bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Process of Influencing in Industrial Relations
Authors: Leary Malcolm
Published: February 2008

Introduction The importance of the power and influencing process as a feature of organisational life has long been accepted. This process however has very rarely been traced through to a specific area and given a clearer organisational focus. And it is unusual to find studies in this area that have been honed down into a point where they are of use to those operating in the field.
The Position and Behaviour of Smaller Firms in the Motor Industry
Authors: Rhys D.G.
Published: February 2008

In the British and European motor industry there co‐exist firms which differ widely in size. Given the existence of economies of scale the smaller firms are faced with the problem of survival; more precisely, of being able to charge a premium price to offset higher unit costs. After confirming the existence of scale economies this paper looks at the corporate strategies of smaller firms, but first it is necessary to clarify what we mean by “smaller firms”. In any market for any good where economies of scale exist in its production, firms smaller than the optimum could, if no non‐scale problems exist, be at a cost and, with competition, a profit disadvantage. However, in the motor industry the term “smaller” covers various types of operation.
Marketing Information Systems in United States and British Industry
Authors: Jobber David
Published: February 2008

There can be little doubt regarding the comparative expertise within marketing between USA and UK industry. As Seibert and Wills wrote, “in terms of operational marketing Britain obviously lags”. However, the practice of marketing research in Britain is well developed and equals US standards. “There seems little doubt that the discrete existence of the Market Research Society in Britain has been one of the major factors explaining why UK marketing research is on a direct par with North American standards.” Examination of the relative positions with regard to marketing information systems (MkIS) has been neglected, though, mainly because of the reluctance of British researchers to carry out the necessary investigations. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of investigations into the development of MkIS in British industry so that a comparison between the two countries may be forthcoming. Such research has been carried out in the USA by Amstutz in 1969 and Boone and Kurtz in 1971, and it is information from these studies which makes comparisons possible albeit not on a fixed time point.
The Development of the Marketing Concept: Relation to the Doctrine of Consumer Sovereignty
Authors: Mitchell Ivor S.
Published: February 2008

Introduction The terms “marketing concept” and “consumer sovereignty” have definite elements in common, but after a certain point they veer in separate directions. The focus of both concepts—the satisfaction of the consumer wants—is the same. The difference between the concepts arises mainly in the means (tools) used for the satisfaction of these wants. Even the origins of the concepts are not without significant meaning. While an academician, Adam Smith, is credited with the origination of the doctrine of consumer sovereignty, a business practitioner, Ralph Cordiner, is usually credited with the origination of the marketing concept. While businessmen have invariably, in their minds, adopted the doctrine of consumer sovereignty, they have moved beyond mere adoption in the case of the marketing concept and have been rationalising the necessity of implementing it in their day‐to‐day operations.
Buying Behaviour in State‐Sponsored Industry
Authors: Bradley M.F.
Published: February 2008

A study of industrial buying behaviour is concerned with examining a number of central issues which arise in business to business marketing. While conceptually very similar to consumer buying behaviour, an examination of industrial buying behaviour is concerned with a number of additional dimensions which are discussed below. In this study industrial buying is examined from the perspective of the state‐sponsored sector of industry in Ireland. Many of the state‐sponsored companies in Ireland are straightforward trading enterprises which differ from large private firms only in their shareholding and control. However, because of the control element exercised by the public authorities, state‐sponsored companies tend to resemble the public sector in their buying activities. On the other hand their need to meet commercial criteria places them in the private sector arena. Because they have to operate under two very different sets of criteria it is likely that their buying behaviour would differ somewhat from the buying behaviour observed in the public sector and the private sector. For the purposes of this study seven trading companies in the state‐sponsored sector representative of a number of industries including power and fuel, transportation, food and manufactured goods and communications were examined.
Small and Medium Sized Manufacturing Firms and Technological Innovation
Authors: Rothwell Roy
Published: February 2008

Introduction Governments in Western Europe are showing an increasing interest in the welfare of small and medium sized manufacturing firms (SMEs) and in the generation of new technology‐based small firms. There are a number of reasons for this, two of the most important being:
Techniques for Creating New Product Ideas:
Authors: Sands Saul
Published: February 2008

The effectiveness of the whole product development process is limited by the quantity and quality of new ideas uncovered. New idea inputs surface haphazardly when no systematic procedure exists to uncover them. As a consequence, the unorganised company may find itself developing products of only marginal promise. A systematic approach to comparative product ideas is especially important in industries with short product life cycles, such as the packaged drug business. An “inventory” of new product ideas is needed to produce a series of overlapping profit waves to insure growth and a regular cash flow. The high mortality rate of product ideas also argues for having a large pool of ideas to draw on.
The Industrial Strategy and Manpower Policy: Some Puzzles
Authors: Hartley Keith
Published: February 2008

