to answer a number of questions about the interview, questions incidentally which I have found to be regularly raised on courses and lectures on the subject.
Stop the courses! I want to get off
Authors: HONEY PETER
Published: February 2008

Peter Honey presents this article as a contribution to our management training project. Frequently, throughout the project and elsewhere, we have made the point that the intention of the trainer should be to engineer, for the trainee, effective job‐oriented learning experiences. The traditional way of carrying out all training above the manual level has been by organising courses and other forms of direct instruction. In our project we have shown how some go‐ahead firms and colleges have succeeded in escaping from the course obsession. Organising courses is the easy option. But to create effective learning situations which are meaningful in terms of the job calls for much more effort, imagination and innovation. Thus it has come about that formal courses, as the means of improving manager performance, are not merely suspect but are near to falling into disrepute. Peter Honey here states the case against formal, conventional courses, in the field of managing the human resource. Indeed, in this refreshingly‐light contribution, he might even be suspected of OVER‐STATING the case. If this is so, and provided his article drives home the point, we welcome his offering as a worthy contribution to our management training project. Editor
Skills testing service
Authors: CLEGG CR , JONES A
Published: February 2008

Training requirements for semi‐skilled and skilled workers, and to a limited extent technicians, are mainly specific. Thus when a firm trains a person, it is generally to equip him to do a specific job or carry out a set of operations which may or may not involve an element of discretion. The usefulness of this training depends upon whether the trainee, at the end of his period of training, is able to do the jobs which he has been trained for and to take his place in the company as a productive wage earner. The literature which has been published so far by industrial training boards seems to bear this out, and the concept of the ‘module’ used by some boards illustrates this point. For many years the City and Guilds of London Institute has been connected with technical training as well as technical education and has developed practical examinations mainly in connection with further education schemes. These examinations were intended mainly to supplement education courses and in most cases not to measure ability to perform actual jobs. As such they helped to fulfil the training needs at a time when few alternatives were readily available. However, more recently, the impetus given to industrial training by the Industrial Training Act of 1964 resulting in a greater awareness of the importance of training and growing sophistication in training requirements has lead to the relevance of the practical examinations being questioned. A new situation had therefore arisen and to cater for it the Institute used its experience to develop an enterprise whose function it would be to provide a consultancy service in competence testing. We have called this enterprise The Skills Testing Service.
First reactions to Haslesrave
Authors: KENDALL WAC , MARSHALL RF
Published: February 2008

The Haslegrave Report, which will bring a more systematic approach to the education and training of the technician, was published on 16 December 1969. Already it has attracted a great deal of comment, mostly favourable. Recently the Institution of Electrical and Electronic Technician Engineers organised a conference on the Haslegrave Report at Nottingham University and this provided a valuable formal platform for the public expression of views. Two speeches in particular seemed of special interest to our readers. The first reported speech is that given by Mr W A C Kendall, President of the Association of Teachers in Technical Institutions (ATTI), presenting the official view of the technical college teaching profession. Following this is a report of the speech by Mr R F Marshall, a well‐known and distinguished training manager, looking at the Haslegrave proposals from an industrial viewpoint. Reference is made to Dr Haslegrave's own speech to the conference in our editorial leader on page 248 of this issue.
You have the experts‐use them
Authors: SIMMONS A
Published: February 2008

A FAMOUS GENERAL ONCE SAID THE NCO WAS THE BACKBONE of the British Army. Had he been in industry, he would probably have said ‘The supervisor is the backbone of British Industry’.
adult apprentice
Authors: Hall Ken , Miller Isobel
Published: February 2008

THROUGHOUT THE WESTERN WORLD, THE ACQUISITION OF A high‐level manual skill is regarded mainly as the prerogative of youth. This is a view which has been adhered to most vehemently by this country; elsewhere the situation is more elastic, as Gertrude Williams shows in her book APPRENTICESHIP IN EUROPE. In this book she describes a survey of the apprenticeship systems of seven West European countries and comments that in every one of these countries ‘apprenticeship is very much shorter than here’ and also, ‘in no country is there any restriction, such as exists in this country on the maximum age of entry into apprenticeship imposed either by law or by the trade unions’. Despite this flexibility, Lady Williams found that there was ‘little demand from older people for apprenticeship vacancies for they can rarely afford … adolescent wages’.
Clerical training‐new stage
Authors: WELLENS JOHN
Published: February 2008

Of all the aspects of training, that most in need of a fundamental shake‐up is clerical training. The purpose of this short article is to inform readers of the latest position and to open up the topic for discussion in this journal.
would you give up a job with a three‐day week?
Authors: HUGHES ALEC M
Published: February 2008

ONE THIRD OF OUR COMMERCIAL THEATRES CLOSED SINCE THE war. Only one teenager in 25 a member of a youth club. £600 million a year spent in Britain on off‐course betting. Fourteen million members of Bingo clubs. So — what has all this to do with industry? 15 000 out of a labour force of 21 000 displaced by mechanised, automated equipment. A working force of 22 000 packing workers reduced to 9 000 by the same means. Ah, but that was in the USA! Well what about 30 000 New York electrical workers on a 25 hour week? Well that is America too! And how about the shortest working week yet negotiated in Europe? Ah well, Europe — a bit nearer home maybe. Yes, but this was in Leigh, Lancs, and they negotiated a three‐day week in a textile mill!
The scope of interest questionnaires
Authors: PENDLEBURY CHRIS
Published: February 2008

