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Information was obtained in interviews with Richard Nagel in Winter/Spring 2022. This information was supplemented by material from secondary sources. The only information that was disguised were the real names for Bob Crater, Tim Landy, Jane Tolley and Mary Nagel.

The case was classroom tested in Summer 2022. The responses from students helped to shape the writing of the case.

Richard Nagel, the owner of the RE/MAX Elite real estate agency in Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, has just learned that one of his agents, Tim Landy, quit and left the industry. Tim was a young real estate agent and Richard had spent considerable time training him. Tim was motivated and he worked hard to prospect for business, but he showed that he was experiencing difficulty closing on his sales. Richard decided to recommend that Tim work with another agent, Bob Crater, as Bob was an experienced salesman but was not doing the up-front prospecting that Tim was doing. Richard suggested two different strategies to the two agents – a pairing up arrangement and peer-to-peer learning. The outcome that Richard envisioned was that both of the struggling salesmen would benefit from either of these strategies, but Bob refused to collaborate.

Tim’s quitting was characteristic of an ongoing problem with employee retention that Richard had been experiencing as a manager in recent years. This problem caused Richard to think about how he recruited his real estate agents, how he developed them through coaching and how he motivated them so that they would stay happy in their job and not leave. He recognized the importance of thoroughly examining his retention strategy within the next 12 months so that he could better manage the problem and strengthen the productivity of his real estate agency.

The case is intended for an undergraduate course in human resources management, as it deals directly with recruiting, coaching and retaining employees.

Universities in the United Kingdom, like their counterparts globally, are confronting difficulties associated with the well-being of students. The origins of these challenges are complex, exacerbated by various global events. In response, universities are trying to address these growing concerns and the escalating need for student support. Faculty members are often recruited to assist students in navigating academic and personal challenges. The aim of this study was to investigate how the process of student mentoring, by faculty members, could be made more operationally robust to better support student demand, thus yielding greater value for both students and staff.

A qualitative approach was adopted with 19 academic faculty working as mentors within a UK business school who participated in 90-minute semi-structured interviews. Interviews were analysed using an operational (transformation) management framework, with findings categorised under three key headings – inputs, transformations and outputs – to discover how the operational process of mentoring students could be enhanced.

Participants discussed the inputs required to deliver mentoring, the process of transformation and their desired outputs. Findings suggest coordinated and relevant inputs that is, information, environments and technology, coupled with good mentor selection and recruitment improves operational robustness, adding greater value to the student experience by creating more purposeful outputs, thereby benefiting themselves and their students.

The application of an operational (transformation) process framework to analyse faculty mentoring of students is unique, thereby offering new insights into the construction and management of these types of academic support initiatives.

This study examines the impact of career competencies (CC) (in the form of personal resources) on sustainable employability (SE) under the tenets of the Conservation of Resources theory. Further, we assess the moderating impact of coworker support and supervisor support (work-related social resources) in this relationship.

Data were collected using survey method from 362 doctors employed in private hospitals in Pakistan. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).

The results suggests a significant influence of CC on SE. Further, results also reveal that social support received from coworkers moderates the relationship between CC and SE. However, we find that supervisor support does not moderate the said relationship.

This research has clear novelty as SE is a recently defined construct and is still an area with insufficient empirical research. There is increasing interest in identifying the determinants and underlying mechanism of SE. Thus, this study makes contributions to knowledge by investigating CC and social resources as antecedents of SE. This study also offers implications for theory generally, and within the medical practitioner context more specifically.

This chapter explores the multifaceted dynamics of urban regeneration and gentrification within the London Borough of Southwark, examining their impact on social inclusion and exclusion. Through in-depth analysis of three regeneration schemes – the Bellenden Road scheme in Peckham, the Bermondsey Spa Regeneration Scheme and the Heygate Estate Scheme in Elephant and Castle – the research elucidates the intricate interplay between revitalisation efforts, socio-economic shifts and community dynamics. The concept of ‘social tectonics’ emerges as a lens through which to understand the fragmentation of neighbourhoods resulting from gentrification. The study illustrates how the influx of affluent newcomers often leads to the creation of parallel worlds within communities, exacerbating tensions between long-standing residents and newcomers. Furthermore, it highlights the process of displacement as a central feature of gentrification, with the demolition of social housing and the lack of affordable replacements driving the displacement of low-income residents. Moreover, the study underscores the loss of neighbourhood identity and diversity as a consequence of gentrification, as once-vibrant and diverse areas are transformed into homogenised enclaves catering to the tastes of the affluent. A critical discourse analysis is equally required to scrutinise the link between language and context, namely the language used in governmental reports, and the historical context of these neighbourhoods. The schemes implemented in the early 2000s reshaped the identity of these three neighbourhoods and represent the ways in which Southwark Council used political strategies over the last 2 decades to create a polarised and fragmented society.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of human capital investment (HCI) on corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in SMEs. Analysing a sample of 1,136 firms (729 FBs and 407 NFBs) and using a PLS-PM methodology, our results support that HCI has a favourable impact on CSR practices in SMEs and that family business (FB) status plays a moderating role on these relationships.

We estimate the proposed model using partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM), a variance-based structural equation (SEM) method, using SmartPLS 3.3 software. PLS simultaneously evaluates the reliability and validity of the variables (external model) and the estimation of the trajectories between these constructs (internal model). The PLS-PM technique is appropriate in this research because: 1. the model makes use of type A composites; 2. the proposed research model has some complexity since we pay attention to the existence of moderating effects; and 3. no specific distribution is required in PLS indicators.

The main findings of this study are: (1) HCI increases CSR practices in the SME context and (2) FB status exerts a positive influence on the relationship between HCI and CSR practices.