Introduction It is now part of the conventional wisdom that the success of the industrial strategy is vital because the UK “needs a healthy manufacturing industry”. Proposals have been made to allocate a substantial proportion of the additional revenues from North Sea oil and gas to domestic manufacturing capacity and to stimulate employment directly. But how are these allocative decisions to be resolved? Even if we accept the conventional wisdom of an industrial strategy, which industries and regions are to be the focus of public policy and why? What are the manpower implications of the industrial strategy? Proposals for more skilled labour cannot be divorced from industrial, locational and factor “mix” decisions. Potential conflicts exist between industrial and employment policy. Efforts to increase the competitiveness of UK manufacturing industry through increased investment and higher productivity will result in the substitution of capital for labour and hence job loss; at the same time, policy aims to increase employment in manufacturing! Not surprisingly, estimates of a “job gap” of some 2 millions by 1981 dominate the debate, although such forecasts usually fail to refer to the price dimension, especially assumptions about the set of relative and real wage rates.
Adoption of Innovation: A Concept Attainment View
Authors: Masterson J.J. , Hayward G.
Published: February 2008

Introduction Technological innovation is a subject of increasing importance in industrial life. There is a general feeling in Britain, that our relatively poor industrial performance compared with countries such as the United States, Japan and West Germany is because they are more advanced in adopting new technology. It is vitally important, in a situation changing as rapidly as at present, for organisations to keep abreast or even ahead of technological developments and to adopt innovations successfully. This article attempts to inter‐relate the findings of researchers who have examined the process of diffusion of innovations, in the hope that an increased understanding of this process will assist in the spread of new technology.
So You Know How Advertising Works?
Authors: Murray Hugh
Published: February 2008

Editors' Introduction In this article Hugh Murray questions many of the assumptions underlying popular theories of how advertising works, and criticises the lack of empirical research findings to validate them. On the basis of relationships shown by empirical research to exist between consumer purchasing behaviour of repeat‐purchase items, and consumer knowledge of attitudes towards alternative brands, he puts forward a model of how advertising works which differs from conventional theories. If this theory were accepted it would lead to a different approach to advertising strategies in this area, and the article spells out these implications.
Strategies for Success in Management Information Systems
Authors: King William R.
Published: February 2008

In recent years, a great deal of attention has been paid to processes through which more useful management information systems (MIS's) might be developed. This attention is due to the widespread realisations, which developed in the second and third decades of the computer era, that many computer‐based information systems were failing to fulfil the purpose for which they were intended, or failing to live up to the expectations of potential users.
Controlling the Company's Internal Cash‐Flows
Authors: Soenen Luc A.
Published: February 2008

The traditional profit centre concept of Management has a fatal defect. It concentrates attention on near term reported profit rather than cash flow. The two are not equivalent. Both short term and long term, they tend to move in opposite directions. Near term investment depresses near term reported profit although it may increase profit markedly later. Near term divestment frequently appears as near term profit but also often leads to liquidation of the business in the long run.
A Note on Block Tariffs
Authors: Gabor André
Published: February 2008

Synopsis This paper has two purposes, closely connected with one another. The first is to fill a gap by presenting a consistent theory of block tariffs; the second is to dispel some misconceptions found in the works of standard authors concerning this form of pricing. The main misconceptions here discussed are three in number: first, that the extent to which the consumer's surplus can be exploited depends on the number of blocks; second, that a lower price is necessarily ineffective if it occurs at a quantity which is larger than what the consumer would have bought had the price of the preceding block been valid throughout; and third, that block tariffs may prove inefficient in practice.
Real and Hypothetical Shop Situations in Market Research
Authors: Gabor André , Granger Clive W.J. , Sowter Anthony P.
Published: February 2008

Introduction This is a report on a comparison of the effects of price differences on purchasing decisions obtained by observing the actual shopping behaviour of a group of housewives and the responses of a comparable group of subjects to hypothetical price situations similar to those found in the shops. The project which made this possible is outlined later.
Bargaining Structure
Authors: Beaumont P.B. , Thomson A.W.J. , Gregory M.B.
Published: February 2008

I. INTRODUCTION In this monograph we point out and analyse various dimensions of bargaining structure, which we define broadly as the institutional configuration within which bargaining takes place, and attempt to provide some guidelines for management action. We look at the development, theory, and present framework of bargaining structure in Britain and then examine it in terms of choices: multi‐employer versus single employer, company versus plant level bargaining, and the various public policy issues involved.
The Degeneration of Marketing Education
Authors: Saunders John
Published: February 2008

