Search results

The aim of this paper is to move away from the focus upon the drivers of diversity to consider the drivers of inclusion in the workplace. The research outlined addresses this by considering the views of all employees, not just those who would be considered members of minority groups.

The paper draws on an extensive set of case study data from a range of methodological sources. The case study is of a major high street retailer.

Findings focus upon what leads to employees feeling included in the workplace. In addressing this we explore both the drivers of, and barriers to, inclusion. We argue that inclusion is complex and that individuals may feel included by some aspects of organisational culture whilst simultaneously feeling excluded by others.

The implications of our results for HR practitioners are that organisations need to pay attention to general HR policies as ways of enhancing inclusion, for example development practices, but also pay attention to the different needs of diverse groups.

The paper is original in that in recognising that equality, diversity and inclusion are all closely related, we demonstrate that an understanding of the effectiveness of diversity strategies needs to be fundamentally informed by a consideration of inclusion which can only occur through an engagement with employee's understandings of organisational culture and their place or otherwise within it. Without this employee engagement, many well-intentioned diversity initiatives may go awry. Moreover, the value of the research is that it demonstrates that in order to be successful an inclusion strategy needs to embrace both minority and majority perspectives.

Lifelong learning links vocational education to learning for both career and personal development. Such learning clearly has benefits for the employer, the employee and society as a whole. Recently in the UK, trade union learning representatives (ULRs) have become an important tool in the pursuit of lifelong learning and a learning society. The 2002 Employment Act gave legal recognition to ULRs and allowed them paid time off to organize learning for other employees. In this regard, ULRs now enjoy the same legal status as other trade union lay officials. The purpose of this short article is to provide an outline of those rights and to discuss some of the interesting initiatives that have taken place regarding ULRs, to help highlight best practice to date. The article will discuss in turn, learning representatives and the provisions of the 2002 Employment Act, learning agreements, learning committees and learning centers, and draws on the research we are conducting here at the University of Sheffield.

The purpose of this paper is to present a piece of empirical work that investigates the current role and status of qualitative research within the management field.

The research is based on 45 in‐depth qualitative interviews with members of a range of different stakeholder groups, including: journal editors; qualitative researchers; Doctoral Programme Leaders; practitioners; and those who fund qualitative management research.

The findings suggest that there is considerable variety in definitions of qualitative research; that there are still a number of issues surrounding the status and credibility of qualitative research within the field; and there is a need for greater access to researcher training in this area.

The paper is of practical interest to qualitative researchers in that it details some of the issues surrounding publishing qualitative work.

The paper presents original empirical work in this field.

The purposes of this paper are to explain how the need arose for trade unions to develop accounting systems to monitor learning outcomes and to illuminate how trade unions rose to that challenge.

A semi‐structured interview study of the full‐time educational officers of a number of the UK trade unions produced transcripts that were analysed using template analysis and were supplemented by collection of documentary evidence from the trade unions and interviews and documents from related organizations.

Trade unions are starting to compile extensive information about the learning opportunities that they are facilitating.

Information produced by the trade union's accounting systems highlights the value of the government's investment in the union learning fund (ULF).

This is the only study to address the systems of monitoring developed by trade unions in response to the receipt of funds from the ULF in the UK.

The purpose of the paper is to introduce the themed issue about qualitative research in the business and management field

The paper considers some issues about how to define the term “qualitative research”, and then introduces each of the papers in the themed issue.

The contents of this themed issue demonstrate the insights that qualitative research can make into the management field.

A large amount of interest was generated in the themed issue. As a consequence, Emerald Publishing Group are launching a new journal which specifically focuses on qualitative research in this field.

Women's Progression at Work Volume 25 Number 5 of Personnel Review includes an article by Catherine Cassell entitled “A fatal attraction? Strategic HRM and the business case for women's progression at work.” Critically assesses the underpinnings and implications of the business case for the progression of women at work. Fundamentally linked to the principles of strategic HRM, the business case focuses on the business benefits that employers accrue through making the most of the skills and potential of women employees. Presents a cautiously critical analysis of the claim that the position of women at work can be furthered through a business case. Drawing on recent writings on women at work, plus case study data from the authors own research, argues that the emergence and popularity of the business case has moved the discussion about the position of women at work away from concepts such as democracy and equality to those of organisational effectiveness and competitive edges.