This study, grounded in RBV theory and the concept of “familiness,” uses employees' education and training to measure HCI in FBs. While other research focuses on employee competence and attitude to define HCI, future studies should explore all these elements to better understand their impact on CSR practices in SMEs. Additionally, factors like regulation, organisational culture and personal traits may influence the relationship between HCI and CSR practices, suggesting the need for further research. Future studies could also examine family SMEs by considering aspects such as family management or governance as moderating variables, contributing to the discussion on FB heterogeneity. Causes of heterogeneity in FBs include goals, governance structures and resources, supporting recent calls for a deeper understanding of these variations, particularly in how HCI affects CSR practices.

This study also highlights several practical contributions. Today’s complex business environment requires organisations to focus on a wide range of stakeholders to remain sustainable. Organisations must understand how HCI influences CSR practices, specifically how education and training for both employees and managers lead to greater sustainable practices. Therefore, awareness and training for family employees, CEOs and external staff are essential for the proper development of CSR practices. Increased education or training programs by public and private institutions or incentive schemes could help promote these practices within firms. Our results further suggest that governments and other organisations interested in business development should not assume that HCI is universally beneficial for CSR practices in all firms. Specifically, the study shows that HCI has a positive effect on different dimensions of CSR in SMEs, and this influence is even more pronounced in family SMEs. Therefore, government agencies and employers' associations should consider the impact of these factors—HCI and FB status—when designing and implementing more effective policies.

This study makes several theoretical contributions. It explores the influence of HCI on multiple dimensions of CSR, focusing on individual-level drivers like education and training for managers and employees. The findings reveal that HCI positively affects environmental, labour and social CSR practices, especially in SMEs. The study also highlights the unique role of FBs, showing that FB status strengthens the relationship between HCI and CSR due to their focus on long-term goals and community well-being. This research addresses gaps in understanding the heterogeneity of CSR practices between FBs and non-family businesses (NFBs).

This article is original, unpublished and all sources and contributions have been properly acknowledged.

Learning capability improves knowledge resources fosters innovative capabilities and firm competitiveness. The study aims to examine the human resource management (HRM) practice and employee creativity relationship using organizational learning capability (OLC) as a mediating variable.

Data were collected from 67 small-sized and 96 medium-sized firms. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to establish construct validity and reliability. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the proposed model and hypotheses.

The results show that performance appraisal and employee creativity were positively related. Employee participation and employee creativity were positively related. Compensation and employee creativity were nonsignificantly related. OLC mediates the performance appraisal and employee creativity relationship. Similarly, OLC mediates the employee participation and employee creativity relationship. However, OLC did not mediate the compensation and employee creativity relationship.

Due to the research’s SME focus and cross-sectional data, the finding’s generalizability will be constrained.

The findings of the study would be useful to policymakers, stakeholders and management of SMEs in developing a supportive learning climate that promotes experiential and continuous learning cultures to ensure strategic capabilities, sustainable competitive advantage and innovativeness.

The study contributes to the extant literature on OLC, HRM practices and employee creativity by empirically evidencing that OLC mediates the performance appraisal, employee participation and employee creativity relationship.

The objective of this research is to investigate how ethical leadership (EL) directly or indirectly impacts adaptive performance (AP) within the hospitality industry, focusing on the mediation of trust in leaders (TiL) and job crafting (JC).

Data were gathered from 328 employees and 66 leaders across 28 hotels in central and northern areas of Pakistan using a time-lagged methodology. Structural equation modeling was applied for data analysis using SPSS and AMOS.

Findings present a strong connection between EL and AP, with both TiL and JC serving as independent and sequential mediators. The study also revealed that EL is directly linked to TiL and JC.

Findings suggest that hospitality firms should foster a culture of EL by focusing on hiring and employees’ development programs, enhancing their dynamic capabilities to adapt to the changes.

By examining the AP of frontline employees, this study identifies new outcomes of EL within the hospitality context. Furthermore, it also contributes to the literature by exploring the novel impact of EL on AP through TiL and JC.

This paper aims to investigate the moderated-mediation roles of career crafting as well as leader-member exchange (LMX) between career decision self-efficacy and psychological empowerment among ex-offenders in Ghana.

A purposive sampling technique was used in selecting of 412 ex-offenders at various religious rehabilitation units in Ghana. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to investigate the hypothesized paths.

The findings show that LMX moderates the mediated link between career crafting and psychological empowerment.

Guided by the positivist paradigm deployed in the study, some methodological limitations such as the inability to provide an in-depth explanation of cause-and-effect relationships are worth noting for future studies to explore.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the empirical work is unique, as it is the first to extend the scope of career development through the perspective of recidivism in an emerging economy.

Self-leadership theory predicts that specific self-leadership practices will enable individuals to better accomplish their goals. However, little is known about the role that these practices play in conventional leadership (leading or influencing others). This study compares leaders to non-leaders (N = 318) in nonprofits and examines both the extent to which self-leadership practices are employed and the strength of beliefs concerning their importance.

Online survey of two groups: leaders and non-leaders of nonprofit organizations.

Leaders practiced self-goal setting (d = 0.47) and self-observation (d = 0.45) more than non-leaders. Non-leaders practiced more self-reward (d = 0.33) and self-punishment (d = 0.37) than leaders. The only differences in belief concerning the importance of the self-leadership practices were due to leaders believing self-goal setting (d = 0.46) and self-observation (d = 0.36) were more important than non-leaders did.

If self-leadership practices contribute to leadership effectiveness or emergence, this study indicates that goal setting and self-observation (monitoring progress toward goals) may contribute positively to the leadership of others, whereas self-reward and self-punishment may contribute negatively.

Self-leadership may not be as important to the leadership of others as is often claimed or implied.

This is the first study to look at how self-leadership practices differ between leaders and non-leaders.