Introduction There are signs that the relevance and purpose of marketing education is being lost. Marketing has never been justified as a purely academic discipline so any drift away from its roots of marketing management must be investigated and arrested.
Pay Policy in Sweden — Problems and Trends
Authors: Norstedt Jan‐Peder
Published: February 2008

Background There are several factors behind the current economic crisis in Sweden that started in the mid‐Seventies and which will certainly remain a feature of the economic landscape for the greater part of the 1980s. We import more oil per capita than any other country. For a few years in the Seventies we gave ourselves pay rises that were substantially higher than in the rest of the world. To these causes should be added the rapidly rising cost of our swelling public sector.
Wage Structures and Wage Comparisons
Authors: White Michael
Published: February 2008

Wage Structures and Wage Comparisons “Fair pay” is generally regarded as one of the main objectives of wage and salary administration in organisations. It is also becoming more widely appreciated that government incomes policies are unlikely to succeed until they can alter the anomalies and distortions which exist between the wages of different occupations or sectors of employment. If organisations or governments are to move in the direction of fairer pay then they must understand wage structures and the wage comparisons which such structures give rise to. The purpose of this paper is to describe a set of methods for aiding this task. Without methods of analysing complex wage structures, organisations and governments lack the capability of moving in the direction of fairer pay. This paper is therefore about the establishment of a capability for policy making, and the concluding section will briefly suggest how policy might be improved with the aid of this capability.
Salesforce Management
Authors: Meidan Arthur
Published: February 2008

INTRODUCTION A large number of variables influence the approach of the marketing function to the problem of selling, including the state of technology, the economic environment, the social structure, the climate of the age (political, institutional, religious and educational), available communication media, skills which managers apply and so on. Yet personal selling is by far the major promotional method used to increase profitable sales by offering want satisfactions to markets and customers.
Added Value, Labour Productivity and Earnings
Authors: Cuthbert N.H. , Hawkins K.H. , Sparkes J.R.
Published: February 2008

Introduction This paper on added value and labour productivity pays particular attention to the advantages and limitations of added value based incentive schemes.
A Step by Step Approach to Introducing Computer Technology Into Small and Medium Sized Firms
Authors: Willis Eric
Published: February 2008

The enormous advances in micro‐electronics in recent years has resulted in a dramatic decrease in the cost of computing power. Today's small business computer systems costing from £3,000 to £10,000 can do the work of a ten year old machine then costing the equivalent of £250,000. Therefore any company who employs more than one person full time to look after administration and clerical work should now be thinking about using a computer to save time, money and to cut out a lot of monotonous routine work. Additionally, even basic computer systems will provide businessmen with much better and more detailed information on which to base decisions.
Long‐term Strategic Planning Issues in the Aquaculture Industry
Authors: Chaston Ian
Published: February 2008

Summary The increasing interest in aquaculture by corporate groups outside the industry and the rapid pace of technological change in culture techniques combine to cause longterm planning to be an increasingly important management function. A planning matrix is presented to assess identification of alternative strategy paths. Diversification is also discussed and examples provided of opportunities available for corporate expansion by this route.
Optimal Policies for Claiming Payment under Price Escalation Clause Types of Contracts
Authors: Keller Alfred Z. , Gupta Yash P. , Supriyasilp V.
Published: February 2008

Generally, in the contracting industry, the contractor works in an,environment of risk and uncertainty caused by the economic factors such as fluctuations in the costs of labour and materials. This paper examines the overall effect of these factors on the policy for claiming payments under the price escalation clause type of contracts. Particular reference has been made to the formula ‘F’ of the Water Tube Boiler Maker's Association (WTBA), England. It has been shown that under certain circumstances the contractors can optimise the benefit, or minimise the loss, arising from changes in the costs of labour and materials due to inflation. An appropriate alogrithm based on dynamic programming is given.
A Historical Approach to Comparative Retailing
Authors: Savitt Ronald
Published: February 2008

