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Presents over sixty abstracts summarising the 1999 Employment Research Unit annual conference held at the University of Cardiff. Explores the multiple impacts of globalization on work and employment in contemporary organizations. Covers the human resource management implications of organizational responses to globalization. Examines the theoretical, methodological, empirical and comparative issues pertaining to competitiveness and the management of human resources, the impact of organisational strategies and international production on the workplace, the organization of labour markets, human resource development, cultural change in organisations, trade union responses, and trans‐national corporations. Cites many case studies showing how globalization has brought a lot of opportunities together with much change both to the employee and the employer. Considers the threats to existing cultures, structures and systems.

It has long been recognised that effective staff training and remuneration allows an organisation to provide a unique and differentiating standard of service in industry, resulting in increased profitability to service providers. The purpose of this research study is to investigate the training strategies, and hence the training profile, of organisations within the accommodation sector. The extent and role of training and remuneration is examined in local independent accommodation providers, and then compared to the larger, chain operations. The quantitative findings are complimented with qualitative research undertaken through interviews with human resource (HR) managers from a number of international hotels in both Perth and Singapore. This mixed method of analysis approach is used to determine the extent of relationship between local accommodation providers and international chains. HR practices in the industry were viewed in Singapore as being very traditional in both the multi‐chain hotels, failing to keep up with new practices and technology, and focusing on administrative rather than strategic goals. No comments on practices in Australia were forthcoming, but it is probable that practices are also very traditional.

Wonders whether companies actually have employees best interests at heart across physical, mental and spiritual spheres. Posits that most organizations ignore their workforce – not even, in many cases, describing workers as assets! Describes many studies to back up this claim in theis work based on the 2002 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference, in Cardiff, Wales.

Looks at performance appraisal, remuneration and training, and the role these human resources (HR) practices have within the hotel accommodation industry in Western Australia. Owing to high turnover of staff in the hospitality and other services industries, organisations are often reluctant to invest in training on casual and part‐time employees. They are also reluctant to investigate alternative remuneration and reward strategies, despite the assistance that is provided by the Western Australian Commissioner for Workplace agreements on this matter. Research has shown, however, that by providing an adequate HR support system, a commitment can be built towards an organization, therefore resulting in better workplace relations for both employees and the organisation. By means of a survey it was found that improved HR practices can lead to an improvement in staff relations, an improvement in quality, commitment and productivity on the part of the employee, and can also work towards reducing labour turnover, hence not only saving the organisation money in recruitment and induction costs, but also improving profitability.

Presents 35 abstracts from the 2001 Employment Research Unit Annual conference held at Cardiff Business School in September 2001. Attempts to explore the theme of changing politics of employment relations beyond and within the nation state, against a background of concern in the developed economies at the erosion of relatively advanced conditions of work and social welfare through increasing competition and international agitation for more effective global labour standards. Divides this concept into two areas, addressing the erosion of employment standards through processes of restructuring and examining attempts by governments, trade unions and agencies to re‐create effective systems of regulation. Gives case examples from areas such as India, Wales, London, Ireland, South Africa, Europe and Japan. Covers subjects such as the Disability Discrimination Act, minimum wage, training, contract workers and managing change.

Presents a special issue, enlisting the help of the author’s students and colleagues, focusing on age, sex, colour and disability discrimination in America. Breaks the evidence down into manageable chunks, covering: age discrimination in the workplace; discrimination against African‐Americans; sex discrimination in the workplace; same sex sexual harassment; how to investigate and prove disability discrimination; sexual harassment in the military; when the main US job‐discrimination law applies to small companies; how to investigate and prove racial discrimination; developments concerning race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; developments concerning discrimination against workers with HIV or AIDS; developments concerning discrimination based on refusal of family care leave; developments concerning discrimination against gay or lesbian employees; developments concerning discrimination based on colour; how to investigate and prove discrimination concerning based on colour; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; using statistics in employment discrimination cases; race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning gender discrimination in the workplace; discrimination in Japanese organizations in America; discrimination in the entertainment industry; discrimination in the utility industry; understanding and effectively managing national origin discrimination; how to investigate and prove hiring discrimination based on colour; and, finally, how to investigate sexual harassment in the workplace.

The National Library of Canada (NLC) is involved in a range of digital library (DL) initiatives which contribute to the fulfillment of its mandate and support the growing range of DL services that complement the Library’s more traditional collections and services. Incorporated in the NLC’s DL initiatives are projects relating to digitization, collecting Canadian networked electronic publications, development of virtual catalogues, metadata creation, and preservation of digital resources. Issues relating to collaboration, access to digital collections and databases, and preservation are addressed in the Canadian context based on NLC’s experience to date.

The aim of this paper is to alert the engineering industry to opportunities in foreign markets. The key to success in the international market place is shown to be directly dependent upon an understanding of the environment of particular overseas countries, districts, cities and towns. The paper stresses the importance of an effective understanding of economic, cultural, institutional, ethical, political, legal and other aspects of an overseas market. The paper concludes that international marketing is founded on research in a similar way to domestic marketing. However, the process is seen to require a closer understanding of subjective as well as objective analysis. Otherwise service, design or product strategy will not produce plans which achieve the long term profits which warrant overseas operations.