Salespeople as information gatherers: Associated success factors

Salespeople are in a vantage position to have intimate knowledge of the customers. How to motivate them to be effective information retrievers becomes a challenge to sales managers in today's knowledge economy. This paper presents the results of a study into managerial factors that are associated with more effective information retrieval by sales forces for use in their CRM systems. Sales executives (n = 150) responded to a mailed survey describing the importance of a set of activities to their recruiting/selecting, training, supervisory processes and the climate in the organization generated by upper level management. Results show that supervision and upper management support associate significantly with the effective information retrieval of salespeople; while training those more technically savvy sales recruits results in more effective information retrieval.     

Using ‘Electronic Portfolios’ to Challenge Current Orthodoxies in the Presentation of an Initial Teacher Training Design and Technology Activity

The paper examines the extent to which a University undergraduate curriculum initiative provided initial teacher trainees with opportunities to challenge orthodox design methodologies through the production of an electronic portfolio within and extended design and technology activity. It was found that the ‘electronic portfolio’ served primarily as a developmental tool for promoting creative continuity and sound, reflective, design practice within a structured educational design challenge. The portfolio also provided a focus for the development of ‘e’ learning skills as it facilitated the use of new technologies in the compilation of the portfolio. Additionally, the portfolio provided trainees with a means by which they were able to demonstrate their capability to prospective employers. The use of the ‘electronic portfolio’ challenges current orthodoxy and methods routinely employed to present and assess trainees’ creative work, which have been shown to constrain innovative practice. The paper concludes that the use of the ‘electronic’ portfolio was successful in facilitating trainees’ engagement with a creative Design and Technology process.     

现代教育技术应用于教育教学的重要性

信息科学的迅猛发展，教育技术应用具有特别重要的意义。现代教育技术应用于教育教学，势在必行，是当前教育改革与发展的重要突破口。文章剖析了应用教育技术应解决的问题。     

公推竞岗 推进干部人事制度改革——对我国领导干部任免机制创新的思考

开展公推竞岗,是对传统干部选拔任用方式的一次突破,是选人用人机制的一次创新,是推进干部人事制度改革的一次探索,根本目的是为了提高选人用人的透明度、公信度,打破论资排辈,拓宽选人用人视野,落实广大干部群众对干部人事工作的知情权、参与权、选择权、监督权,形成风清气正的选人用人局面。公推竞岗符合中央"让权力在阳光下运行"和"民主、公开、竞争、择优"的精神。     

Validity of assessment centers for personnel selection

Research and practice in the application of assessment centers (AC) for personnel selection are reviewed and critiqued. Several examples of the use of ACs for external screening, internal promotion, and certification are described. Several types of evidence of validity of ACs for selection are reviewed, including representativeness of the content of dimensions and exercises in relation to job requirements, relationships among ratings within an AC, relationships of AC ratings and criteria of work effectiveness, and consequences of assessments including candidates' reactions to assessments and sub-group differences in ratings. Several controversies in research findings and practices of ACs are noted. Further research to address these controversies and new research to study emerging issues are suggested. Conclusions about the validity, fairness, and legal defensibility of ACs for personnel selection are offered.     

Economics of personnel and human resource management

The new economics of personnel and human resource management is analysed, including its current prominence as well as its historical antecedents. The economic paradigm as applied to personnel and human resource economics is illustrated through a variety of examples in the personnel area. These involve economic phenomenon (e.g., fixed hiring costs, asymmetric information, option values) highlighting their implications for personnel issues, as well as personnel phenomenon (e.g., deferred compensation, pensions, mandatory retirement) highlighting their economic rationale. Other phenomenon that otherwise seem difficult to explain or paradoxical are analysed including: superstar salaries; long-hours and overtime coexisting with unemployment and underemployment often within the same organisation; the reluctance of seemingly risk averse workers to accept small wage cuts to avoid the possibility of a layoff; the payment of fringe benefits that may not be valued by many employees; the “regular” hiring of temporary workers when permanent workers are available; egalitarian pay structures and fairness in compensation; the persistent reporting of vacancies on the part of firms but a reluctance to raise wages to fill those vacancies; the use of piece rates in some jobs and salary structures that are based on relative ranking of workers in other jobs; and tenure or “up-or-out” rules where people who are not promoted are required to leave rather than work for lower pay. The concluding section focuses on elements that are common across these applications.     

工程管理硕士专业学位教育的国际经验及其启示

国外的工程管理硕士专业学位教育发展较为成熟,通过审视其发展过程及培养方式,发现其培养过程中强调学生的工程技术背景,跨学科培养并注重实践教学,拥有成熟的质量评估认证体系以及差异化的办学定位等。我国工程管理硕士专业学位教育的科学发展应充分借鉴国际经验,突出复合型特征,明确人才培养定位;服务经济增长方式转变,科学设置培养方案;坚持企业的积极参与;实现工程管理硕士专业学位教育的国际化。     

引领拔尖创新人才践行社会主义核心价值体系的途径创新

当代拔尖创新人才价值观具有多元、矛盾、自主、实用的新特征,把握拔尖创新人才价值观的正确方向,应坚持以社会主义核心价值体系引领社会思潮、引领拔尖创新人才价值观转型。具体要把社会主义核心价值体系教育与拔尖创新人才素质培养相结合、社会主义核心价值体系传播与拔尖创新人才认同相结合、社会主义核心价值体系引导与拔尖创新人才主体作用发挥相结合,从而实现引领的实效性。     

制造业物流人才胜任特征研究

胜任力特征是人事选拔与评价的重要参考指标之一。以制造业物流人才为研究对象,首先在行业特征的基础上识别物流人才所具备的胜任特征,接着通过问卷调查和数理统计方法,利用Spss13.0软件对回收的问卷数据进行探索性分析,探讨了制造业物流人才胜任特征。研究结果表明:制造业物流人才胜任特征共8个因子:包括人际与团队合作、成就导向、学习领悟、执行力、品行道德、专业知识、资讯获取、创新。初步建立了制造业物流人才胜任特征,并进行控制变量差异性分析,为制造业物流人才的测评选拔提供了新的理论依据。     

高职院校物流学科教育研究

物流作为一个新兴产业,是一个跨行业、跨部门的复合性产业,同时又是劳动密集型和技术密集型相结合的产业,所以发展物流产业,不仅需要高级物流管理人才,更需要大量的物流实用型、操作型和技能型人才。目前,高职教育就是培养物流应用型、技能型人才的关键力量。高职物流专业设置应该以相关专业为依托、突出院校的专业特色;在专业培养方向上应有所侧重,为不同的物流领域构建相应的人才培养体系,以满足物流业多样化的人才需求。