One of the most serious problems faced by the multinational retailer is the estimation of the structure of retail markets in the many countries that he might want to enter. While marketing scholars have developed methods for assessing market potentials and for evaluating economic and political conditions, they have not been as successful in solving the market entry problem as it relates to the development of retailing. There are a large number of models of retail change which can be applied to the process, however, they generally fall short of management desires. In the first place, these models are often based on hypotheses of retail change in the North American market. In the second place, many of the models have not been formally tested within that environment and few have been evaluated in the wider context. Finally, these models are not comparative and the use of them in comparative analysis would suffer from the absence of acceptable categories and data. One approach that might help the difficulties of market entry is to apply historical research methods to the problem of understanding change. These methods by their very nature embody the elements of comparative analysis and offer the added advantage of dealing with specific firms and events rather than concentrating on more aggregate categories. By focusing on specific retailers in a single country and across many countries the researcher can develop general propositions which are deductively arrived at in a systematic fashion rather than rely on chance observation of aggregate structure and behaviour. Historical research demands a new outlook and sensitivity in the observation of events and in the analysis of data. The skills required to undertake such research have direct benefits because they force the researcher clearly to define the elements of his study in a way not possible when statistical methods are employed. Will such research be the answer to all of the issues of multinational retailing? The answer is clearly no; however, it can help managers and marketing scholars better understand the process of change in the past. There is no certainty that the past will predict the future, but understanding the process of change might make the future more manageable; and, what better place is there to start than a historical perspective?
The Technical Salesman and his Training
Authors: Dixon J. , James B.G.S.
Published: February 2008

In the marketing of technical products and services personal selling has consistently been regarded as more important than other elements such as advertising and alternative forms of promotion—and a recent survey of small to medium sized engineering companies has confirmed this view.
ACTION LEARNING The Skills of Diagnosis
Authors: Revans R.W.
Published: February 2008

Complexity for Real Action learning is concerned to do something about reality—including helping those involved to see more clearly what they are about. It may lend conviction to my argument if I quote from a great writer impartially describing how others have assessed the world of action. I do this because there lingers on in our management schools the belief that “case‐studies”, usually written at great expense by “expert professors” and concealing within themselves the complex interplays of social and economic theory, are quite sufficient to equip the future manager with that sharpness of perception and that firmness of resolve needful to untangle the multiple obscurities on his horizons:
International Aid: Channels of Communication
Authors: Dennison E. , Robinson H. , Merzweiler T.
Published: February 2008

Scope and Scale A British firm's export director was on a tour of some African countries and, quite by chance, learnt of a £1 million aid grant for machinery which his company could supply. The system used to identify aid money was considered to have been successful up to this time, but as a result of this discovery the firm conducted investigations which showed that, far from being satisfactory, its search procedure had missed a considerable number of potential orders in recent years.
Doing Business in China: Why Britons May Have the Advantage
Authors: Warrington B.
Published: February 2008

Despite the recessionary nature of the world economy the Asian Pacific circle has managed to maintain itself as one of the most rapidly growing areas. During 1978, for example, the annual rate of growth in real GDP for Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan was 10 per cent, 11.8 per cent and 12.6 per cent respectively. Even at the lower end of the table Japan and the Philippines still managed a respectable 6 per cent.
Pitfalls to Avoid with Modelling Languages
Authors: Norgaard Birgit
Published: February 2008

DSS—déjà vu? The arguments employed in support of the use of Decision Support Systems generated by modelling languages are very similar to the arguments used to implement Management Information Systems: improved management information. MIS was intended to satisfy the information requirements of middle management. Data manipulation was automated—to some extent using models—and the systems could handle on‐line enquiry, storage management, resource planning, etc. MIS was characterised by:
Attitudes Towards Multinationals: The Middle East in the World Context
Authors: Geyikdagi Yasar M.
Published: February 2008

Introduction The purpose of this article is to examine the evolution of the attitudes of Middle Eastern countries towards foreign direct investment and, more specifically, towards multinational corporations. It is important from the point of view of both the multinationals and the host countries to know whether the climate is becoming more favourable for foreign direct investment. Such a situation would mean less risk for the foreign investor and, other things being equal, a lower cost of capital which would reduce costs for both the foreign investor and the host country.
The Managerial Linker: A Key to the High Performing Team
Authors: Margerison Charles , McCann Dick
Published: February 2008

Introduction All managers and supervisors are dependent on the performance of their team members. Unless these subordinates perform effectively, then the manager or supervisor will be seen in most cases to have failed. As Brown has noted, “the supervisor generally is more dependent on the work group than on the individual employee, because the work group's performance provides a measure of his or her supervisory capabilities”. We have recently been looking at the work of managers and supervisors in relation to the groups that they lead, to try to identify those factors which contribute to the success of a team. We have been able to identify a number of factors which define what we call High Performing Teams (HPTs). One of these factors is the linking factor — that is, all teams need a manager or supervisor who acts as a critical “link person” in getting things done.
From CAP 1 to CAP 2: User‐Initiated Innovation from the User's Point of View
Authors: Foxall Gordon , Tierney Janet
Published: February 2008

