Using human resource management to enhance competitiveness: Lessons from four excellent companies

Recent research has emphasized the strategic focus that human resource management must have in order for an organization to fully utilize its human resources in a competitive market. However, few empirical studies have been done to date regarding how human resource planning should be linked to strategy. An extensive in-depth study of four large, complex, and very successful companies supports the widespread belief that human resource management can be a powerful tool to enhance competitiveness when policies and practices are logically driven by a firm's strategy and by the key environmental factors it faces. This article describes that study and looks at how the areas of selection, appraisal, reward, and development are handled by these firms. Based on both the specific policies and the actual practices as perceived by middle managers (those that implement the policies), the article presents a contingency framework which offers guidelines as to how certain HRM practices should be implemented to gain competitive advantage.     

Aligning the sustainable supply chain to green marketing needs: A case study

The research explores the challenges facing organisations in aligning sustainable procurement requirements and marketing needs and the attendant shifts in supply chain management practices. Whilst external influences are readily understood (e.g. regulation and customer demand), less is understood about the implications for suppliers trying to meet sustainable procurement requirements and the organisational challenges of aligning marketing with sustainable supply chain management. An exploratory case study of a UK University catering department has been undertaken, to explore the strategies, processes and relationships associated with synthesising sustainable supply chain and green marketing needs. The empirical findings illustrate the divergence between organisational perspectives on sustainability and procuring sustainable products with marketing demands. Thus, the findings extend the theoretical discussion on sustainable supply chains by providing empirical data based on real-life implementation and from this an emergent aligned supply chain model is proposed, which confirms two drivers for alignment, ‘lean and resource efficient’ and ‘local and seasonal’ — contingent on market demand. The findings emphasise the benefits of a reverse information flow, the importance of intermediaries, and relationships in its fulfilment, while indicating the resurgence of a supply ‘push’ of sustainable products into core markets. Future research directions are also posited.     

Counting the cost,reconciling the benefits: understanding employer investment in Higher Apprenticeships in accounting

Lack of progression to higher education amongst those who complete an Advanced Apprenticeship in England and the country’s need for higher level skills led to the introduction of Higher Apprenticeships in 2009. Whilst Higher Apprenticeships would be expected to facilitate learner progression, the volume of these has remained low. In this paper, the example of accountancy training illustrates that Higher Apprenticeships are typically introduced into a crowded qualification landscape where they likely replace or subsume existing vocational qualifications. Based on employer case studies, the paper explores the factors employers consider when deciding to invest in this form of training and finds that the net costs of training are central. Higher Apprenticeships often simply substitute for other previously used modes of accountancy training, providing the same core qualification but there are some added benefits of the Apprenticeship including widening the employers’ recruitment pool for accounting technicians. As Apprenticeship reforms evolve, it will be down to the value employers place on this route compared to standalone qualification to the same level, which will determine the viability of Higher Apprenticeships in the accounting space.     

Ten Predictions on Chinese Mobilephone Market in 2015

According to the Quarterly Report on the Chinese Moile Market(Q3/2014)eleased by IDC,the year of 2014 saw a domestic smart phone delivery of 420 million sets,up 19.9%year-on-year.However,IDC estimates that comparing with 2014 the product delivery of smart phones will grow by around 7.8%in 2015,which will be the first time for smart phone delivery to grow at a single digit rate in China since 2009.     

Knowledge Effects on Curiosity and New Product Advertising

Abstract

Advertisers commonly advocate when writing ad copy, “Keep it simple!” In keeping with this belief, ads are typically written at less than the tenth grade level. The authors assert that this view may be too simple in view of the complex processes underlying cognitive processing. In an experiment where print ads did not vary in terms of their concreteness, the authors found that increasing levels of readability made no differences in recall, attitudinal judgments or purchase intent.