What’s on the web

Citation

(2006), "What’s on the web", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 14 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/hrmid.2006.04414dag.001

What’s on the web

www.hrvillage.com/about.htm

In our last issue we reviewed, briefly, HR village – “the premier internet portal for human resources professionals and businesses seeking human resources information”.

We promised a longer review this time around so here goes. The first impression is not good. The site loads well and the hyperlinks are fast but the overall design grates rather – particularly the ghastly color combination of mauve and lime green!

Then there is the vocabulary (English version), littered with errors, repetitions and minor faux-pas such as: “FOUNDERS – who is behind the screens (sic) managing the village?” and “our goal is to provide superior information with best of breed organization”. What does that mean? We think this may have been translated from another European language (Greek perhaps?) by a not-totally fluent writer. Then there is a course finder. Remember this claims to be a worldwide site then key in your details. The finder is run by the University of Phoenix and you cannot search without a US state in your address panel!

There are some good things on the site such as some of the information in the HR FAQs section and a few others but, on the whole, this site is a pretty poor resource for anyone who is not American and not a great one if you are.

IBM disappoints

www.ibm.com/servicessolutions

You might expect a company such as IBM to have a particularly snazzy site and in terms of production they do not disappoint. The flash animation is impressive, the specially written music appropriate, the pop-ups, roll-overs and hot buttons are state-of-the-art. And the site is still clear and easy to read.

However (you guessed there was a “however” coming no doubt) the content does not match the design. Form over function again.

By and for you

www.ahrmio.org

The official Association for Human Resources Management in International Organizations (AHRMIO) is an association registered officially with the French authorities as a non-profit body. This site is made for and by HR practitioners of international organizations to promote the latest developments in HR practice and to get the answers to HR-related questions.

The site loads very fast and immediately tells you AHRMIO’s core objectives:

• •

  further the professional and cost-effective deployment of HRM;

• •

  advance modern concepts and practice through conferences and meetings;

• •

  provide learning and development opportunities; and

• •

  conduct and publish research on priority HRM concerns.

There is some interesting material on the issues of work-life balance and the degree to which employer policies and practices in respect of this issue provide assistance in managing the potential for conflict that can arise from competing work and family demands. There are other interesting articles – though they do not seem to be added to that frequently.

On the whole, this is a site worth book-marking.

Good government

www.open.gov.uk

This government information service is recommended as a starting point for all UK government information on the web and has an effective search engine. Through this site see, for example, www.open.gov.uk/college/hkey.htm which describes training programs for investigating cases of harassment and bullying or www.cabinet-office.gov.uk on UK civil service management.

There is a huge mount of information here and many links to other organizations such as the BBC. We suggest you log on to this site in your lunch break – there may be problems if you do it during working hours.

And finally

“Motivation. Psychology tells us that motivation – true, lasting motivation – can only come from within. Common sense tells us it cannot be manufactured or productized. So how is it that a multi-billion dollar industry thrives through the sale of motivational commodities and services? Because, in our world of instant gratification, people desperately want to believe that there are simple solutions to complex problems. And when desperation has disposable income, market opportunities abound.”

“At Despair, Inc., we believe motivational products create unrealistic expectations, raising hopes only to dash them. That is why we created our soul-crushingly depressing Demotivators® designs, so you can skip the delusions that motivational products induce and head straight for the disappointments that follow!”

Here is just one: achievement lithograph – you can do anything you set your mind to when you have vision, determination, and an endless supply of expendable labor.

Check out www.despair.com for more.

Contact us

www.emeraldinsight.com

For a particularly interesting and useful site you could always try our own! And if you have any favorite (or otherwise) sites that you would like us to review on these pages, please drop us an e-mail and we will submit them to our usual rigorous analysis.