User‐initiated innovation is a significant source of new industrial products in certain industries. Recent investigations have been concerned primarily with the identification of user‐innovators and their usefulness to the manufacturers who eventually make and/or market the new product or process generally. The extension of thought to include the activities of customers in the initiation of the industrial innovative process has been based upon the assumption that the firm which initiates the user‐based innovation will play no more than a small role in its commercial exploitation. This article presents a case study of a company, British Aerospace, which has deliberately attempted to exploit commercially some of the innovations developed internally for its own use. The article goes on to suggest an extension to the “customer‐active paradigm” of innovation research to include such pro‐active behaviour.
The Medical Administrator in Canadian Hospitals
Authors: Phillips Michael S.
Published: February 2008

The Role of the Administrator In looking at the role of the administrator, it is first necessary to look briefly at some of the recent trends in administration, particularly hospital administration. The most significant development affecting the administrative process is the increased size and complexity of the hospital organisation and the bureaucratisation of all sectors of modern industrial society. Related to these developments are such other changes as the advances in science and technology with increased specialisation, extended lines of communication, and new language, related to growth and specialisation. In addition, the presence of unions, the progress in transporting methods, and finally, new discoveries and innovations in science and technology resulting in new material, plus new techniques and equipment to improve functions, have all had their impact on the process.
Roots and Shoots of Management Thought
Authors: Wofford J.C.
Published: February 2008

Management theory and practice are not created in a vacuum nor are they created at the whim of management writers. Contemporary management theory and practice are rooted in the most influential thoughts and values dominant in philosophy and science of about a century ago. Management thoughts that will blossom at the turn of the twenty‐first century are now only tender shoots which are shyly nudging through their stem of current concepts. To anticipate the future bends, turns and shapes of the surviving shoots, we must look at their philosophic and scientific roots and predict the nature of the environment that will nurture their growth during the next two decades. Basic philosophical positions are disseminated into a society through artists, writers and educators who interpret these positions within their individual fields. As new ways of thinking become dominant in a culture, managers must find ways of behaving that are compatible with them. A nineteenth century manager would be totally incapable of contending with the ways of thinking of employees today. Workers who reject traditional principles, values and authority practices will not respond well to the manager who assumes them to be inviolable.
Brave New Business
Authors: Crawford Alan
Published: February 2008

In the second of this series of classics from Management Decision in the 1960s, we feature a fascinating article entitled “Brave New Business” from 1967. Dr Alan Crawford, then head of operational research at IPC, speculates on the “ideal” company of the 1970s. The application questions at the end were not part of the original.
The Theatre of Life
Authors: Kirkman Frank
Published: February 2008

Management is not an exact science. The engineer or accountant becomes a good manager not only by acquiring specialised knowledge to add to their professional expertise but by learning to exploit instinctive creative skills.
Museums and Marketing Techniques
Authors: Yorke David , Jones P.R.
Published: February 2008

The present day museum is a far cry from the original concept but is it what the public wants?
The Japan of Europe:
Authors: Macdonald John
Published: February 2008

Quality, reliability and suitability are far greater influences than price consideration when Western consumers and professional buyers choose goods and services from the Pacific Basin. It may be too late for Europe to counteract the effect totally, but the first country to master total quality management could at least become the “Japan of Europe”.
Creating Jobs for the People
Authors: Hall Kenneth
Published: February 2008

No one measure can totally solve the unemployment problem, though a multi‐directional attack may have some significant effect.
The Consultant's Report:
Authors: Linstead Steve
Published: February 2008

The success or failure of a consultant's report is not determined by its ability to present data and solve problems but by its persuasiveness, its acceptability to the dominant organisational culture, its value for money as a performance and its ability to generate present and future agreement.
Making Presentations
Authors: Inglis Scott , Kozubska Joanna
Published: February 2008

Many managers find themselves having to make presentations of one kind or another throughout their working lives. The following article stresses planning and the importance of understanding the audience or “client”. It then moves on to a detailed description of how to deliver a presentation most effectively, covering everything from choosing the venue to handling questions at the end.
Effective Writing
Authors: Seekings David
Published: February 2008

Clear writing begins with clear thinking. In the following article, the author describes some of the barriers to clear thinking and suggests ways to remove them. He then goes on to describe key rules of effective communication, including clarity, simplicity, accuracy and style. Readers will find practical guides and descriptive examples which can help them apply the principles in practice.
A Company Employee Communications Strategy
Authors: Crossan Des
Published: February 2008

