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Conference presentations often implore delegates to take human resource development issues seriously – after all, research has clearly shown that people are the key to business success. Moreover, a clear link between business strategy and people management significantly increases the likelihood of this success. This article presents an integrated performance management model that links the future directions of the enterprise with the strategies and competencies required to be effective today and to prepare for the future.

Human capital strategies are frequently canvassed in corporate boardrooms and executive suites but are not effectively implemented. This paper aims to identify core measures that senior management can use to increase the effectiveness of their investment in their people and improve organisational performance.

An internationally researched framework for human capital capability is used as the basis of the paper. This is complemented by an international benchmarking initiative.

Five key practices that effective organisations use to enhance performance are identified and current human capital practices of 175 organisations are benchmarked against these critical core indicators.

While the international benchmarking sample does not represent a large number of participants, the pilot project provides significant feedback and identifies areas in which the management of human capital can be enhanced. Scope for further research into the relationship between organisational investment in human capital, future earnings and stock market pricing.

The framework provides a basis for identifying areas for improving the relationship between an organisation's workforce investment and its overall business performance. It also facilitates the development of a road‐map for the human agenda that will have the greatest impact on the enterprise.

An international human capital framework that has been extensively researched and developed over a number of years in consultation with business leaders to assist senior corporate executives to increase the return on their investment in people and enhance corporate performance and profitability.

The annual fiasco of the performance review continues in many organisations despite evidence that it has the potential to be one of the most effective management tools in the entire executive toolkit. Senior executives in many countries indicate that they regard the performance review (particularly the part where they are required to have an open and honest dialogue with the people who report to them) as one of the most difficult things they are required to do. Perhaps that is why so many do not do it at all! While the number of organisations that utilise their performance review programmes is increasing, a virtually useless version of form filling‐in and filing that has become the annual fiasco of so‐called performance review continues in many organisations. The message is clear. People make the difference and the successful enterprises of the current decade will have an integrated performance management programme that effectively links corporate strategy and individual performance.

Describes a programme designed to overhaul training and development activities, instigated by an informal review of monthly reports which showed a generally negative trend in various areas. Outlines the formation of a corporate planning committee, the planning process, and various programmes in management development, accident prevention, manufacturing, etc. Concludes that effective training and development spans all levels of employees, and should be needs based.

We all know that people make things happen and while technology brings some truly great advances it is still just a facilitator. We need to move from the technology and information revolutions to the people's revolution. We need to work far more effectively through the process of implementing significant change in the workplace because the major cause of the failure of so many change initiatives can only be poor management. Many people in the workforce do not know what is expected of them – what they were required to do. They turn‐off. These are the people that management has failed because the ultimate responsibility for lack of effective leadership in any organisation rests with the senior executive management. While much has been and is being said and written about intellectual capital and knowledge management the recording and retention of the knowledge and experience of people who leave is increasing in importance to organisations around the world. During a period when there is great pressure to reduce enterprise overhead costs we are seeing the creation of yet another corporate role – that of knowledge manager. Whether this is a transitional role or one of long term substances remains to be seen.

The paper seeks to determine the relative importance of motivational forces in the decision to go skiing, their influence on the “needs” of skiers and subsequently their role in the choice of resorts. The skiing population studied is that of Grenoble in the French Alps. The analysis indicated that motivations are reflected in certain skier “needs” and have a spatial expression in the choice of resorts. The results illustrate the potential usefulness of studying recreationists' motives as an antecedent to a better understanding of what sorts of experience recreationists look for and where.

The purpose of this paper is to recognise the areas of implementation of the principles of sustainable development (SD) in the model of retail chains activity. In the paper, the assumption was made that nowadays it is necessary to adopt the rules following SD while making strategic decisions by retail chains.

The study uses secondary data sources, reports, academic literature and the case study research method. A case study research is a multi-method paradigm based on full range of a scientist’s tool-kit: reviewing literature studies, examining secondary documents and comparing the websites of investigated retail chains.

According to that business model, the authors were recognising selected components of this model, that is to say: recourses and competences of retail chains and value proposition for their customers. The greatest chances of development will be enjoyed by those retail chains that will be able to provide real value to customers. Maintaining a competitive advantage will require constant improvements in the quality of service and innovative business models connected with sustainable elements.

It seems necessary to develop research tools that allow for identification of the level of use of the SD concept in retail chain’s business models in the future.

The paper is of interest to practitioners and students of retail management.

The concept of the SD model included in the retailer business models serves to build value for the customer through the care of his quality of life. The vast majority of retailers believe that it is the responsibility of the business sector to respond to social and environmental challenges.

The paper intends to fill the gap in the literature concerning the influence of SD concept on changes in the business models of retail chains. The SD activities can lead to the development of specific capabilities based on intangible recourses that are sources of competitive advantage (SD). That is the main reason of undertaking this subject.

This chapter presents a spiritual or wisdom-based approach to development, its rationale, conceptualization, methods and examples of applications. The politics of being proposes that societies explicitly make the fulfillment (‘being’) of all its members – humans and non-humans – their main goal, which should guide the development and implementation of public policies. It stands in opposition to the current development paradigm focused on economic growth or ‘having’, and rooted in a set of modern western values – individualism, materialism, reductionism, anthropocentrism, etc. By nourishing our relational nature, the politics of being can address the root causes of the meta crisis the world is facing, reconciling human flourishing with sustainability and supporting the cultural evolution that is needed. It proposes a dialogue between wisdom and science, the two main areas of knowledge, to guide its design and implementation. It conceptualizes ‘being’ as the actualization of our truest ‘being’ and our highest ‘being’. This means that societies should provide the right conditions for their human members to express themselves and fulfil their healthy aspirations, as well as to develop human virtues and qualities. Wisdom traditions and spiritual teachings offer relevant insights into the nature of human fulfilment and the process of spiritual evolution that can be applied to societies. They emphasize the cultivation of spiritual values and qualities such as love, peace, happiness, life, mindfulness, mystery and the understanding of interconnectedness. In recent decades, these qualities have become areas of scientific research and been at the core of social change and development initiatives. Together they can serve as the foundations of the politics of being and allow to identify actionable public policy agendas in many sectors mainly based on existing examples.