At selection we are keen to determine whether an applicant is interested in the job for which he is applying. If he is, we predict that he will do the job better and for longer than an otherwise similar person who lacks the interest. Interest questionnaires purport to measure a person's degree of interest in different types of activity. Some people mistakenly use interest questionnaires as selection instruments. However they are essentially instruments for use in vocational counselling and things can go wrong if they are used in the selection situation for which they are not technically designed.
Getting on with the training
Authors: wellens john
Published: February 2008

Over the past ten years there has grown up a new way of thinking about management. We talk about management styles. While recognising that there are many varied styles we talk about two in particular: the authoritarian style and the participative style. To reduce our main consideration to only two styles is a bold over‐simplification. But it is useful: it enables us, for instance, to show how different styles produce different motivational climates. This growing concern with differing management styles is one of several factors which are having a big influence on the mechanics of instruction and learning. But it is only one factor. What are the other factors which are changing our understanding of the instructional and learning process?
Expressing training objectives in behavioural terms
Authors: HIGGS MJ
Published: February 2008

Before considering the need to define behavioural objectives it is useful to consider the reasons for undertaking any form of training. The basic reason may be stated in terms of equipping the trainee with the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to perform a job or a task. Any training programme, therefore, should be constructed with this purpose in mind. In order to construct a programme along these lines it is essential that the relevant skills, knowledge and attitudes be expressed in such a way as to allow their measurement. Once this has been done a criterion is established whereby it becomes possible to evaluate the success or failure of the training programme. The measurable expression of the aims of training is what is referred to as the objectives. Inherent in the construction and expression of these objectives is a relationship to the evaluation of the training. It is, therefore, virtually impossible to consider objectives in the absence of evaluation. Returning to the basic purpose of training, it can be seen that the objectives must also be closely matched to the training needs in any situation. Thus, before objectives can be established, it is necessary to identify training needs and express them in terms of skill, knowledge and attitude requirements.
Training BOAC secretaries
Authors: MURRAY PATRICIA E
Published: February 2008

The previous article described a system of training for secretaries based on a study of the secretary's role. These courses were designed after a systematic collection of information on training needs — by questionnaire and by interview with both boss and secretary. The courses are being subjected to a programme of evaluation, the first part of which is described here.
A safe place of work
Authors: WALSH BILL
Published: February 2008

Probably one of the most consistently underrated obligations of management is that derived from common law. This is enshrined in the phrase — the employer must take reasonable care not to subject his employees to unreasonable risks. This is not surprising because the insertion of a word as imprecise as ‘reasonable’ leaves so many loopholes. The standard of reasonableness cannot, for example, guarantee absolute safety. Some work will always be, to some extent, dangerous, yet if ordinary commercial and industrial life is to continue the work must be done.
But what is an ITB?
Authors: BROADHURST ALISON
Published: February 2008

‘Inflationary, unfair and parasitical bodies’, ‘irrelevant bureaucracies’, ‘counter‐productive institutions which upset the colleges and create cash flow problems for small businesses’ are among the descriptive allusions to ITBs. The complex hostility of a significant area of industry to the ITBs has been irrational, but whatever the circumstances, the most unlikely term to occur to critics in connection with such boards is ‘charity’; yet the Construction ITB recently sought a Court Order to the effect that it is just that: a charity.
The THANET scheme
Authors: SMITH WW
Published: February 2008

A combined operation by engineering firms in South East England, Thanet Technical College, and the staff of the Engineering Industry Training Board in the region has produced a new course of first year off‐the‐job training for technician engineers which may well prove to be a useful model for the whole of the industry. It is a specialised course devised to meet the needs of trainees identified from the start as potential technician engineer material.
Getting started Topic 4
Authors: JONES FRANK
Published: February 2008

Most of the earlier articles in this series have been aimed at the less experienced training officer who is a new hoy in a company employing 700 plus. This article is more relevant to the smaller firm, where the training officer may even have to combine this function with other duties. Obviously, some of the points raised in the article will apply also to the larger company, but this is basically a ground floor approach. The author is one of the training team at the Shoe & Allied Trades Research Association, who, besides running courses, carry out a considerable amount of consultancy work. The majority of companies in footwear manufacture have between 100 and 500 employees.
Sensitivity traning in action
Authors: REASON PETER
Published: February 2008

What I want to do in this article is to capture the sense of community, of love, of learning, of struggle, of despair, that occurred during a weekend of laboratory training. I am conscious that this task has been attempted many times before, and not always with great success, but for some reason I cannot articulate, I need to try for myself. The incidents I wish to recount took place during a lab held for the first year group of the PhD program in Organisation Behaviour at Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, Ohio. This group had been together for about four weeks. It is important to place this lab in the context of the department's strong concern for creating a community in which the all‐round professional growth of its members could take place; thus one of the objectives of the weekend was to experiment with different ways of relating with each other and develop the kind of community relationships we thought would be most useful over the next three years. Another context of the weekend was that it was held as part of a class titled Personality Theories and Development Processes. Don Wolfe, who takes this class, and who was our trainer for the lab, is concerned that we should learn about personality and growth, both intellectually and through experience, so as to be in a position to develop our own personally meaningful theories as we experience our own processes of growth. Thus another objective of the lab was that it should facilitate our growth as people; it was to be oriented towards PERSONAL GROWTH.