Employee communications within a fast‐moving consumer goods company are examined; an attitude survey was used as the basis for developing a communications strategy. Two‐way sharing of information can positively contribute to involvement and commitment to organisational success.
A Guide to Capital Budgeting
Authors: Wijeratne N.N. , Harris F.C.
Published: February 2008

A prime concern of successful general management is knowing when cash is going to be needed and where to find it on the most favourable terms.
Leadership and Logic
Authors: Nicholls John
Published: February 2008

Leadership is an integral part of the manager's role. The interrelated factors that determine leadership style are analysed: the task itself, the possible responses of the assigned staff and the leadership skills required.
Measuring Reliability in Service Industries
Authors: Hashim Mohammad
Published: February 2008

Until recently the concept and practice of reliability has been applied mainly to tangible products — manufactured goods, components, machines, systems — there is now a growing effort worldwide to apply basic reliability techniques to service industries. Can they be effective?
The Problems of Success
Authors: Cranston H.S. , Flamholtz Eric G.
Published: February 2008

Sooner or later all growing organisations need to change from one form which they have outgrown to one which will meet their present and future needs.
Job Evaluation: Equal Work — Equal Pay?
Authors: McNally Joyce , Shimmin Sylvia
Published: February 2008

How useful is the procedure used to identify work of equal value between the jobs of men and women?
What Managers Really Do
Authors: Mumford Alan
Published: February 2008

The fundamental contributions of Hotter, Stewart and Mintzberg to the study of management are discussed.
The Team Management Index in the Recruitment Process
Authors: ffrench Barrie
Published: February 2008

The TMI can prove very successful in helping find the most suitable new recruit.
Linear Responsibility Charting:
Authors: Korey George
Published: February 2008

LRC is a technique of particular use as an aid to making complex decisions when the responsibility is shared amongst a group of people.
The Mind of the Retail Buyer
Authors: Banting Peter M. , Blenkhorn David L.
Published: February 2008

There are many products we sell at absolute cost because they are part of the image of our business. We sell Kodak cameras at cost — we will sell between 5,000 and 6,000 of the new disc cameras between now and Christmas. — A drug chain buyer.
The training of counter clerks
Authors: PHILLIPS E.
Published: February 2008

The Head Postmasters of Bury St. Edmunds and York and members of their staffs are taking part in a training experiment. These Head Postmasters have provided accommodation to enable the entire training of some of our counter clerks to be carried out at Post Offices rather than Training Centres remote from Post Office counters.
WSR1
Authors: HUGHES ALEC M
Published: February 2008

NOT THE NAME OF A NEW TYPE OF HOVERCRAFT OR A LUNAR module, but the label attached by management to a film report for the British Oxygen Company on a new wages policy linked with changes in management practice and work‐force structure. E. J. B. Leach, Divisional Personnel Manager of the Gases Division of BOG told us all about it recently, at the British Industrial Film Festival in Brighton. In introducing a new productivity agreement in 45 works scattered all over the country senior management wished to inform all staff as quickly and accurately as possible. Film seemed a good way of doing this. So WAGES STRUCTURE REVIEW No. 1 was made by their own in‐plant film unit to permit the managing director personally to address some 3,000 administrative staff and 4,000 shop‐floor personnel at their individual places of work. It was a film assignment which involved travel all over the country for the film‐makers since the essence of the project was not only to present management policy but also to record the varied reactions of individuals to the preliminary information they had received about it. Nor was it simply a question of getting an agreed policy over to the workers. Individual managers had to be convinced themselves of the value of the new scheme and each of the 7,000 managers, technicians and workers had to see their place in the new set‐up. By presenting the film as near simultaneously as possible at each of 45 works misunderstandings could be avoided, rumour scotched, and discussion and constructive comment promoted.
A look at how the new training boards have gone about their task
Authors: MORGANS NANCY
Published: February 2008

So in the present day there is only one Industrial Training Act though there are 28 industrial training boards implementing their 28 different versions of it. This is understandable. It is indeed inevitable. The Industrial Training Act 1964 invests each individual board with almost complete autonomy to go about its business in the way it chooses. Further, there are no precedents whatsoever for the training boards to follow. Theirs' is a new venture.
All‐age occupational guidance service
Authors: WILLIAMS LADY
Published: February 2008

THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SERVICE, WHICH IS CONCERNED with the placing in employment of those between school leaving age and 18, has a long history. It began in 1910 almost immediately after the setting up of what were then called Labour Exchanges, when the majority of children were in employment by the age of 14, and many, through the half time system, even younger. At the time all that the officers dealing with adult applicants were expected to do was to try to match the vacancies notified by employers with the skills and experience that their clients claimed to have; but it was recognised that those confronted with the new recruits to the labour force had an additional responsibility. Children had had no employment experience so for them it was a question of deciding which occupation to enter. Even in the restricted circumstances of the time, when there were few opportunities for young people to get either further education or industrial training, this choice could be of immense importance to their future lives. Apart from the tiny minority with exceptional potential or very strong determination about their future most girls and boys are capable of adjusting themselves to any one of a dozen or so jobs when they first start work, but with every year in subsequent employment their interests and capacities become more and more canalised. Indeed one of the real difficulties of creating a flexible body of workers at any level is the extent to which people tend to narrow their ideas of what is open to them, to identify themselves with any experience they have had and to find it difficult to ‘think themselves’ into a new situation.
developing management skills
Authors: MATTHEWS STAN
Published: February 2008

Whether used for in‐plant training or for college‐based education, the case study has become a fashionable and effective means of development. It is one of the several modern ways of moving away from formal classroom instruction, of making the learning situation more active and of placing responsibility for learning on the learner. It represents a move towards more realism in management and business training, and it demonstrates the participative element in training.
Key points about the use of the discovery method
Authors: BELBIN MEREDITH
Published: February 2008

Following the publication in our last issue of the TRAINING DESIGN ALGORITHM by the Industrial Training Research Unit there have been enquiries about the several specific techniques mentioned in it. In later issues we shall be dealing in greater detail with training and learning techniques; in the meantime here is a more comprehensive statement on DISCOVERY METHOD presented by Dr Meredith Belbin, whose name is the one most closely associated with the method. Later this year we shall be publishing several articles demonstrating the principles in action.
How to present a proposal for change
Authors: FARNSWORTH TERRY
Published: February 2008

TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN HIS JOB, A TRAINING OFFICER REQUIRES not only the ability to analyse problems and determine solutions: he must also be able to sell his ideas effectively to the managers, supervisors and operators who constitute his customers. In the jargon of the behavioural scientist, he is a change agent, a man whose raison d' être is to bring new thinking to bear upon current problems and opportunities within the organisation. Just as the salesman sells products or services, so the training officer sells ideas and concepts which, it is hoped, will result in more effective use of the company's human resources, thereby contributing both to short‐term profitability and long‐term growth.
Training in human relationships
Authors: AGNEW WILLIAM
Published: February 2008

In this article the author makes a plea for training officers to consider the importance of human encounters in the work situation. He calls attention to the need to train managers and others to develop the necessary skills. The author sees the encounter almost as a unit of production in the human field. The question is often asked, ‘How can I start operations in training in the human resources field?’ Bill Agnew's suggestion is ‘By bringing the management group to a study of encounters’. Used imaginatively this simple approach could open the door and create the demand for a more sophisticated follow‐up to exploit the more advanced concepts developed by the behavioural scientists.
Attrition and achievement in the scheme of private study
Authors: JONES LYNDON H , WYLIE A
Published: February 2008

The incidence of drop‐out amongst those studying by correspondence per se is high. Various reasons have been hypothesised for the low completion rate, including: • The apparent magnitude of the course so discourages the student that he does not begin to submit lessons. • The student lacks the self‐discipline to complete the course. • The student becomes discouraged by the poor marking and late return of his scripts. • The nature of the work may be such that, in the absence of any oral tuition, the return on the investment of the student's time is disproportionately low. In an effort to combat some of these weaknesses, in particular the lack of oral element on the traditional correspondence courses, a number of schemes have been initiated during the past few years. One such scheme, operated at the South West London College, is Directed Private Study (DPS). This is the term used to describe linked oral and postal tuition and with continuous tutorial advice. Recently, an analysis of the attrition in such courses was made to determine at which point most drop‐outs occur. This report presents the data which relates to one of the several DPS schemes operating at the South West London College.
further education and industrial training
Authors: YOUNG JT
Published: February 2008

The appearance of a memorandum prepared by the Association of Teachers in Technical Institutions, together with the Association of Principals of Technical Institutions, on relations between colleges and the representatives of Industry Training Boards, gives public recognition, at least by implication if not by direct statement, to difficulties which have for some time existed in the working of the 1964 Industrial Training Act. A year ago, W. M. MacQueen referred to evidence which suggested that … the Industrial Training Act is being misinterpreted to the detriment of our technical education service and consequently of our industry, and more recently, EDUCATION, the official journal of the Association of Education Committees, commented that Resentment against the training officers attached to industry training boards has been steadily hotting up in colleges of further education. Some of them, the technical teachers say privately, are butting in like self‐styled HMIs, and presuming too far to tell the teachers their business. And some local authorities, the teachers allege, instead of defending the teachers, have been turning a blind eye to the interference because of the undeniable financial benefits which accrue to the education service from investment by industry.
creating a management style
Authors: THOMPSON NOEL
Published: February 2008

THE LATEST CENTRAL TRAINING COUNCIL REPORT ON THE Training of Managers and the BIM's Mant Report have now said what many of us have been saying for years. The most effective training for a manager is that given by an imaginative boss who, with careful regard for his subordinate's needs in knowledge, skill and attitude for the job delegated to him, designs and tutors through a properly controlled spell of training and follows this up with continuous and structured counselling and challenging assignments once the manager is performing his job. From this concept some of us have developed methods of identifying, programming and evaluating schemes of Do‐it‐Yourself management development with the aim of getting the best results from what can otherwise be a hit‐and‐miss affair. In other words, we have worked to help those bosses to whom personal tutoring does not come naturally, to act on their training responsibilities effectively.
training in the skills of negotiation
Authors: FARMER DAVID
Published: February 2008

It is one of the anomalies of management development in Britain that so little attention has been paid to the development of managerial skills in NEGOTIATION. It is an anomally because we are supposed to pay so much attention to defining training needs within a company. No need can be greater than the need for managers skilled in the business of negotiation yet very few companies have even started to develop training systems for this purpose.
How managers learn
Authors: HAGUE HRP
Published: February 2008

The Mant Report made the point that no system of training at the moment seems to operate on any particular theory of learning. This article looks at the ways in which managers are popularly supposed to learn, the ways in which they learn in practice and the defects in the present situation. It also considers how the situation may be improved.
Selecting the right speaker
Authors: FARNSWORTH TERRY
Published: February 2008

Sooner or later, most training officers who operate in the management and supervisory fields are faced with the problem of selecting or recommending a guest speaker for an in‐company course or conference. Very often, such presentations are regarded as the highlight of the course and can exert a make or break influence upon its success or failure. All too frequently, however, speakers are selected haphazardly and are thrust into the arena with only the flimsiest of briefings. As a result, their contributions lack both relevance and impact and, in the atmosphere of recrimination which invariably follows such setbacks, management's confidence in the training officer's judgment can be seriously impaired. As in all training activities, success in this area requires a systematic approach, based upon a penetrating analysis of the key performance needs. This article will therefore discuss such an approach, using as a framework a practical five‐step plan.
Training BOAC secretaries
Authors: MURRAY PATRICIA E
Published: February 2008

In the years before 1967 there had been increasing internal demand in BOAC for secretarial training. The real causes for these demands were not difficult to establish. Not only were bosses dissatisfied with the quality of secretarial work but, in addition, secretaries seemed to feel that they were a neglected training population. There appeared to be few ideas about what kind of training should be given and especially what the training objectives should be. In 1967 it was decided that the General Training Branch should devote some resources to examine the training needs of this group of staff and to produce a systematic model training scheme. Most secretaries receive their basic training in the skills of shorthand and typing at Commercial College or Technical College before joining the company. For those who need further coaching in these subjects, there are a number of courses available. The training described here was not concerned with improvements in these areas of the basic secretarial skills: it was concerned with the concept of the secretary contributing to the effectiveness of the executive for whom she worked. By providing training based on needs identified in interviews with a large sample of BOAC bosses and their secretaries and allowing for feedback and follow‐up, a training system was established which is flexible and has been updated and adapted to particular needs. In this first article, the investigations leading to the design of training and a few typical training sessions are described. A later article will describe the arrangements made for monitoring, evaluating and modifying the system with some results of the evaluation exercise.
Training the young clerical worker
Authors: SMITH WG , LEE WG
Published: February 2008

Training in clerical work has largely been neglected in the past, even by those employers who fully supported training for other employees. With the establishment of the training boards it was hoped that the situation would be remedied, but clerical jobs are diverse and employers' attitudes to the training of clerical staff hard to change. Derby College of Further Education introduced the Certificate in Office Studies, the two‐year day‐release course for clerical workers, right from its inception in 1965. The course has always been well supported, having an enrolment last session of over one hundred students in each year of the course. The nature of the COS, extending over two years, still left ample scope for the development of a shorter, more intensive and practical course, which would help the young entrant settle more rapidly into his commercial employment. The emphasis, in this context, is on the word rapidly. At this stage we were aware of the need to make new clerical workers effective in a short time and that this required some form of block‐release. As the various schemes for block‐release courses have been proposed, we have welcomed them and implemented them.